The alteration in the protein signatures of the testicular sperm during its epididymal sojourn makes it functionally competent for successful fertilization. The present study was undertaken to identify the proteins acquired on its 2 domains, that is, the head and the flagellum, during the epididymal transit using a differential proteomics approach. Testicular sperm proteome was compared with ca...

The effect of cold storage of testes and epididymides at 4 °C for 12 h on the cryopreservation capacity of epididymal feline sperm was evaluated. Ten domestic cats were castrated, and testes and epididymides collected. Specimens were randomly assigned to two groups: in Group A, epididymal samples were immediately processed and frozen in 0.25-ml straws; in Group B, both testes and epididymides w...

After a serious injury or sudden death, epididymis cauda sperm recovery and cryopreservation may present as the last opportunity to obtain genetic material from a valuable stallion. This study evaluated the viability of cooled equine sperm collected by three different methods: sperm of ejaculated (G1), sperm recovered from the epididymal cauda immediately after orchiectomy (G2) and sperm recove...

This study investigated the protective effects of diallyl disulfide (DADS) against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced testicular toxicity in male rats. DADS was gavaged to rats once daily for 3 days at 100 mg/kg/day. One hour after the final DADS treatment, the rats were given a single intraperitoneal dose of 150 mg/kg CP. All rats were killed and necropsied on day 56 after CP treatment. Parameters ...

Sperm samples may be used for assisted reproductive technologies (e.g., farmed or endangered species) or as a source of haploid DNA or sperm-specific RNA. When ejaculated spermatozoa are not available or are very difficult to obtain, as is the case for most wild endangered species, the epididymides of dead animals (e.g., animals that have been found dead, shot by hunters or poachers, or that th...

Monoclonal antibodies (mabs) have been used as a powerful tool for identification of newer sperm proteins. However, conventional hybridoma technology rarely provides chance to obtain mabs to epididymal proteins. To increase this chance, we have used an alternate method of neonatal tolerization. In this protocol, animals were tolerized at birth using testicular proteins followed by immunization ...

The normal structure and function of sperm are prerequisites for successful fertilization and embryonic development, but little is known about how defective sperm are eliminated during mammalian spermatogenesis. Here, we describe a ubiquitin-dependent, sperm quality control mechanism that resides in the mammalian epididymis, the site of sperm maturation and storage. We used immunofluorescence, ...

This retrospective consecutive case series aimed at comparing the results of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with fresh and with frozen-thawed epididymal spermatozoa obtained after microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA) in 162 couples. These couples were suffering from infertility because of congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (n = 109), failed microsurgical rever...

Albino male rats were injected with diphenylhydantoin, carbamazepine, valproic acid or clonazepam for three months immediately after weaning. Following the treatment the fertility of the rats was tested by caging them with proestrus females and recording impregnations. The males were decapitated and their sex organs weighed. Epididymal sperm content and motility rate were recorded. A decrease i...

USING EPIDIDYMAL AND TESTICULAR SPERM FROM AZOOSPERMIC MEN: THE CLEVELAND CLINIC EXPERIENCE Mehmet Oder, Ramadan A Saleh, Namita Kattal, Mohamed A Bedaiwy, Anthony J Thomas, Ashok Agarwal, Cleveland Clinic Foundation Objective: Sperm retrieval from testis and epididymis, combined with ICSI, has significantly enhanced the chances of azoospermic men to father their own genetic offspring. The impa...