Control of sex ratio in mammalian offspring

• US 4,085,205 A
• Filed: 01/24/1977
• Issued: 04/18/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: University of Edinburgh
• Original Assignee: University of Edinburgh
• Inventors: Hancock, Richard John Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Sam
• Application Number:
  US05/761,945
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 424/105, 424/85
• US Class Current: 424/172.1
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 35/52 Sperm; Prostate; Seminal fluid; Leydig cells of testes
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/00 Medicinal preparations containing peptides peptides containing beta-lactam rings A61K31/00; cyclic dipeptides not having in their molecule any other peptide link than those which form their ring, e.g. piperazine-2,5-diones, A61K31/00; ergot alkaloids of the cyclic peptide type A61K31/48; containing macromolecular compounds having statistically distributed amino acid units A61K31/74; medicinal preparations containing antigens or antibodies A61K39/00; medicinal preparations characterised by the non-active ingredients, e.g. peptides as drug carriers, A61K47/00
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 16/18 against material from animals or humans
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 424/811 involving sex selection or contraception

Abstract

The control of the sex ratio of mammalian offspring by the artificial insemination of a female mammal with a mixture of semen from a corresponding male mammal and serum or active serum components. The method enables the sex ratio to be controlled more economically and with less risk to the female.

Claims

1. In the artificial insemination of female mammals, a method of controlling the sex ratio of the mammalian offspring to increase the proportion of females, which comprises the steps of obtaining serum from an animal which previously has been immunized with bird sperm to cause the formation in the serum of antibodies to bird sperm, mixing semen collected from a male mammal with said antibodies to bird sperm in said serum, and artificially inseminating a corresponding female mammal with said mixture.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which the mixture of semen and serum has been incubated for a period of time sufficient to allow the serum to interact with at least some of the sperm in the semen prior to insemination.

3. In the artificial insemination of female mammals, a method of controlling the sex ratio of the mammalian offspring to increase the proportion of males, which comprises the steps of obtaining serum from an animal which previously has not been immunized with sperm, mixing semen collected from a male mammal with said serum and artificially inseminating a corresponding female mammal with said mixture.

4. An inseminatory fluid comprising mammalian sperm and serum from unimmunized mammals.

5. An inseminatory fluid comprising mammalian sperm and anitbodies to bird sperm.