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The involvement of androgens in the control of epididymal protein synthesis and amino acid transport in the rat.

The effect of androgen withdrawal upon different parameters of the rat epididymis has been investigated, as well as the early response of these to the readministration of testosterone. The weight, protein and RNA content of the epididymides decreased after castration. However, their response to a single injection of 6 mg testosterone propionate in oil administered 24 hr before sacrifice, varied according to the parameter examined. Epididymal weight increased after androgen was given to rats castrated for 3 days or less. The protein content was moderately elevated when testosterone was administered to rats castrated for 3, 6 or 13 days. The RNA content increased sharply after androgen, the magnitude of the response being proportional to the duration of castration. These changes in epididymal trophism were dramatically illustrated by the 50% decrease in amino acid incorporation into acid insoluble material already measurable 24 hr after castration. This effect was reverted by testosterone propionate administered 24 hr before sacrifice. The free alcohol form of testosterone given at the same dose induced a significant increase in this parameter as early as 12 hr after its intraperitoneal injection. Finally, we could demonstrate the existence of active transport of amino acids into the epididymal cells and the stimulatory effect of testosterone upon this function.

Amino Acids↗

Successful pregnancy and birth after intrauterine insemination using caput epididymal sperm by percutaneous aspiration.

AIM: To manage male infertility with obstructive azoospermia by means of percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). METHODS: Ninety azoospermic patients with congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (BAVD, n=58) or bilateral caudal epididymal obstruction (BCEO, n=32) requesting for fine needle aspiration (FNA), PESA and IUI were recruited. The obstruction was diagnosed by vasography and determination of the fructose, carnitine and alpha-glucosidase levels in the seminal fluid. RESULTS: The mean sperm motility, density, abnormal sperm and total sperm count of the caput epdidymis were 16 %+/-22 %, (12+/-31) x 10(6)/mL, 55 %+/-36 % and (16+/-14) x 10(6), respectively. In the 90 couples, a total of 74 PESA procedures and 66 cycles of IUI were performed. Three pregnancies resulted, including one twin pregnancy giving birth to two healthy boys, one single pregnancy with a healthy girl and another single pregnancy aborted at week 6 of conception. The pregnancy rate per IUI cycle was 4.5 %. CONCLUSION: The birth of normal, healthy infants by IUI using PESA indicates that the caput epididymal sperm possess fertilization capacity. The PESA-IUI programme is a practical and economical procedure for the management of patients with obstructive azoospermia.

Adult↗

[Testicular and epididymal appendages. Contribution about it's embryology and pathogenesis].

OBJECTIVE: The testicular appendages are structures with biologic activity and with the possibility to become ischaemic or to degenerate before determined stimulus. Laterly, we have seen an apparent increase in our cases of torsion of testicular appendages. The said, together with the questions about embriology and pathogenesis of this structures, encourage us to do this work. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 1- Retrospective clinical study of patients operated of torsion of testicular appendages, from January 1984 to December 2001. We asses age, year of operation and clinical features. 2- Prospective clinical study of patients operated of torsion of testicular appendages, between March 1999 and March 2000. We asses age, time of evolution, degree of ischaemia, nutritional status, sexual maturity stage and testicular volume. 3- Inmunocytochemical study of testicular and epididymal appendages. We identified the oestrogen receptors. RESULTS: There is a meaningful increase in the yearly incidence of ischaemia of testicular appendages. The mean age of the patients was 9.3 +/- 2.5 years, similar alone of the study. In the patients of group 2, the mean time of evolution was 49.2 +/- 46.6 hours. The appendages showed oedema and several degrees of ischaemia in the absence of torsion (14/21). The body mass index was 19.5 +/- 3.7, and 90% of patients had stages I and II of Tanner. The mean of testicular volume was 2.1 +/- 1.6 ml. By means of inmunocytochemical study we identified oestrogen receptors in 7 of all testicular appendages studied and absence of oestrogen receptors in all epididymal appendages. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical syndrome of the acute scrotum in the majority of cases is due to oedema and ischemia of the appendages, in absence of torsion, probably related to its enlargement in response to hormonal stimulation, at least in some grade, in prepubertal boys. The difference found, related to oestrogen receptors, suggest a different origin for testicular and epididymal appendages.

Child↗

[Initial observation on L-carnitine for asthenospermia with epididymal knob].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of L-carnitine on asthenospermia with epididymal knob. METHODS: Thirty-five patients aged 25-39 years with asthenospermia with epididymal knob were received at our clinic of andrology from May 2003 to July 2004, and given oral L-carnitine 2 g/d for 3 months. The sperm parameters of the patients were analyzed by computer-assisted sperm analysis system before and after L-carnitine treatment. RESULTS: Of the 32 patients who accomplished the 3-month L-carnitine therapy, only 4 remained unimproved in sperm parameters, while the other 28 were significantly improved in sperm concentration, forward sperm motility, total sperm motility, straight line velocity, curvilinear velocity and average path velocity. Four of the patients wives were pregnant and one patient fathered a child. CONCLUSION: Oral L-carnitine therapy is efficacious for asthenospermia with epididymal knob.

