Uterine secretion from mares with post-breeding endometritis alters sperm motion characteristics in vitro

Uterine secretion was collected from five normal mares during estrus by the use of a tampon. In subsequent estrus cycles, mares were inseminated with 1 x 10(9) spermatozoa from a stallion of known fertility, and uterine secretion was collected randomly at 6, 12, and 24 hours after insemination. All mares had negative endometrial cytology before insemination. At the time of uterine secretion sampling, semen was collected from two stallions and extended with Kenney's extender to a concentration of 50 x 10(6) spermatozoa/mL. Extended semen was diluted 2:1 with uterine secretion; semen extender; and centrifuged uterine secretion (noncellular). Samples were kept at room temperature and sperm motion characteristics (corrected motility (CMOT), progressively motile spermatozoa (PMS), and mean path velocity (MPV) were evaluated using a computer-assisted semen analyzer every 40 minutes for a total of 4 hours. Sperm motion characteristics of spermatozoa were significantly better when incubated in semen extender compared to uterine secretion (P < 0.05). The CMOT and PMS were significantly better in uterine secretion collected before, compared to after AI with the lowest values observed in samples collected at 12 hours after breeding (P < 0.05). Sperm motion characteristics of spermatozoa incubated in centrifuged uterine secretion was only slightly suppressed compared to spermatozoa incubated in semen extender, suggesting that the altered motion characteristics were mostly due to the presence of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) in the samples. It was concluded from this study that spermatozoa can survive in inflamed uterine secretion, but that sperm motion characteristics in vitro are altered.