The well orchestrated function of epididymal smooth muscle cells ensures transit of spermatozoa through the epididymal duct during which spermatozoa acquire motility and fertilizing capacity. Relaxation of smooth muscle cells is mediated by cGMP signaling and components of this pathway are found within the male reproductive tract. Whereas contractile function of caudal parts of the rat epididym...

recent studies show that synthetic glucocorticoids alter testicular homeostasis, in this regard, the influence of betamethasone as a glucocorticoid widely used on histological changes, epididymal sperm counts and fertility was explored in male mice. the study sample (50 mice) was allocated to 3 treatment groups, placebo and a control group. control group was no injected. only normal saline was ...

Four distinct studies were carried out using two data sets of percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures performed from March 1993 to January 1997. In study A, an analysis of 181 ICSI treatment cycles following PESA revealed a successful epididymal sperm retrieval rate of 83%. It confirmed that PESA is an effective sperm retrieval meth...

Epididymal spermatozoa of domestic cats were diluted with TEST medium and frozen. The parameters - estimated percentage of motile spermatozoa, concentration of spermatozoa, cell morphology and transmigration rate (TMR) - were evaluated before freezing and after thawing. Transmigration is a new method to measure the percentage of spermatozoa that consistently move forward, and has not been inves...

The final differentiation of the male germ cell occurs in the epididymal duct where the spermatozoa develop the ability to be motile and fertilize an ovum. Understanding of these biological processes is the key to understanding and controlling male fertility. Comparative studies between several epididymal maturation states could be an informative approach to finding sperm modifications related ...

BACKGROUND Successful cryopreservation of rat spermatozoa from various strains still remains a challenge. The objective of this study was to determine if combinations of OptiPrep™ (iodixanol) and adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) can improve rat sperm function during the cryopreservation procedure. METHODS Epididymal rat spermatozoa were frozen under different OptiPrep™ concentrations (0, 1, 2,...

Background To acquire motility and their fertilizing capacity, immotile spermatozoa have to transit from the testis through the epididymal duct to the distal parts of the organ where spermatozoa are stored until ejaculation. This transit mainly relies on contractions of the epididymal peritubular smooth muscle layer and various factors, including cGMP, contribute to its fine regulation [1,2]. A...