Resumen de Characterization of electrical and mechanical activities of rabbit uterus associated with the presence of capacitated and non-capacitated spermatozoa
J.F. Lazcano Reyes, J.L. Montiel, A. Medrano
To investigate the effects capacitated spermatozoa may exert upon motility of the rabbit uterus, both contractility and electrical activity (frequency and intensity) were measured in 3 distinctive uterine segments of anaesthetized does: horn (UH), uterotubal junction (UTJ) and tube (UT) after 1) natural mating, 2) infusion of either seminal plasma or PBS, 3) infusion of either capacitated or non-capacitated spermatozoa. Basal values were: 17.1, 15.7, 16.4 g (contractility, P>0.05); 3.5, 3.5, 3.4 Hz (frequency, P>0.05); 0.49, 0.50, 0.57 μV (intensity, P>0.05) for UH, UTJ, UT, respectively. Seminal plasma caused an increase (P<0.05) in the UH contractility: 26.3 vs. 11.7 (natural mating) and 17.0 g (PBS); it also caused a decrease (P<0.05) in electrical intensity at the UTJ: 0.24 vs. 0.67 (natural mating) and 0.58 μV (PBS). The presence of either capacitated or non-capacitated spermatozoa caused no changes in contractility and electrical frequency in any of the uterine segments. However, there was a change in electrical intensity at UTJ (0.37 vs. 0.57 μV for non-capacitated and capacitated spermatozoa, respectively; P<0.05). There were also differences between segments by treatment: UTJ (0.37) vs. UT (0.59 μV) for non-capacitated; UH (0.46) vs. UT (0.71 μV) for capacitated spermatozoa (P<0.05). In conclusion, use of this experimental model showed that uterine electrical activity was slightly modified by the presence of capacitated spermatozoa.
