Prostaglandins (PGs) can be synthesized by the testes (Ellis, 1972) and are present in the male accessory reproductive tissues and in the semen of various mammalian species (Bygdeman, Fredricsson, Svanborg & Samuelsson, 1970; Tan & Privett, 1972). Their physiological rôle in the male reproductive system is not understood but various effects of PG administration on the testes and male reproducti...

Becoming a phenotypic male is ultimately determined by androgen-induced masculinization. Disorders of fetal masculinization, resulting in hypospadias or cryptorchidism, are common, but their cause remains unclear. Together with the adult-onset disorders low sperm count and testicular cancer, they can constitute a testicular dysgenesis syndrome (TDS). Although masculinization is well studied, no...

The artifi cial insemination (AI) technique plays an important role in improvement of conception rate, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and transmission of genetic material to the next generation. The breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) plays an important role in selection of male buffalo for the said purposes. This evaluation is an effective, inexpensive and easy method for selectio...

BACKGROUND The reproductive consequences and mechanisms of action of chronic exposure to low-dose endocrine disruptors are poorly understood. OBJECTIVE We assessed the effects of a continuous, low-dose exposure to a phytoestrogen (genistein) and/or an antiandrogenic food contaminant (vinclozolin) on the male reproductive tract and fertility. METHODS Male rats were exposed by gavage to genis...

The present study aimed at examining the gross and morphometry of the reproductive tract of the male bats (Eidolon helvum). Thirty male bats (adults n = 17 and juveniles n = 13) were captured using net, weighed, aged using relative ossification of the wing bone, and dissected for gross examination. Morphologically, the mean body weight and forearm length in both adults and juveniles were 235.31...

Molecular analyses in several taxa have consistently shown that genes involved in reproduction are rapidly evolving and subjected to positive selection. The mechanism behind this evolution is not clear, but several proposed hypotheses involve the coevolution between males and females. In Drosophila, several male reproductive proteins (Acps) involved in male-male and male-female interactions sho...

Adrenocorticotropin (ACTH), beta-endorphin, and the melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSHs), which are products of a common precursor, pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC), are present in a variety of tissues other than pituitary. The recent detection of immunoreactive POMC-derived peptides in the male reproductive tract raised the possibility that these hormones might regulate reproductive function. To ...

Round spermatids can be collected from testicular biopsy material or occasionally from semen samples. We evaluated the influence of the passage of round spermatids through the male reproductive tract on their reproductive potential. A model of abnormal release of round spermatids from the seminiferous epithelium was created in mature male rats (group A). Additional sham-treated rats of the same...

Protein components of the Drosophila male ejaculate are critical modulators of reproductive success, several of which are known to evolve rapidly. Recent evidence of adaptive evolution in female reproductive tract proteins suggests this pattern may reflect sexual selection at the molecular level. Here we explore the evolutionary dynamics of a five-paralog gene family of female reproductive prot...

The coevolution of female mate preferences and exaggerated male traits is a fundamental prediction of many sexual selection models, but has largely defied testing due to the challenges of quantifying the sensory and cognitive bases of female preferences. We overcome this difficulty by focusing on postcopulatory sexual selection, where readily quantifiable female reproductive tract structures ar...