PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

E C Segerson

Publications and source records attributed to E C Segerson.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Uterine-specific proteins in luminal secretions of swine leukocyte antigen-inbred miniature swine with cystic endometrial hyperplasia.

Uterine-specific proteins were evaluated in luminal secretions of Swine Leukocyte Antigen (SLA)-inbred miniature swine with cystic endometrial hyperplasia (CEH) by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) and Sephacryl S-200 chromatography. CEH and non-CEH (NCEH) pigs (n = 23) were killed on Days 4, 9, and 15 of the estrous cycle (estrus = Day 0) and reproductive tracts were excised for collection of serum and uterine luminal protein. Uterine luminal protein was greater (p less than 0.05) on Day 9 than on Days 4 and 15 (42.9 vs. 6.1 and 29.4 mg, respectively) for CEH pigs and Days 4, 9, and 15 (8.5, 10.1, and 25.6 mg, respectively) for NCEH pigs. The presence of the uterine-specific acidic and basic proteins, as revealed by PAGE, was affected (p less than 0.025) by day of the cycle and CEH condition. All Day 15 NCEH pigs (4 of 4) produced the complete profile of these proteins, whereas none of the uterine protein samples representing other treatment groups contained them. Some minor acidic protein components were present in cystic fluids from CEH pigs, but these fluids lacked the typical uterine-specific proteins. PAGE analysis of Sephacryl S-200 fractions from uterine fluids of Day 15 NCEH pigs revealed the uterine-specific proteins in fractions IV (Mr 40,000) and V (Mr 15,000). The results of the investigation demonstrate an impairment in the secretion of uterine-specific proteins in cyclic SLA miniature swine with cystic endometrial hyperplasia.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Characterization of immunosuppressive substances in the basic protein fraction of uterine secretions from pregnant ewes.

The basic protein fraction of ovine uterine secretions collected late in pregnancy (Days 125-140) contains a substance capable of inhibiting in vitro blastogenic responses of lymphocytes to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) or mixed lymphocyte reactions. In this study, the immunosuppressive substance in the basic protein fraction of uterine secretions was further defined by gel filtration. The immunosuppressive activity resided in a group of high molecular weight proteins eluting at the void volume of Sephacryl S-200 and Sepharose CL-6B columns. For example, incorporation of thymidine by PHA-stimulated lymphocytes incubated with 20, 40, 80, and 120 micrograms/ml of protein from the void volume of Sepharose CL-6B was 65, 28, 2, and 0 percent of control lymphocytes, respectively. Based on polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodeylsulfate (SDS), the immunosuppressive fraction from Sepharose CL-6B chromatography contained aggregates of uterine milk proteins (UTM-proteins) and a pair of proteins running at the top of a 5% (w/v) polyacrylamide gel. Other protein peaks resolved by Sephacryl S-200 and Sepharose CL-6B contained aggregates of UTM-proteins but were not immunosuppressive. The substance inhibiting in vitro lymphocyte function was not of conceptus origin, because it was found in fluid from the ligated uterine horn of unilaterally pregnant ewes and from the uterus of an ovariectomized ewe treated for 60 days with progesterone and estrone.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Suppression of lymphocyte activation by a high-molecular-weight glycoprotein released from preimplantation ovine and porcine conceptuses.

A high-molecular-weight (MW greater than 660,000), acidic glycoprotein (HMWGP) was purified from incubation medium of preimplantation, elongating ovine (day 16 and 17) and porcine (day 16) conceptuses. HMWGP was tested for its ability to inhibit [3H-methyl]thymidine incorporation into lymphocytes stimulated by phytohemagglutinin or two-way mixed lymphocyte cultures. Ovine and porcine HMWGP inhibited the incorporation of [3H-methyl]thymidine into lymphocytes in a dose-dependent manner. An approximately 50% inhibition was detected at the lowest dose tested (ovine, 25 micrograms/ml; porcine, 5 micrograms/ml). Complete suppression of thymidine incorporation occurred at the highest doses evaluated (ovine, 200 micrograms/ml; porcine, 40 micrograms/ml). This immunosuppressive effect was not the result of an overall cytotoxic effect on lymphocytes as evaluated by trypan blue exclusion. In conclusion, an ovine and porcine conceptus glycoprotein, HMWGP, has potent in vitro immunosuppressive activity in both phytohemagglutinin and mixed lymphocyte cultures. In vivo, HMWGP may have an immunoregulatory role during early pregnancy in the sheep and pig by providing a local immunosuppressive environment within the uterus to prevent conceptus rejection.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

Corpus luteum function following spontaneous or prostaglandin-induced estrus in Brahman cows and heifers.

