A common pattern observed in molecular evolution is that reproductive genes tend to evolve rapidly. However, most previous studies documenting this rapid evolution are based on genes expressed in just a few male reproductive organs. In mammals, sperm become motile and capable of fertilization only after leaving the testis, during their transit through the epididymis. Thus, genes expressed in th...

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...

During maturation and the acquisition of their fertilization potential, male germ cells are subjected to various sequential modifications that occur in the epididymis. Protein addition, reorganization or withdrawal, comprise some of these modifications. Dicarbonyl L-xylulose reductase (DCXR), a multifunctional protein involved in various enzymatic and protein interaction processes in different ...

The structure and morphometry of the epididymis in the greater cane rat were studied in this work. In assessing the morphology and characterising the morphometric values, a total of 15 adult male greater cane rats, bred and raised in captivity, were used. All the animals had brownish perineal staining, which was taken as index of sexual maturity in male cane rats, and they were maintained on el...

Glutathione peroxidase-3 (Gpx3), the extracellular glutathione peroxidase synthesized largely in the kidney, binds to basement membranes of renal cortical epithelial cells. The present study assessed extrarenal expression of Gpx3 using RT-PCR and presence of Gpx3 protein using immunocytochemistry. Gpx3 expression was higher in kidney and epididymis than in other tissues. Gpx3 bound to basement ...

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...

In the present study, the expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) mRNA was investigated in rat testis and epididymis during postnatal development and experimental cryptorchidism using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and in situ hybridization. The results revealed that i) in the testis, PACAP mRNA expression was first detected on day 20 a...

Malignant mesothelioma of the epididymis is a very rare tumor. We report a case of a 33-year old male with a left hydrocele that presented for evaluation of infertility. Scrotal ultrasound revealed a left extratesticular mass. Final pathology revealed malignant mesothelioma involving the epididymis, with well differentiated epithelioid morphology. Metastatic workup was negative.