The proteins of epididymal tissues and fluids recovered from five regions of the human epididymis were separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under denaturing conditions. Among the 60 peptides identified, eight appeared to be expressed solely in the epididymal duct when compared to serum and testis proteins. Three of these (92, 47 and 24 Kd) showed a degree of regional specificity in f...

The caput, corpus and cauda regions of the ductus epididymidis consisted of six histological segments that showed regional variations. The postnatal differentiation of the different segments started from birth and progressed till maturity. The simple epithelium at birth gained progressive pseudostratification. Similarly, the appearance of stereocilia, different types of cells in the epithelium ...

A small portion of cytoplasm is generally retained as the cytoplasmic droplet (CD) on the flagellum of spermatozoa after spermiation in mice. CDs are believed to play a role in osmoadaptation by allowing water entrance or exit. However, many lines of evidence suggest that CDs may have roles beyond osmoregulation. To gain more insights, we purified CDs from murine epididymal spermatozoa and cond...

The ability of stallion seminal plasma to modify phagocytosis of spermatozoa and Streptococcus zooepidemicus was examined. Phagocytosis was monitored indirectly as the H2O2 produced by peripheral blood leukocytes after addition of spermatozoa or bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide production after addition of ejaculated spermatozoa was greater (P less than 0.01) than after addition of epididymal sperm....

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of protein deficiency on plasma testosterone levels, epididymal sperm characteristics and testicular histology in the developing male rat. Twenty four Wistar albino rats were used in the study and were fed with a diet variously containing 3 %, 10 % and 20 % protein. Plasma testosterone levels were significantly lower in rats fed 3 % protein when ...

Spermatozoa acquire forward motility and fertilizing capacity during their transit through the epididymis. This maturation process involves modifications of the sperm surface by different proteins secreted by a series of specialized regions in the epididymal epithelium. Previously, our lab has reported IMDS-60 gene, which is highly expressed in mouse corpus and cauda epididymidis. Here, to perf...

The insulin-degrading activity of liver supernatants and epididymal adipose-tissue homogenates from genetically obese-hyperglycaemic mice (ob ob) and their lean litter mates was studied by measurement of radioactive trichloroacetic acid-soluble degradation products of the insulin molecule. Optimum assay conditions for the decomposition of the hormone were devised. The properties of the degradin...

Spontaneously Diabetic Torii-fa/fa (SDT fatty) rat is a new model of obese type 2 diabetes. SDT fatty rat exhibits obesity associated with hyperphagia. In this study, SDT fatty rats were subjected to pair-feeding with SDT-+/+ (SDT) rats from 6 to 22 weeks of age. The ratio of visceral fat weight to subcutaneous fat weight (V/S) decreased at 12 weeks of age in the pair-feeding rats. The intraper...

Background: The present study aimed to investigate the presence of leptin mRNA transcript in epididymal spermatozoa of Holstein cattle by RT-PCR analysis. Materials and Methods: To collect sperm from epididymis, the whole testes of three adult Holstein bulls were quickly removed after slaughtering. Samples were transferred to the laboratory on ice and subsequently the epididymal contents were c...