SERUM SPERMAGGLUTININS AND SEMEN QUALITY IN THE BULL

SUMMARY Three bulls injected with homologous semen or testis material developed spermagglutinins in serum while one control bull inoculated with egg white did not. In one bull a high spermagglutinin titre was associated with allergic epididymitis, a decreased proportion of motile spermatozoa, and an increased proportion of tail abnormalities. The palpable lesion persisted for 35 days, the spermagglutinin titre and semen abnormalities for a further 2 months. No change in semen quality was associated with the lower serum spermagglutinin titres in the other two treatment bulls or over comparable periods of time in the control bull. No naturally occurring spermagglutinins were found in a population of 50 bulls with varying semen qualities at an artificial breeding centre.