Identification of acetylcholine and propionylcholine in bull spermatozoa by integrated pyrolysis, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

ABSTRACT

Acetylcholine was identified in fertile bull spermatozoa using combined pyrolysis gas-chromatography and mass spectrometry. Bull spermatozoa contain other minor choline esters in smaller quantities than acetylcholine. One of the minor choline esters is possibly propionylcholine. The spermatozoa from infertile bulls exhibited low motility and very low levels of acetylcholine.