The Concentrations of Zinc in Boar Seminal Plasma and Vesicular Secretion in Relation to Those of Nitrogenous Substances, Citrate, Galactose and Fructose

Abstract

Forty-five samples of seminal plasma obtained from eight boars and seventeen samples of vesicular secretion collected from individual boars had mean zinc contents of 22\m=.\7and 137\m=.\4 \g=m\g/ml, respectively. It was concluded that most of the zinc present in the seminal plasma of the boar is derived from the vesicular secretion.The mean concentrations of the organic constituents studied were: Seminal plasma: total nitrogen 4\m=.\42mg/ml (non-dialysable 88\m=.\7%), citrate 1 \m=.\28 mg/ml. Vesicular secretion: total nitrogen 15\m=.\1 mg/ml (non-dialysable 93\m=.\9%), citrate 6\m=.\07mg/ml, fructose 0\m=.\557mg/ ml, galactose 0\m=.\092 mg/ml. In both seminal plasma and vesicular secretion, the concentration of zinc was positively correlated with that of total and non-dialysable nitrogen and citrate. The correlation with nitrogenous substances was particularly strong in the seminal plasma of individual animals and there was evidence from the partial correlation coefficients that these associations were independent of the zinc-citrate relationship. However, fructose and galactose which do not have an appreciable affinity for zinc under physiological conditions also showed significant positive correlations with zinc (in vesicular secretion) and most of the organic constituents were interrelated in this way, indicating that in such data the influence of chemical combination may be masked by that of other factors which regulate the composition of these fluids.

Studies on Properties of the Seminal Gel of the Boar Using Natural Gel and Gel Formed in Vitro

“…Seminal plasma and vesicular secretion samples (twenty-one and three, 458 J. C. Boursnell and E. J. Butler respectively) were collected from nine boars as described by Boursnell, Baronos, Briggs & Butler (1972). Four CGM samples were obtained as described by Boursnell et al (1970).…”

The Association of Zinc With Some Components of Boar Vesicular Secretion and Seminal Plasma

“…Gel-filtration and dialysis studies on the zinc present in boar seminal secre¬ tions (Boursnell, Briggs, Lavon & Butler, 1973) showed that, in spite of the close correlation between zinc and total nitrogen in the seminal plasma (particu¬ larly in collections from one animal) and in random vesicular secretion samples (Boursnell, Baronos, Briggs & Butler, 1972), there was no evidence of a specific association of zinc with the major protein components. The evidence that was presented suggested that other ligands, especially citrate, might be involved, offering competition for the zinc with the proteins.…”

The Split Ejaculate of the Boar: Contributions of the Epididymides and Seminal Vesicles

“…The EP contains high levels of glycerylphosphorylcholine (GPC) (Dawson, Mann & White, 1957;Mann, 1959) and a considerable proportion of the nitrogenous material was soluble in ethanol (Mann, 1959). The major constituents of the VS are citrate (Humphrey & Mann, 1949), ergothioneine (Leone & Mann, 1951;Mann & Leone, 1953), inositol (Mann, 1951(Mann, , 1954 and protein (Mann, 1959;Boursnell, Baronos, Briggs & Butler, 1972). Boursnell & Coombs (1966) reported the presence of a powerful haemagglutinin in boar VS, later identified as a mixture of proteins ('protein H') of high isoelectric point by Nelson & Boursnell (1966), Boursnell & Briggs (1969) and Lavon, Briggs & Boursnell (1973).…”

“…Boursnell & Coombs (1966) reported the presence of a powerful haemagglutinin in boar VS, later identified as a mixture of proteins ('protein H') of high isoelectric point by Nelson & Boursnell (1966), Boursnell & Briggs (1969) and Lavon, Briggs & Boursnell (1973). Boursnell et al (1972) confirmed a high level ofzinc in boar VS (first observed by Bertrand & Vladesco, 1921), and also found a highly significant correlation between the zinc concen¬ tration and those of other substances characteristic of this fluid, particularly citrate and total N. The SP, a mixture of the secretions ofvarious accessory sex glands, contained large quantities of all these components.…”