Corpus luteum (CL) function following spontaneous or prostaglandin F2 alpha-induced estrus was studied in 27 Brahman cows and 16 Brahman heifers. Females received one injection of 0, .38, .75 or 2.25 mg alfaprostol (PGF)/100 kg body weight at 12 +/- .1 d post-estrus. Serum progesterone (P4) during CL formation, following the subsequent estrus, increased over time (P less than .001, 1 to 13 d post-estrus) and was influenced by PGF (P less than .06) and a PGF X time interaction (P less than .02). Low serum P4 concentrations were observed during CL formation (d 3, 4, 10, and 12) in cattle that received 2.25 mg PGF. On d 13 post-estrus, CL were removed. No differences in weight, P4 content or number of luteinizing hormone (LH) receptors was evident between CL derived 13 d following spontaneous vs PGF-induced estrus. The CL formed following PGF-induced estrus had fewer large (P less than .002) and small (P less than .09) luteal cells in heifers, a lower (P less than .008) percentage composition of histological type I and II luteal cells in cows and a lower (P less than .0001) in vitro P4 response to LH in both cows and heifers when compared with the CL formed following spontaneous estrus. Cows had heavier (P less than .002) CL with a higher (P less than .05) number of large cells, a higher (P less than .09) percentage composition of histological cell type I and II luteal cells, and a higher (P less than .03) in vitro basal and stimulated P4 secretion. It is concluded that 1) the events associated with artificially shortening the estrous cycle with PGF altered subsequent CL function in Brahman females; 2) cows had heavier CL, which were composed of more steroidogenically functional luteal cells, than heifers and 3) age of animal interacted with PGF to alter subsequent CL function in Brahman females.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Immunosuppressive activity of uterine luminal protein from steroid-treated ovariectomized heifers.

Uterine luminal protein (ULP) collected from ovariectomized steroid-treated crossbred heifers was tested for immunosuppressive activity in vitro. Heifers were allotted to treatment groups and for 16 d received daily injections of the following steroids or vehicle: Control (C, corn oil only, n=10); estradiol-17beta (E(2), 1.1 mug/kg body wt, n=10); progesterone (P(4), 2.2 mg/kg body wt, n=10); and E(2)+P(4) (1.1 mug + 2.2 mg/kg body wt, n=9). On Day 17, uterine flushings were collected, concentrated and quantitated for total ULP. ULP was tested for suppression of lymphocyte blastogenesis. For each experiment, 5 x 10(5) bovine lymphocytes were incubated with 0.4 mug of phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and ULP (25 to 400 mug ULP/ml) using standard culture conditions. At 48 h, 0.5 muCi of (3H) thymidine was added to cultures with cells harvested at 60 +/- 1 h by automation. Incorporated thymidine was measured by scintillation chromatography. Mean total ULP values for C-, E(2)-, P(4)- and E(2)+P(4)-treated groups were 4.7, 8.4, 13.6, and 25.5 mg, respectively (E(2)+P(4)>C and E(2), P<0.05). ULP from all treatment groups suppressed (P<0.0001) lymphocyte blastogenesis (thymidine incorporation) to PHA; however, suppression was greater (P<0.0001) for ULP from E(2)- and P(4)-than C-treated heifers at 100 and 200 mug ULP/ml. In conclusion, E(2) and P(4) injections enhanced immunosuppressive activity of ULP secretions.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1986

Skin graft survival in the uterine lumen of ewes treated with progesterone.

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of progesterone on survival of skin transplants placed in the uterine lumen of ovariectomized ewes. Animals were treated for 30 days with either a corn oil vehicle (n = 4) or progesterone at 50 (n = 3) or 200 mg/day (n = 3). An autograft and allograft were then placed in each uterus, and treatments were continued for an additional 30 days before grafts were examined for survival. All autografts were present 30 days after grafting and most appeared healthy upon histological examination. Allografts placed into the uterine lumen of progesterone-treated ewes were present 30 days after grafting but were necrotic in histological appearance. Allografts placed within the uterus of corn oil-treated ewes were completely resorbed. Uterine secretions that accumulated in the uterine lumen were examined for inhibitory effects on [3H-methyl]thymidine incorporation by lymphocytes stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA). The total amount of immunosuppressive activity in the uterine lumen was greater (P less than 0.05) for progesterone-treated ewes than for corn oil-treated ewes. Concentrations of progesterone in uterine secretions of progesterone-treated ewes ranged from 0.3 to 3.4 ng/ml. Thymidine incorporation into PHA-stimulated lymphocytes was not affected by in vitro treatment with up to 500 ng/ml of progesterone. In conclusion, progesterone delayed resorption of skin allografts placed in the uterine lumen. Results are consistent with the hypothesis that progesterone mediated this effect by stimulating the secretion of immunosuppressive substances into the uterine lumen.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Effects of marginal selenium deficiency and winter protein supplementation on growth, reproduction and selenium status of beef cattle.