Adult↗

[Regulation of steroidogenesis in rat epididymal epithelial cells].

The epididymal epithelial cells of rats in vitro display features of steroidogenic cells. The cells produce and release androgens into the culture medium that are converted to 17beta-estradiol (E2) due to the activity ofcytochrome P450 aromatase. It is probable that steroidogenesis in epididymal epithelial cells of rat is regulated by luteinizing hormone (LH). The aim of the study was to estimate the influence of hCG on the morphology of epididymal epithelial cells and synthesis of E2 by the cells. In conclusion, the hCG stimulation results in changes of the cell morphology, similar to those observed in Leydig cells and increase synthesis of the 17beta-estradiol due to the presence of LH/hCG receptors.

Animals↗

Effect of diabetes mellitus on epididymal enzymes of adult rats.

Diabetes mellitus caused significant reduction in serum testosterone and accessory sex glands weight. The sperm content of epididymal regions also decreased. Among the epididymal regions, the cauda epididymidal tissue alone showed significant reduction in Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity. However, Mg2+ ATPase activity was lowered in caput epididymidis only. Specific activity of Ca2+ ATPase significantly decreased in caput and cauda epididymides. All three ATPases decreased significantly in caput epididymidal spermatozoa leaving cauda epididymidal spermatozoa unaffected. Specific activity of alkaline phosphatase was suppressed in caput epididymidis and in the spermatozoa collected from caput and cauda epididymides, while the acid phosphatase was unaffected. In general, the results are suggestive of definite influence of diabetes on epididymal phosphatases which is region specific. Diabetes induced decrease in phosphatases may have an impact on secretory and absorptive functions of epididymis and thus on sperm maturation.

Acid Phosphatase↗

Serum concentration of testosterone, epididymal mast cell population and histamine content in relation to sperm count and their motility in albino rats following H2 receptor blocker treatment.

H2 receptor blocker treatment over a period of 2 weeks had been found to cause significant reduction in epididymal tissue mast cell population and tissue histamine content in caput, corpus and cauda regions in albino rats. There was also a highly significant fall of serum testosterone level and sperm count in these segmental fluids collected by micropuncture. The motility of sperms was also greatly reduced and the number of abnormal spermatozoa was found to be increased, the increase being highly significant in the caudal segment. In view of histamine being involved in steroidogenic activity, it appears that reduction in epididymal tissue histamine content following H2 receptor blocker treatment had caused low availability of testosterone to the tissues and thereby the reduction in sperm count and their motility. Increase in number of abnormal sperms particularly in the caudal epididymis is likely to be due to malformation and increased destruction of sperms, because of alteration in epididymal environment due to fall in serum testosterone concentration.

Animals↗

[The recognition of rat epididymal epithelial cells].

The antibodies of keratin and vimentin were used as the histochemical probes determined by the immuno-fluorescent technique to recognize the rat epididymal epithelial cells in the different ages from the connective tissue both in intact epididymides and in isolated cultured cells. It also showed that an enriched suspension of epididymal epithelial cells could be obtained by sequential digestion with 0.05% trypsin and 0.1% collagenase. The morphological characteristics were appeared during the cells in culture. Therefore the epididymal epithelial cells isolated and cultured by present methods could be used as a research model to study their functions.

Animals↗

Different mechanisms are involved in 3H-androgen uptake by the rat seminiferous and epididymal tubules in vivo.

Proluminal movement of 3H-androgen from peritubular to intratubular fluids of the adult rat testis and epididymis was investigated by using in vivo microperifusion and subsequent micropuncture of seminiferous tubules and caput, corpus, and cauda epididymal tubules. Tubules were perifused with Minimum Essential Medium containing 3H-testosterone. 14C-polyethyleneglycol was included in the perifusion fluid as a marker for contamination of intraluminal fluid by peritubular fluid. Radioactivity of isotopes in interstitial and intraluminal fluids was determined at 1 and 2 hours after perifusion and the percentage of peritubular isotopes appearing in the intraluminal fluid was determined. Proluminal movement of 3H-androgen across the seminiferous epithelium was significantly restricted. In contrast, intraluminal 3H-androgen concentrations in the caput epididymal fluid were 200-300% of those in the peritubular fluid at both 1 and 2 hours after perifusion. Similar results were found in the corpus epididymis. 3H-androgen concentrations in the cauda epididymal fluid were approximately 125% of the peritubular isotope concentrations. The exact mechanism underlying this uphill transepithelial movement of 3H-androgen in the rat epididymis continues to be elucidated.

