The effects of methanol extract of Buchholzia coriacea seed was studied on male reproductive system of albino rats. Administration of 200mg/kg b.w.(p.o.) of the extract for 6 weeks resulted in significant reduction (P˂0.05) in the weight of the epididymis and seminal vesicle, but not the testes and prostate gland. Also the weight of the visceral organs- lungs, liver, heart and kidney were unaff...

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) exhibit a broad range of adverse biological effects, including reproductive toxicity. However, the mechanisms by which PCBs disrupt the epididymis remain obscure. We analyzed the gene expression profile in mice epididymis exposed to PCBs (Aroclor 1254) at doses comparable to human exposure using a cDNA microarray. Differentially expressed genes were involved in ...

The metamorphosis of an immature and nonfunctional sperm into a mature sperm capable of progressive motility and fertility is thought to be the result of a highly regulated and complex series of events in the epididymis. It is well established that sperm maturation is not intrinsic to sperm cells themselves but requires the interaction of spermatozoa with proteins that are synthesized and secre...

The Sertoli cells were regarded as the only target for FSH in male reproductive system. The expression of FSH receptor (FSH-R) was detected also in epithelial cells of the caput epididymis of rat and monkey. We showed in the immunohistochemistry study the expression of FSH-R in rat and human ductuli efferentes and the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis, moreover, by Western blot analysis in th...

Freeze-storage of epididymal sperm is an important technique for the preservation of gametes in animals, including those becoming extinct. We froze canine sperm recovered from the cauda epididymis and investigated the fertility. The qualities of sperm from the cauda epididymis before freezing were: mean sperm motility, 89.4 +/- 1.6 (SE) %; sperm viability, 89.1 +/- 1.1%; and these were signific...

PURPOSE Scrotal discomfort is a recognized complication of vasectomy, but the natural history and incidence of this problem are uncertain. The typical ultrasonographic changes after a vasectomy primarily include epididymal thickening and epididymal tubular ectasia with diminished blood flow in the epididymis. We prospectively studied the differences in the ultrasonographic features of the testi...

In most species examined to date, spermatozoa mature during transit through the epididymis to become functionally competent to swim progressively, fertilize oocytes, and produce viable offspring. In the studies presented here, the status of spermatozoa obtained from the regions of the epididymis of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis) was examined. Epididymal fluid was collected by micro...

The vitamin A metabolite retinoic acid plays an essential signaling role in spermatogenesis by acting as a ligand for nuclear retinoic acid receptors. However, little is known about the regulation of retinoic acid synthesis from vitamin A (retinol). Here we have examined mouse testis and epididymis for the presence of endogenous retinoic acid and for the expression of genes encoding class I and...

We examined the rat and mouse epididymis using helium ion microscopy (HIM), a novel imaging technology that uses a scanning beam of He(+) ions to produce nanometer resolution images of uncoated biological samples. Various tissue fixation, sectioning and dehydration methods were evaluated for their ability to preserve tissue architecture. The cauda epididymidis was luminally perfused in vivo to ...

Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the primary androgen acting in the epididymis, the site of sperm maturation. Previously, we showed that the treatment of male rats with PNU157706, an inhibitor that acts on both isoforms of 5alpha-reductase to prevent DHT formation, has effects on the expression of genes implicated in processes that create the optimal luminal microenvironment required for sperm matu...