epididymal tubule (Figure 1c) was harvested simply by touching the base of sterilized disposable plastic dishes (60 mm in diameter), directly to the incised epididymal tubule (Figure 1d). The epididymal fluid collected in the plastic dishes was diluted with washing medium and then examined for the presence of sperm directly under an inverted phase-contrast microscope. If the sperm were not dete...

The epididymis has an important role in the maturation of sperm for fertilization, but little is known about the epididymal molecules involved in sperm modifications during this process. We have previously described the expression pattern for an antigen in epididymal epithelial cells that reacts with the monoclonal antibody (mAb) TRA 54. Immunohistochemical and immunoblotting analyses suggest t...

BACKGROUND Testis tissue xenografting and the resultant sperm in a xenograft may provide a unique approach to rescue the genetic material of males that die prematurely and is a model for the study of human spermatogenesis and can represent an alternative approach for fertility preservation in cancer patients. This study was aimed to evaluate the xenogenic dog sperm in formation of male pronucle...

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different seasons on the morphometric testicular parameters and the respective epididymal sperm parameters. Total numbers of 104 scrota of pubertal buffalo bull (24-48 months) include their contents were provided from the local slaughterhouse. Scrotal circumference was measured on its place before dissection. Morphological parameters o...

The epididymis is a highly convoluted tubule that connects the testis with the vas deferens, and in which mammalian sperm acquire the ability to fertilize eggs. The most proximal portion of the epididymis, or initial segment, secretes numerous factors that are critical for sperm maturation and storage. One such factor is SED1 (also known as MFG-E8) a bi-motif protein composed of two N-terminal ...

Teratozoospermia (<40% morphologically normal spermatozoa/ejaculate) is a frequent phenomenon in feline species. This research was carried out to study the possible differences in testicular volume, differential sperm morphometric traits, and potential differences regarding the sperm subpopulational structure during epididymal sperm maturation in teratozoospermic feline donors. Epididymal sperm...

MODIFICATIONS IN RABBIT SPERM PLASMA MEMBRANES DURING EPIDIDYMAL PASSAGE AND AFTER EJACULATION WERE INVESTIGATED BY USED OF THREE LECTINS: concanavalin A (Con A); Ricinus communis I (RCA(I)); and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA). During sperm passage from caput to cauda epididymis, agglutination by WGA drastically decreased, and agglutination by RCA(I) slightly decreased, although agglutination by C...

Triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI1) is a member of the glycolytic pathway, which is a critical source of energy for motility in mouse sperm. By immunoblotting, we detected two male, germ line-specific TPI1 bands (Mr 33,400 and 30,800) as well as the somatic-type band (Mr 27,700). Although all three bands were observed in spermatogenic cells, somatic-type TPI1 disappeared from sperm during epidid...

BACKGROUND To evaluate the safety of ICSI with epididymal sperm, this study compared children born after ICSI treatment with epididymal sperm and children conceived after IVF and ICSI with ejaculated sperm. Additionally, the results of a multidisciplinary, multicentre follow-up of the children conceived with epididymal sperm at 2 years of age are described. METHODS This follow-up study includ...