Androgens↗

[Antispermatogenic effects of multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii and monomer T4 in the testes and epididymal spermatozoa of rats].

The antispermatogenic effects of the multiglycosides of Tripterygium wilfordii (GTW) and monomer T4 isolated from GTW on the testes and epididymal spermatozoa of rats were examined microscopically following silver staining. The dosages of GTW and T4 were 10mg/kg.d and 0.05 mg/kg.d, respectively, fed for 7 weeks via gastric intubation. Different degrees of damage to the testis and epididymal tubes were found in rats treated with GTW. Deformed, round-headed sperms and exfoliated cells (mainly spermatids and occasionally pachytene spermatocytes) were seen in the tubular lumen of the epididymis. Spermatids with deformed acrosomal vesicles were also commonly observed. No significant pathological changes were seen in other internal organs. T4 mainly caused damage to the spermatozoa in the epididymis. Under the dosage of 0.05mg/kg.d the sperm count was almost nil, but no discernible changes in the seminiferous tubules, epididymal epithelia, Leydig cells or Sertoli cells were found. The antifertility potency of T4 was 200 times stronger than that of GTW.

Animals↗

Seminal alpha-glucosidase activity as a marker of epididymal pathology in nonazoospermic men consulting for infertility.

Glucosidase (alpha G) activity was measured in sperm free seminal plasma from 1200 patients consulting for primary infertility, in whom clinical examination of epididymides revealed some abnormalities and histories of genital infections. They constituted the group with epididymal pathology (P) that was compared with a reference group (R) of 246 men without any epididymal pathology. The distribution of alpha G was significantly different between the two groups, even if we considered only the subjects in group P with normal sperm count (PN: 353 men: p less than 10(-6). 15.9% of subjects in group PN exhibited alpha G values as low as vasectomized men, versus 1.2% in group R. A linear relationship was established between alpha G and sperm content in both groups, but alpha G activities were systematically lower in group P (y = 0.19 x + 64) than in group R (y = 0.30 x + 86). There was no correlation between alpha G and the percent of sperm motility. On the contrary, we found statistically more clinical epididymal abnormalities in cases of decreased alpha G activity than in cases of normal alpha G activity (p less than .01).

Analysis of Variance↗

[Respiration and motility of epididymal sperm from slaughtered bulls].

The simple method of retrograde flushing of spermatozoa from the epididymal cauda of slaughter bulls yielded an average of 2 x 10(9) spermatozoa from one cauda. The plasma membrane was intact in something between 80 and 85 percent of all epididymal spermatozoa. Respiratory rates and motility were clearly below values typical of ejaculated spermatozoa, though sizeable differences were found to exist for both parameters between individual preparations. The endogenous substrates available proved to be sufficient for such low metabolic activity, whereas higher energy turnover required the presence of exogenous substrates, such as lactate, pyruvate or fructose. Respiratory capacity, determined by uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation in the presence of lactate, was comparable to that of ejaculated bull spermatozoa. The above findings are likely to suggest that the lower respiratory rates of epididymal spermatozoa were attributable to the fact that their consumption for motility of adenosine triphosphoric acid (ATP) was lower than that of ejaculated spermatozoa.

Abattoirs↗

Modified procedure for isolation of epithelial cells of rat epididymal caput.

Epithelial cells of the rat's epididymal caput were cultivated according to own modification of the Kierszenbaum's method [1981]. The said modification consisted in developing primary cultures of the epithelial cells in the epididymal duct by making use of small tubular segments instead of deisolated cells of the whole epididymal duct wall. Such small segments of the tubules were procured by resorting to mechanical isolation and a 4-grade enzymatic isolation with trypsin and collagenase, whereupon the produced suspension of cells and tubules was filtered through a grid, the meshes of which being 40 X 50 microns in diameter. The cultures were made up exclusively of the tubular segments that had remained on the grid. The utilized technique of isolation gets rid of tubules from the external layer of muscle cells and fibroblasts as well as spermatozoa still prior to the inception of the culture, and provides the possibility to obtain a pure population of epithelial cells. The latter cells have the capacity to migrate from tubular fragments, and to form monolayer cultures. In the conducted cultures the epithelial cells commence secreting PAS-positive substance which was evidenced by means of histochemical and microscope-electron examinations.

Animals↗

[Acetylcarnitine and spermatozoa: relationship with epididymal maturation and motility in the boar and man ].

