Water Mobility Within Bovine Cervical Mucus

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Abstract
The self diffusion coefficient of water within sperm-free bovine cervical mucus was measured by pulsed-gradient NMR spectroscopy. As compared with free water, no appreciable reduction in diffusiveness was encountered at any phase of the estrous cycle. The small solids content of the mucus is apparently incapable of significant water restriction. The stirring effect of motile spermatozoa was also considered. This effect extends approximately 1 body length around a spermatozoon. In simple fluid media, hydrodynamic interaction between spermatozoa therefore ceases on the average at sperm concentrations below approximately 106/ml, a result that may be associated with the dilution effect. In cervical mucus, however, there is significant hydrodynamic interaction between a single spermatozoon and the surrounding mucous microfilaments, which would help to explain the absence of a dilution effect in this medium.

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