Testicular parameters and morphological characteristics of testicular and epididymal spermatozoa of white Fulani bulls were study using twenty testicles. The objective was to study the normal testicular parameter and morphological changes during epididymal transit in the epididymis of white Fulani bulls. It was observed that there was reduction in the proportion of spermatozoa carrying the prox...

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), 5alpha-reduced metabolite of testosterone, is the most potent androgen in the epididymis. The conversion of T into DHT is carried out by 5alpha-reductase. The activity of 5alpha-reductase type 2, preferentially expressed in the epididymis can be inhibited by a finasteride (a steroid-based specific inhibitor of 5alpha-reductase type 2) which results in DHT deficiency. ...

β-defensins are components of host defense, with antimicrobial and pleiotropic immuno-modulatory properties. Research over the last 15 years has demonstrated abundant expression of a variety of β-defensins in the postnatal epididymis of different species. A gradient of region- and cell-specific expression of these proteins is observed in the epithelium of the postnatal epididymis. Their secreti...

BACKGROUND B7-H3, a member of the B7 family of the Ig superfamily of proteins, has been detected in the epididymis, which is a storage organ related to sperm maturation. However, the characteristics of its expression in different regions of the epididymis remain unknown. Our aim was to investigate the expression of B7-H3 in the caput, corpus, and cauda of the epididymis. METHODS We extracted ...

A variety of mammalian species have been used in studies of epididymal function. The knowledge gained from these laboratory and domestic species has been applied to the human as well, but the anatomy and biology of the human epididymis is not commonly investigated directly. Nonpathological specimens from men within their reproductive years are understandably difficult to obtain, and even when s...

Introduction. Epididymal torsion is a rare cause of acute scrotum. Only few cases have been described in the literature, and preoperative ultrasound diagnosis was done only two cases. So far, according to our data, epididymal adults not previously reported literature. Case Report. We report case 39-year-old man, who admitted hospital for pain left hemiscrotum lasting three days. The physical ex...

In a previous study we showed that the administration of gossypol to rats for 34 days caused 2 types of modification of the epididymis: (1) the secretion of carnitine and inositol were reduced in the fluid, (2) the spermatozoa lost their motility and showed major morphological changes (head-flagella dissociation). We wished to clarify the early effects of gossypol on the epididymis. Sprague Daw...

Galectin-3, a member of the beta-galactoside-binding protein family, has been implicated in mammalian sperm maturation. We examined galectin-3 expression in the testis and epididymis of sexually mature and immature bulls. Western blot analysis showed varying levels of galectin-3 in the bull testis and epididymis, and galectin-3 immunoreactivity was higher in the mature testis and epididymis tha...

We observed the influences of low-temperature storage of the feline epididymis on the epididymal semen qualities before and after cryopreservation to identify the optimal duration for low-temperature storage of the epididymis. After excision, the feline epididymis was stored at 4 degrees C for 0-72 hr and then subjected to epididymal sperm collection. When sperm from the refrigerated cauda epid...

The reproductive function of G-protein subunit Galphaq (GNAQ), a member of the G protein alpha subunit family, has been extensively studied in humans and rats. However, no data is available on its status in ruminants. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the expression pattern of the GNAQ in the testis and epididymis of sheep by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The mRNA expression leve...