Effect of seminal plasma treatment on conception rate in Holstein cows

Abstract

The seminal plasma (SP) plays significant roles in fertilization processes including capacitation, acrosome reaction, and interaction between sperm and the oocyte. In addition, the SP provides an immunomodulatory effect by the cytokines that it contains, in the female reproductive tract. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of intrauterine seminal plasma infusion on the success of artificial insemination (AI) in Holstein cows. In the study, a total of 60 multiparous Holstein cows were treated with the Ovsynch protocol (10 μg GnRH on day 0, 500 μg PGF2α on day 7, and 10 μg GnRH on day 9), and artificial insemination was performed 16-18 h after the second GnRH. The cows were categorized into four groups based on the number of AI during lactation period; Group-I (Control AI≤2): inseminated once or twice, Grup- II (SP+AI≤2): inseminated once or twice and infused intrauterine SP, Grup-III (Control AI≥3): inseminated thrice or more, Grup-IV (SP+AI≥3): inseminated thrice or more and infused intrauterine SP. SPs were obtained from 5 Holstein bulls. They were mixed and infused into the corpus uterine immediately before AI. Pregnancy diagnosis by ultrasonography was performed on the 32nd, 60th and 95th days after AI. The conception rates were found 53.3%, 60%, 26.6% and 40%, respectively, between the groups at the 32nd and 60th days after AI (P>0.05). The pregnancy loss was found only in two cows (25%) of Group I, on the day 95th (P>0.05). The days of lactation between the groups were 110±23.2, 104±28.2, 238±53 and 221±46.7, respectively, and were found to statistically significant (P