Ram spermatozoa from the distal caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis and ejaculated spermatozoa were artificially inseminated in 170 ewes which had been treated with an ovulatory dose of PMSG 61 ! 4 hrs previously. Results were expressed as the percent of ewes pregnant 18 days after insemination (F = with positive progesterone assay/ Q inseminated) and embryonic survival (ES = ewes lambing/ preg...

The dimensions of spermatozoa from different levels of the reproductive tract were measured in 6 buffalo-bulls castrated under local anesthesia ; the same measurements were taken in the semen of 6 breeding buffalo-bulls. During transit from caput to cauda epididymis the sperm showed a significant increase in the length of head and main piece. However, a significant decrease was observed in midd...

The epididymis of the lizard Eutropis carinata can be divided into four regions viz., an initial segment (extra testicular) Efferent ductules (Eds) and three regions, anterior region, a broad middle, narrow posterior, comparable to caput, corpus, cauda epididymidis mammals. region is closely associated with whitish testicular), (Eds). epididymal wall consists epithelial layer lining lumen resti...

The epididymis is the site for the transport, maturation, and storage of spermatozoa. Regulation of epididymal structure and function is highly dependent on the ipsilateral testis. At the molecular level, however, few studies have been undertaken to determine which genes are expressed in the epididymis under testicular regulation. The goal of this study was to identify genes for which expressio...

It has been reported that following administration, alkylphenols, such as octylphenol, reach the testis and epididymis but fail to accumulate in these tissues, suggesting the rapid expulsion of these chemicals by transporters. Specialized transporters that function to restrict compounds that enter target cells have been identified. ABCB1 is a member of the ATP-binding cassette family of protein...

Spermatozoa entering the epididymis do not exhibit progressive motility and are incapable of fertilizing an egg in vivo. They undergo maturation through a series of cellular events occurring primarily in the proximal epididymis and are stored as mature sperm in the distal epididymis (Hinton and Palladino, 1995; Turner, 1995). The epididymis consists of a single, highly convoluted duct packed wi...

To investigate whether the variable length of the epididymis in men with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD) might have a correlation with fertilization and pregnancy rates in in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, we conducted a retrospective study involving a total of 60 CBAVD patients. All patients in this study had epididymal micropuncture in conjunction with perivascu...

Aquaporins (AQPs) are small, intrinsic membrane proteins that are present in many cell types involved in fluid transport. AQP9 is a major apical water channel that is expressed throughout the efferent ducts, epididymis, and vas deferens, as well as in other regions of the human and rodent male reproductive tract. The target of this study was to examine the expression of AQP9 in epithelial cells...

Background: Diabetes mellitus, a condition of chronic hyperglycemia, represents one of the greatest concerns to modern global health. Diabetes is a serious metabolic disorders with numerous complications. It is well known that, elevation of blood glucose levels leads to structural and functional changes in various target tissues and organs. The objective of the present study was to verify if th...

During transit through the epididymis, spermatozoa are normally kept immotile and do not attain the ability to become motile until they reach the caudal epididymis. This study was undertaken to determine whether endocannabinoids play a role in the epididymis and in particular in suppressing the ability of spermatozoa to become motile. We show that the levels of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoy...