Embryonic survival in the pig after insemination with antigen-enriched semen

Ninety-two first-litter Dutch Landrace sows were inseminated at their first oestrus after weaning with diluted semen containing 2.3 x 10(9) motile sperm cells. Immediately before insemination of 46 randomly chosen sows, 2 x 10(8) fresh bovine leucocytes were added to the semen. All sows were slaughtered on Day 8, 9, or 10 after insemination. In the control group and leucocyte-treated group respectively, 41 and 39 sows were pregnant at slaughter. The average number of corpora lutea (+/- SEM) in pregnant animals was 15.72 +/- 0.60 and 15.22 +/- 0.61, respectively. The average number of embryos was 10.66 +/- 0.79 and 10.36 +/- 0.80, respectively. The addition of bovine leucocytes to semen had neither influence on the pregnancy rate, nor on the number of embryos during early pregnancy.