Blockage of sperm transport using intraepididymal calcium chloride injections in rams.

Ten mature rams were paired on the basis of pre-treatment semen production and assigned randomly to one of two treatments. Treatments were bilateral intraepididymal injections of 3 ml of 50% (w/v) CaCI2 in .9% NaC1 (w/v) or 3 ml .9% NaCI. Semen was collected twice weekly for 5 weeks prior to treatment and for 7 weeks following treatment. Mounting times, ejaculate volume and sperm concentration were measured in all rams during the preand post-treatment periods. No differences between the groups were present for any characteristic during the pre-treatment period. However, reductions (P<.01) in sperm concentration and ejaculate volume were present by 12 days following CaCI2 injection. Mounting time was not affected by CaCI2 treatment. Mean values for the post-treatment period for the CaCI2 vs the saline treatments were, respectively: mounting time, 69 and 77 sec; ejaculate volume, .43 and .80 ml and sperm concentration, .15 and 3.96 x 109 sperm/milliliter. While the number of spermatozoa was never less than 10 s sperm/ ejaculate in the CaCIz-treated rams, all ejaculates were characterized by absence of motility and a predominance of fragmented spermatozoa. (