Further Experiences with an Alloplastic Spermatocele: Experiments in Bulls

Our first experiments with an alloplastic spermatocele showed the following results: After implantation of a cup-shaped silicone prothesis upon the epididymis in 30 rats aspirations of its content showed spermatozoa up to 4 month after operation (Wagenknecht et al. 1975). Stimulated by our encouraging results in rats, subsequent confirmation in other animal species was obtained with a similar prothesis (Kelimi et al.). In order to test the ability of aspired spermatozoa for impregnation we carried out further experiments in bulls and cows. A similar cup-shaped prothesis, as used in rats (Wagenknecht et al. 1974-1976) was designed for bulls (Fig. 1). This graft of 1 ml volume was implanted bilaterally upon the cauda of the epididymis in 4 mature bulls.