The influence of seminal plasma on ovarian function in pigs--a novel inflammatory mechanism?

Seminal plasma is increasingly recognised as contributing to the reproductive process in roles apart from that of providing nutritive support and transport for spermatozoa. Seminal components elicit inflammatory responses in the female reproductive tract, including altered patterns of cytokine secretion, which have consequences for early embryo development and implantation. This review examines evidence, generated principally in the porcine model, for a more recently recognized role for seminal plasma in regulating the temporal kinetics of ovulation, corpus luteum development and steroid production in the ovary. Molecular mechanisms that operate to facilitate communication via a novel semen-uterine-ovarian axis are postulated. A better understanding of these events may facilitate development of strategies to ensure maximal fertility and reduce embryo mortality in the pig and other polyovular species.