Seventy-two Hereford X Simmental cows, averaging 498 kg in body weight and 5.2 yr of age, were used in a 2-yr study to ascertain if selenium (Se)-vitamin E (E) injections and winter protein supplementation would affect growth, reproduction and health of beef cattle maintained year-round on feedstuffs marginally deficient in Se (.03 to .05 mg/kg). Cows received either no injection or a mixture of 30 mg Se (as sodium selenite) and 408 IU E injected subcutaneously beginning 3 to 4 mo prepartum and at 60-d intervals throughout the 2-yr period. Calves born to Se-E treated cows were injected with 5.5 mg Se and 75 IU E/100 kg body weight at 60-d intervals beginning at 1 mo of age. Calves were born between December 30 and February 20 and cows were bred between March 20 and May 20. Cattle grazed pasture (.05 mg Se/kg) that consisted of orchardgrass, bluegrass and white clover during the fall, spring and summer. During winter (December 15 to May 2), cattle were fed corn silage (.03 mg Se/kg) supplemented with either: no protein supplement (control), soybean meal or a urea-corn mixture. Cows and calves receiving Se-E had higher (P less than .01) whole blood glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity and plasma Se concentrations than controls. Selenium-E injections reduced (P less than .05) calf death losses from 15.3% to 4.2% and slightly increased (P less than .10) adjusted calf weaning weights. Hemoglobin concentrations were higher (P less than .05) in Se-E-injected supplemented calves at 1 mo of age but not at 5 or 7 mo of age.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Mitogenic response of lymphocytes collected from jugular and uterine veins and the uterine lumen of estrous, Day 14 and ovariectomized ewes.

Lymphocytes harvested from the jugular vein (JV), uterine vein (UV) and uterine lumen (UL) of Day 14 (n = 7), estrous (n = 6) and ovariectomized (OVX, n = 5) nulliparous Dorset ewes were tested in vitro with two dosages (0.08 and 0.16 micrograms) of the mitogen, phytohemagglutinin (PHA). UL lymphocytes were aspirated from the uterine lumen of each horn following gentle curetting of the endometrium. Lymphocytes (1 X 10(5)/culture well) from each source and reproductive category were cultured in RPMI-1640 (with additives) and treated with 0 (control), 0.08 and 0.16 micrograms of PHA. At 48 h of culture, 0.1 microCi of tritiated [3H]thymidine was added and were harvested at 60 +/- 1 h of culture. A stimulation index (SI) was calculated for cultures containing PHA. Analysis of variance revealed that SI values for Day 14 and estrous ewes were affected (P less than 0.002) by lymphocyte source at each PHA dosage. For Day 14 ewes, mean SI values for JV lymphocytes were greater (P less than 0.05) than for UL lymphocytes at 0.08 (7.2 and 1.8, respectively) and 0.16 micrograms (8.7 and 2.5, respectively) of PHA. For estrous ewes, mean SI values for JV lymphocytes were greater (P less than 0.05) than for UL lymphocytes at 0.08 (5.7 and 1.4, respectively) and 0.16 micrograms (6.7 and 2.2, respectively) of PHA. Mean SI values for UV lymphocytes for Day 14 and estrous ewes were intermediate between mean SI values for JV and UL lymphocytes. For OVX ewes, SI values were not affected (P greater than 0.25) by lymphocyte source at either PHA dosage. Further, mean SI values for UL lymphocytes from OVX ewes were greater than mean SI values for UL lymphocytes from Day 14 and estrous ewes at 0.08 (P less than 0.05) and 0.16 micrograms (P less than 0.02) of PHA. For intact ewes, data indicated that UL PHA-treated lymphocytes were suppressed, and that the immunosuppressive factor that can influence lymphocytes associated with the uterine environment may be a pertinent immunological adjustment that is requisite for maintenance of the ovine conceptus allograft.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Suppression of phytohemagglutinin-stimulated lymphocyte blastogenesis by ovine uterine milk protein.

