Advances in deep uterine insemination: a fruitful way forward to exploit new sperm technologies in cattle

After clarifying regions of the female tract wherein spermatozoa are stored and the egg is fertilised, proposals are made for a modified site of sperm deposition in cattle. A deep pre-ovulatory insemination into the ipsilateral horn of the uterus-the side of the ovulatory follicle-should improve establishment of viable spermatozoa in the caudal region of the oviduct isthmus, the so-called functional sperm reservoir. Suppressed motility within viscous secretions and binding of sperm heads to endosalpingeal microvilli are features of this phase of storage. Activation and release of such spermatozoa would be prompted by imminent ovulation and associated ovarian endocrine programming by both local and systemic routes. Potential advantages of deep insemination include: (1) raising the fertility of genetically valuable bulls whose non-return rates are sub-optimal; (2) reducing the number of spermatozoa in each insemination dose; (3) exploiting the limited numbers of sex-selected sperm cells (X- and Y-chromosome-bearing spermatozoa) available from flow cytometry; (4) breeding from valuable but oligospermic bulls. Putative disadvantages might include: (1) rectal palpation of the ovaries to identify the pre-ovulatory follicle; (2) damage to or even perforation of the uterine wall by the insemination device; (3) the risk of polyspermic fertilisation; (4) specific training in the technique for non-clinically qualified inseminators. Each of these reservations receives comment. In conclusion, a modified technique of insemination should be feasible under commercial conditions, could be coupled with new sperm technologies, and would give a boost to the artificial insemination industry.