Seminal fluid is often assumed to have just one function in mammalian reproduction, delivering sperm to fertilize oocytes. But seminal fluid also transmits signaling agents that interact with female reproductive tissues to facilitate conception and .pregnancy. Upon seminal fluid contact, female tissues initiate a controlled inflammatory response that affects several aspects of reproductive function to ultimately maximize the chances of a male producing healthy offspring. This effect is best characterized in mice, where the female response involves several steps. Initially, seminal fluid factors cause leukocytes to infiltrate the female reproductive tract, and to selectively target and eliminate excess sperm. Other signals stimulate ovulation, induce an altered transcriptional program in female tract tissues that modulates embryo developmental programming, and initiate immune adaptations to promote receptivity to implantation and placental development. A key result is expansion of the pool of regulatory T cells that assist implantation by suppressing inflammation, mediating tolerance to male transplantation antigens, and promoting uterine vascular adaptation and placental development. Principal signaling agents in seminal fluid include prostaglandins and transforming growth factor-β. The balance of male signals affects the nature of the female response, providing a mechanism of ‟cryptic female choiceˮ that influences female reproductive investment. Male-female seminal fluid signaling is evident in all mammalian species investigated including human, and effects of seminal fluid in invertebrates indicate evolutionarily conserved mechanisms. Understanding the female response to seminal fluid will shed new light on infertility and pregnancy disorders and is critical to defining how events at conception influence offspring health.

中文翻译：

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女性对精液的反应。

人们通常认为精液在哺乳动物的繁殖中仅具有一种功能，即输送精子以使卵母细胞受精。但是精液也传播与女性生殖组织相互作用的信号传导剂，以促进受孕和怀孕。精液接触后，雌性组织开始控制炎症反应，从而影响生殖功能的多个方面，最终使雄性产生健康后代的机会最大化。在小鼠中，雌性反应涉及多个步骤，这种作用最明显。最初，精液因素导致白细胞浸润女性生殖道，并选择性地靶向和消除过量的精子。其他信号刺激排卵，在雌性组织中诱导改变的转录程序，该程序调节胚胎发育程序，并启动免疫适应性，以促进对植入和胎盘发育的接受性。一个关键的结果是调节性T细胞池的扩大，通过抑制炎症，介导对男性移植抗原的耐受性以及促进子宫血管适应和胎盘发育来辅助植入。精液中的主要信号传导剂包括前列腺素和转化生长因子-β。男性信号的平衡影响女性反应的性质，提供了影响女性生殖投资的“隐秘女性选择”机制。在所有调查的哺乳动物物种中，包括人类，精液在无脊椎动物中的作用表明了进化上保守的机制。了解女性对精液的反应将为不孕和妊娠疾病提供新的思路，对于定义受孕事件如何影响后代健康至关重要。