Two basic glycoproteins (UTM-P) with molecular weights of 57,000 and 59,000 were purified from ovine uterine milk collected on Days 125 and 130 of pregnancy. The UTM-P were evaluated for immunosuppressive activity in phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-treated, mixed lymphocyte (MLC) and resting lymphocyte (RLC) cultures. For PHA and RLC cultures, UTM-P (2.5 to 800 micrograms UTM-P/ml) were added to 1 X 10(6) lymphocytes and 0.8 micrograms of PHA (for PHA cultures only), while for the MLC, UTM-P (50 to 1600 micrograms UTM-P/ml) were added to 5 X 10(5) lymphocytes combined from each of two ewes. Following [3H] thymidine addition, cells were later harvested for determination of thymidine incorporation. Lymphocyte blastogenesis was suppressed by UTM-P in PHA (R2 = 0.32 to 0.92, P less than 0.01 to 0.001), MLC (R2 = 0.8, P less than 0.001) and RLC (R2 = 0.65, P les than 0.01) experiments. To determine reversibility, PHA-treated lymphocytes were incubated with UTM-P for 6, 12 or 24 h, then washed to remove surface UTM-P. Incubation was continued in the presence of PHA as with other experiments. Exposure of lymphocytes to UTM-P for 6 or 12 h did not result in suppression of blastogenesis, whereas exposure for 24 h was sufficient for suppression (P less than 0.01). In an additional experiment, UTM-P were added to PHA-treated cultures at 0, 6, 12 or 24 h. Suppression (P less than 0.01) of blastogenesis was observed for each time period. Immunosuppressive activity was not mediated by overall cytotoxicity and was not affected by routine handling and storage of UTM-P. Data from these experiments provide one explanation for tolerance of the conceptus allograft during defined stages of ovine pregnancy.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Ovarian and uterine morphology and function in Angus and Brahman cows.

Ovarian characteristics, daily serum progesterone (P4) and estradiol-17 beta (E2) concentrations (d 7 through 17) and uterine luminal secretory protein components and histological variables were evaluated in parous Bos taurus (Angus, n = 20) and Bos indicus (Brahman, n = 19) cows. Cows were slaughtered on d 17 (estrus = d 0) for measurement of ovarian structures, flushing of uteri and removal of uterine tissue for histological evaluation. Cows were placed into one of three reproductive categories: nonpregnant, remnant (flushings contained remnants of embryonic tissue) or pregnant. For ovarian and uterine variables, there were only a few differences among reproductive categories within breeds. For combined categories, weight of the active ovary (containing the corpus luteum) was similar between breeds, but inactive ovarian (P less than .001) and follicular fluid (P less than .01) weights, stromal weight (P less than .01) and number of follicles less than 5 mm in diameter (P less than .01) for both ovaries combined were greater in Brahman than Angus cows. Corpus luteum weight (P less than .001), luteal P4 content (P less than .08) and number of follicles greater than 5 mm in diameter for both ovaries combined (P less than .05) were greater for Angus than for Brahman cows. Overall, mean serum P4 concentrations were greater in nonpregnant (P less than .05), pregnant (P less than .005) and combined (P less than .025) reproductive categories for Angus than corresponding categories of Brahman cows and mean serum E2 concentrations were greater in remnant (P less than .025) and combined (P less than .05) reproductive categories for Angus than corresponding categories of Brahman cows. Mean total uterine luminal protein was greater (P less than .05) in Angus than in Brahman cows for pregnant (23.4 vs 14.7 mg, respectively) and combined reproductive categories (22.4 vs 16.1 mg, respectively). Using electrophoretic analyses, percentage composition of three uterine specific cathode migrating protein bands and quantitative estimates of proteins with molecular weights (MW, X 10(-3)) of 9, 15.5, 34.2, 41.3, 46.2 and 183.1 were greater (P less than .05 to P less than .001) in uterine flushings from Angus than from Brahman cows. Uterine, myometrial and endometrial thicknesses, number of glands/microscopic field and uterine luminal epithelial cell height variables were generally greater (P less than .05 to P less than .001) in pregnant and combined reproductive categories for Angus than for Brahman cows.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

Immunosuppressive effect of uterine secretory protein from Angus and Brahman cows upon lymphocytes in vitro.

