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A TECHNIQUE FOR COLLECTING EPIDIDYMAL SPERMATOZOA AND FLUIDS FROM THE BOAR VIRTUALLY FREE FROM ACCESSORY SEX GLAND SECRETIONS

Efforts to study the physiology and chemistry of epididymal spermatozoa have been hampered by the limitations placed on the investigator by the source of his materials. Earlier studies (Mann, 1959, 1964; Crabo, 1965) have relied on epididymides obtained at castration or following destruction of the experimental animal, procedures which severely limit the amount of data obtained from one boar. Attempts to cannulate and expose the vasa deferentia of the boar (Wierzbowski & Wierzchos, 1969; Johnson, Pursel & Kraeling, 1971; Einarsson, 1971) have had limited success because of exudative contamination, changes in sperm morphology and difficulty in maintaining a patent duct. Ninety-three days has been the maximum amount of time that epididymal spermatozoa and fluids have been collected by this method (Wierzbowski & Wierzchos, 1969).

Partial blockage of the seminal secretions of the accessory sex glands can be accomplished by injection of large doses of atropine, a parasympathetic-blocking agent (Dziuk, 1959;