Immunological responses to semen in the female genital tract

When spermatozoa, seminal plasma and semen extender reach the uterus and interact with local leukocytes and endometrial cells, several immune mechanisms are initiated which have immediate, mid-term and long-term effects on ovulation, sperm cell selection, fertilization and pregnancy success by assuring the acceptance of fetal tissues. This report gives an overview on relevant key immune mechanisms following roughly the time axis after insemination. Detailed knowledge regarding these mechanisms will aid maximizing reproductive efficiency in livestock produciton. In the future, the many species involved will require a more comparative approach, since evidence is growing that endometrial physiology and the reponse to varying amounts and compositions of seminal plasma, various semen extenders, and variable numbers of spermatozoa also provoke different immune responses. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.