Uterine luminal protein collected on d 17 (estrus = d 0) from Angus (n = 20) and Brahman (n = 19) cows of varying reproductive status was evaluated for immunosuppressive activity in vitro. Reproductive status consisted of the following categories: nonpregnant (uterine flushing was devoid of embryonic material); remnant (uterine flushing contained obvious degenerative fragments of embryonic tissue) and pregnant (uterine flushing contained an intact conceptus). Uterine protein was tested for suppressor activity in both phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) systems. Incorporation of [3H]-thymidine into 1 X 10(6) Angus or Brahman lymphocytes for PHA cultures and 5 X 10(5) lymphocytes from each breed for MLC experiments served as the index for lymphocyte blastogenesis. For all experiments, uterine luminal protein from nonpregnant, remnant and pregnant Angus and Brahman cows suppressed (P less than .01) lymphocyte blastogenesis for Angus and Brahman lymphocytes, respectively. In two lymphocyte-uterine protein specificity experiments containing PHA, uterine protein from Angus cows suppressed (P less than .01) blastogenesis of Brahman lymphocytes and uterine protein from Brahman cows suppressed (P less than .01) blastogenesis of Angus lymphocytes. Within and between breed comparisons of suppressor activity were evaluated when expressing uterine protein culture data as percentages of control (no test protein) cultures. At 200, 400 and 800 micrograms/ml of uterine protein, suppressor activity was consistently greater in secretions from pregnant than from nonpregnant cows for each breed. For between breed comparisons, there were nonsignificant trends toward greater suppressor activity for nonpregnant Angus than for nonpregnant Brahman cows at 200, 400 and 800 micrograms/ml of protein. Suppressor activity was greater (P less than .10) for pregnant Angus than for pregnant Brahman cows at 400 micrograms/ml of protein and tended to be greater for pregnant Angus than for Brahman cows at 800 micrograms/ml of protein. These data indicate that uterine secretory protein collected on d 17 from Angus and Brahman cows exerted immunosuppressive activity in vitro. Further, suppressor activity in each breed was greater in pregnant than in nonpregnant cows and suppressor activity tended to be greater for Angus than for Brahman cows.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Serum and testis selenium concentrations and testis morphology in ram lambs of varying ages.

Serum and testis selenium (Se) concentrations, body and testes weights, seminiferous tubule height and width measurements and percent of tubules containing luminal spermatozoa were determined in Se-treated (SSe) and control (NSe) crossbred ram lambs at 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 days of age. With IM injections, SSe lambs received 3 mg of Se as selenite and NSe lambs received 0.9% saline at 30-day intervals throughout the study. For each age group, lambs were weighed, jugular vein blood collected and testes removed at the designated age. Serum and testis tissue samples for each lamb were assayed for Se, and testis tissue was also evaluated for histological parameters. For all parameters, only serum Se concentrations were affected (P<0.0001) by Se treatment; however, all other parameters were affected (P<0.0001) by age. For combined groups, mean testis Se concentration (0.33 ppm), testes weights, seminiferous tubule measurements and percent of tubules (82.2) containing luminal spermatozoa were greatest (P<0.05) at 180 days of age, and mean testis Se concentrations were significantly correlated with these testicular parameters. These data lend support to the hypothesis that the increase in concentration of testicular Se to adult concentrations (>0.3 ppm) around the time of puberty is associated with rapid testicular development and production of spermatozoa.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1982

Ova fertilization and sperm number per fertilized ovum for selenium and vitamin E-treated charolais cattle.

Fertilization of ova, number of sperm per fertilized ovum and serum and myometrial Se concentrations were determined in Charolais cows treated with selenium and vitamin E (Se+E). Cows were considered low in Se status prior to allotment to either a control (n=20) or a Se+E-treated (n=21) group. Se+E-treated cows received 40 mg of Se as selenite and 544 IU of alpha-tocopherol acetate by IM injection at 14-day intervals throughout the study, whereas control cows received saline. Starting on day 75 of treatment, cows were checked for estrus and inseminated. Reproductive tracts were removed at slaughter with ova collected and examined for fertilization and number of adhered sperm. The proportion of recovered ova that were fertilized for control and Se+E-treated cows was 8 of 11 and 12 of 15, respectively (P > .05). For spermatozoal data, a few extreme values accounted for a non-significant trend in which a greater number of sperm were adhered to fertilized ova collected from Se+E-treated than control cows (35.6 +/- 7.2 and 24.8 +/- 7.7, respectively). When analyzing only ova with spermatozoal numbers within one S.D. of the mean number of sperm per fertilized ovum, mean (+/- S.E.M.) spermatozoal numbers for control and Se+E-treated cows were 13.5 +/- 3.1 and 36.4 +/- 5.3, respectively (P <. 005). Spermatozoal number was correlated (P <. 01) with serum and myometrial Se concentrations (r=.67 and .78, respectively) and these concentrations were greater (P <. 001) in treated animals. Low Se status was not associated with ova fertilization in this study; however, greater spermatozoal numbers for fertilized ova collected from Se+E-treated cows suggests increased sperm transport.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1981

Selenium and reproductive function in boars fed a low selenium diet.

