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The Function Of The Oviduct In Relation To Sperm Transport And Capacitation In Swine, Paisan Tienthai

The Thai Journal of Veterinary Medicine

In the pig, sperm transport is regulated, to facilitate normal fertilization of the ovulated oocytes, by the oviduct which contains a particular segment, the sperm reservoir. The main function of the sperm reservoir is to ensure that stored spermatozoa have maintained viability and fertilizing capacity. The process of sperm capacitation is delayed in the sperm reservoir, during the lengthy pre-ovulatory estrus by interactions between the spermatozoa, the oviduct epithelium and secretion products. Sperm capacitation seems to be facilitated by the tubal fluid in the upper segment of the oviduct releasing sperm from the reservoir in relation to the time of …