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Metabolic Behavior of Bovine Spermatozoa as Influenced by Bacteria¹

Departments of Pathology and Bacteriology, Endocrine Section, Experiment Station, and Artificial Insemination Unit, Colorado A. & M. College, Fort Collins

ABSTRACT

By using the Warburg microrespirometer to measure oxygen uptake it was shown that bovine seminal plasma has little or no metabolic activity. Bacillus or Pseudomonas organisms added to semen samples produced an oxygen uptake in 3 hours that was significantly higher than that of semen samples alone or the combined oxygen uptake of semen plus organisms. This indicated a metabolic stimulation to either the sperm cells or bacteria or both. By adding fresh sperm cells to filtrates of incubated bacteria plus semen it was shown that this stimulation was due to the ability of the sperm cells to utilize bacterial intermediate metabolites.

Streptomycin was shown to have little or no effect on the metabolism of sperm cells or on Pseudomonas organisms but it was significantly inhibitory to the respiration of a Bacillus species.

¹ This manuscript is a portion of a M.S. thesis submitted to the Graduate School of Colorado A. & M. College.

² Present address: Dept. Veterinary Science and Bacteriology, University of Wyoming, Laramie.