A study was conducted with 24 crossbred boars (77.5 +/- 2.8 days of age) to determine the effects of low Se status on various spermatozoal characteristics and on Se concentration in semen, serum and primary and accessory reproductive tissues. All boars were fed a low Se diet (cornstarch and Torula yeast) ad libitum. Twelve boars were injected every 14 +/- 1 days with sodium selenite (.33 mg Se/kg body weight) and 12 served as saline-treated controls (low Se status). At 210 +/- 5 days of age, six boars in each group were slaughtered, and serum and various tissues were collected and assayed for Se. Treated boars had higher concentrations of Se in the serum (P less than .001), kidney (P less than .001), liver (P less than .001), heart (P less than .001), skeletal muscle (P less than .01), testis (P less than .01), epididymis (P less than .05), seminal vesicle (P less than .01), bulbourethral gland (P less than .001) and prostate (P less than .001) tissues. Starting at 230 +/- 4 days of age, semen samples were collected from the remaining boars at 4- to 6-day intervals until a total of four ejaculates had been obtained from all but two boars. There were no significant treatment differences in semen volume, percentage normal spermatozoa, percentage viability or spermatozoa concentration/milliliter; however, for combined semen Se data, treated boars had more Se than control boars in the whole semen (.165 vs .07 ppm, respectively), spermatozoa (.418 vs .199 micrograms/10(9) spermatozoa, respectively) and seminal plasma (.03 vs .007 ppm, respectively). The boars were castrated around 250 days of age, and no differences in testis length, diameter, weight and spermatozoal concentration were found between groups. Additionally, there were no apparent differences in daily gain, daily feed consumed and the feed to gain ratio between control and treated boars. Although concentrations of Se in serum, semen and reproductive tissues were much lower in control boars than in treated boars, no apparent impairment of sperm morphology or viability resulted from low Se status.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Fertilization of ova in selenium/vitamin E-treated ewes maintained on two planes of nutrition.

Studies were conducted to evaluate uterine motility and fertility of ova in ewes either given or not given supplemental selenium/vitamin E (SSE or NSE, respectively). The ewes were maintained on either an adequate plane of nutrition (APN) or an inadequate plane of nutrition (IPN). In a fertility study, 60 ewes were allotted to four treatment groups, (15 ewes per group): SSE-APN, NSE-APN, SSE-IPN and NSE-IPN. A 2-ml injection, containing 10 mg of Se as selenite and 136 IU of vitamin E as alpha-tocopheryl acetate, was given IM to designated ewes (SSE) at 21-day intervals. NSE ewes were given injection of corn oil. After 150 days of SSE supplementation, ewes were checked for estrus, bred to rams and laparotomized approximately, 72 hr after the onset of estrus for determination of fertility of ova. The proportion of recovered ova that were fertilized was, for each treatment: SSE-APN (19 of 19), NSE-APN (17 of 22), SSE-IPN (five of 10) and NSE-IPN (six of 14). Fertility of ova was affected (P < .005) by plane of nutrition and tended to be affected (P < .1) by Se/vitamin E supplementation. Throughout the fertility study, ewes in the APN group maintained their body weight, while ewes in the IPN groups lost .075 kg/ewe/day. In a uterine contraction study, ewes in the SSE-APN and NSE-APN groups were laparotomized at the onset of estrus for quantitation of the directional pattern of uterine contractions. The number of total contractions for SSE-APN ewes and NSE-APN ewes during a 10-min interval was 42.7 +/- 3.5 and 33.2 +/- 2.6 (P < .05), respectively, and number of contractions moving toward the oviduct was 21.0 +/- 2.8 and 13.4 +/- 1.2 (P < .025), respectively. Se was greater (P < .001) in serum of SSE ewes than in serum of NSE ewes, while vitamin E was greater in serum of SSE-APN ewes than in that of both groups of NSE ewes.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