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Immunological Studies on Fertility and Sterility. III. Effect of Isoimmunization with Blood and Semen on Fertility in Cattle¹

Departments of Genetics and Dairy Husbandry, University of Wisconsin, Madison

ABSTRACT

An attempt was made to determine the importance of antigen-antibody reactions as potential causes of lowered fertility in cattle.

Seventeen heifers exhibited anaphylactic-like reactions after repeated intravenous injections of bull semen. Antibodies against bull sperm were not detectable by laboratory tests made on their sera. When the heifers were bred to the bull whose semen they had received, eight conceived on first service and three of the remaining nine on the second. Results from first service were not different from those obtained with the same bulls on nonimmunized cows. The conception rate on second service was low, but not significantly so.

The hypothesis was then tested that local antibody production is a factor in lowered fertility. Twelve heifers received repeated intrauterine injections of a bull's blood. Antibodies were not demonstrable in the reproductive organs throughout the treatment period, but were produced in the sera of six of the heifers—probably in response to antigens which passed into the circulation. When the twelve heifers were bred to the bull used as the blood donor, eight conceived on first service and two on the second. There was no indication that this treatment had reduced fertility. The results would be considered more critical if it had been possible to demonstrate antibodies in the lumen of the reproductive organs of the heifers.

¹ From the Departments of Genetics (Paper No. 713) and Dairy Husbandry, published with the approval of the director of the Agricultural Experiment Station. This project was supported in part by the Research Committee of the Graduate School with funds supplied by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, and in part by a research grant (C-3884) from the Department of Health, Education and Welfare, of the National Institutes of Health, Public Health Service. This work was done under a cooperative agreement between the Wisconsin Agricultural Experiment Station and the Dairy Cattle Research Branch, USDA.

² Agent of the Dairy Cattle Research Branch, USDA.