The glycogen concentration and the activity of several enzymes of glycogen metabolism have been measured in the mucosal tissues of the oviduct, cervix and vagina, as well as in the endometrium and caruncIes of ewes at days 0, 8, 15, 22, 30 and 44 of pregnancy. Enzyme activities were also determined in uterine and cervical rinsings.Glycogen levels decreased after day 8 in the endometrium, caruncIes, cervix and vagina. Independent glycogen (starch) synthase showed decreased activity in the cervical mucosa following mating and peaks of activity at days 0 and 15 in the oviduct. Following mating both independent and total glycogen (starch) synthase activities increased in caruncular tissue. IX-Amylase activity declined from day 0 to day 44 in the oviducal mucosa, but showed a slight peak at day 15 in the endometrium. The levels of total and active glycogen phosphorylase did not change significantly in any tissue but did show a peak of activity in the uterine and cervical rinsings at days 8 and 15 respectively.The results are interpreted as showing increased turnover of glycogen in the oviducal and cervical mucosa at mating, in the intercaruncular endometrium in the period before implantation, and in the caruncIes from the start of implantation.

Twenty-four does were inseminated with either 3 x 10 6 or 30 X 10 6 motile spermatozoa, either recently collected or after storage at -79°C. The females were killed 18 hr after insemination, and ova and spermatozoa recovered from their reproductive tracts. Fewer spermatozoa were recovered from does inseminated with 3 x 10 6 than with 30 x 10 6 motile sperm. There was no significant difference between fresh and stored semen in numbers of spermatozoa recovered.The number of sperm in the oviducts was small; mean numbers were 650 and 166 per oviduct from inseminates of 30 x 10 6 and 3 x 10· cells respectively. Despite this, 85% of the ova cleaved on culture for 23 hr at 3rC, with again no difference between fresh and stored semen.Measurement of the number of supplementary spermatozoa showed that fewer sperm were associated with ova recovered from does inseminated with stored cells than with those from does inseminated with fresh semen.In the rabbit, freeZing and storage of spermatozoa had no effect on their subsequent transport in the female genital tract.

The activity of several enzymes has been measured in the oviducal mucosa, endometrium, caruncles, cervical mucosa and vaginal mucosa as well as in uterine, cervical and oviducal rinsings of ewes at days 0 (oestrus), 1, 8 and 15 of the oestrous cycle.Acid phosphatase activity was maximal during the luteal phase in the oviduct, endometrium and cervix, but not in the vagina where the highest level was on day 1. Alkaline phosphatase activity showed a significant rise at mid-cycle in the endometrium and caruncles as did glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity in the endometrium.Glycogen (starch) synthase in the endometrium and cervical mucosa was greater at days 0 and 8 than at days 1 and 15. Vaginal and caruncular total glycogen (starch) synthase activity showed a significant rise at mid-cycle. Active and total glycogen phosphorylase activities were maximal on days 8 and 15 in the vagina. Glycogen concentration was greatest at days 8 and 15 in the cervix, while oviduct values were lower on day 1 than at oestrus or day 15.In the oviduct rinsings alkaline phosphatase activity was greatest at day 1, whereas in cervical rinsings the activities of acid and alkaline phosphatases were less at oestrus than at days 8 and 15. The glycogen phosphorylase and p-glucuronidase activities in uterine rinsings were greater at days 8 and 15 than at oestrus.

Aust. J. Bioi. Sci., 1978, 31, 363-71 ex-Glucosidase-activity has been estimated in the tissues and rinsings of the reproductive tract of the ewe. There were peaks of activity in the oviducal mucosa at pH 4·0 and 5·7. In the endometrium, caruncles and cervical mucosa the pH optimum occurred from pH 4·0 to pH 5·7. A sharp peak in the activity in the vaginal mucosa occurred at pH 5 ·7.The only tissue in which changes in enzyme activity were consistently related to one endocrinological state of the ewe was the cervical mucosa. Cervical ex-glucosidase activity was greater at oestrus than during the rest of the oestrous cycle, declined during early pregnancy, and increased in ovariectomized ew.es. following the injection of oestradiol-17 p.

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