Unsuccessful attempts to collect ova by surgical fixation of uterine catheters in superovulated cows.

ABSTRACT

Attempts were made to collect ova from superovulated cows by surgically fixing indwelling silastic balloon catheters in the uterine lumen. No ova were collected from the four catheterised cows and it was shown that ovarian activity was depressed. In this group, only 16 ovulations occurred compared with six control cows in which a total of 121 ovulations were recorded and 84 ova were collected. Also the ovaries of the catheterised cows had six large cysts, whereas no cysts were recorded in the control cows. The catheters flushed perfectly and bacteriological cultures of the flushing and uteri showed that no infections had occurred. The cows tolerated the catheters extremely well. There was no depression in appetite nor was any abnormal behaviour recorded. However, the severe depression of ovulation and the formation of ovarian cystic follicles prevents the technique from having any practical application as a means of collecting ova.