The level of carnitine and acetylcarnitine in spermatozoa of boar epididymal origin and of human ejaculates was demonstrated. In the epididymal fluid of boars, the concentration of carnitine (nmol/mg protein) began to increase from 20 in the distal caput to rise progressively to 700 in the distal cauda. By contrast, the carnitine content of spermatozoa only started to increase in the proximal cauda where the concentration of carnitine in the fluid was 200-300 nmol/mg protein, then gradually increased in spermatozoa from more distal sites. The increase in the acetylcarnitine content of spermatozoa paralleled that of the carnitine amount, represented 50% of total carnitine (carnitine + acetylcarnitine) and coincided with the acquisition of progressive motility. In two populations of human seminal spermatozoa selected by migration and characterised by a very large difference in their percentage of progressively motile cells, higher carnitine and acetylcarnitine contents (40%) were found in migrated spermatozoa compared to the residual population. These results suggest that accumulation of carnitine and its metabolite may be an important factor in the acquisition and the maintenance of progressive motility. Measurement of acetylcarnitine content of human seminal spermatozoa could be used as a marker of epididymal maturation.

Acetylcarnitine↗

Sclerotherapy for hydroceles and epididymal cysts with ethanolamine oleate.

Seventeen patients with hydroceles or epididymal cysts were treated by tapping and injection with ethanolamine oleate. All 11 patients with hydroceles were cured. Three of six patients with epididymal cysts were cured. There were no cases of haematoma or infection. Sclerotherapy is recommended as primary treatment for all men over 50 years with hydroceles and for selected cases with epididymal cysts.

Adult↗

Immunocytochemical localization of acrosin and hyaluronidase in epididymal and ejaculated porcine spermatozoa.

Acrosin and hyaluronidase demonstrated different release patterns following treatment of living spermatozoa with the Ca2+-ionophore A 23187. One hour after the acrosomal reaction about 50% of the acrosin was still associated with the spermatozoal membranes, while hyaluronidase could no longer be detected in the spermatozoal remnants. Strong fixation conditions with acrolein and glutaraldehyde were used to prevent redistribution and leakage of these sperm proteins. Lost antigenicity was restored with sodium-borohydride and pronase E treatment. Immunofluorescent localization showed hyaluronidase to be confined to the anterior portion of the acrosome. Acrosin was localized throughout the entire acrosome including the equatorial segment. By immunoelectron microscopy, hyaluronidase was exclusively found in the acrosomal matrix. The equatorial segment was devoid of hyaluronidase. Acrosin was found in the acrosomal matrix as well as on the outer acrosomal membrane. Furthermore, labeling for acrosin in the equatorial segment was clearly demonstrated. Localization of hyaluronidase was the same for epididymal and ejaculated sperm cells but in approximately 70% of the epididymal spermatozoa acrosin could not be detected in the equatorial segment. In most of these epididymal cells acrosin was confined to the anterior part of the acrosome comparable with hyaluronidase. These observations support the motion that the appearance of acrosin in the equatorial segment is part of the maturation process during passage through the epididymis.

Acrosin↗

[Morphological features of the nuclei of the principal cells in the epididymal duct in mice, with special emphasis on the regional differences in the duct and age-related changes].

The mouse epididymal duct is divided into five segments (I-V). In this study, morphological features of the nuclei of the principal cells in the epididymal duct were examined in mice from 20 to 360 days of age, with special reference to the regional differences in the duct and age-related changes. By morphological characteristics of the nuclei, the principal cells were classified into three types; the cells with a nucleus of usual size, those with two nuclei, and those with a large nucleus. Binuclear principal cells were mainly distributed in segments IV and V. They appeared at 30 days of age and increased to about 20% out of the all principal cells in segment IV and about 30% in segment V with morphological differentiation of the segment until 40 days. After 40 days, they furthermore increased in segment IV, but decreased in segment V. The cells with large nuclei are frequently seen in segments IV and V after 120 days. Especially in segment V, about 70% of the principal cells had large nuclei. The nuclei with deep invaginations of the nuclear membrane or slit figures were frequently observed after 120 days of age. The principal cells with such nuclei were rare in segment I, 10-20% in segments II-IV, and about 60% in segment V. These nuclei were similar in size to the usual nuclei in segments II and III but large in segments IV and V. In conclusion, morphological characteristics of the nuclei in the principal cells are different between the proximal and distal regions which are functionally different, and the principal cells with two nuclei and those with a deformed nucleus increase in number in relation to the functional differentiation and aging of the epididymal duct.

Age Factors↗

[A case of seminoma with epididymal swelling].

A 36-year-old man noticed a discomfort in the right scrotum since January, 1981, and came to our hospital in October of the same year. Palpation detected a hard and painless tumor in the right epididymal tail and exploratory excision revealed an induration measuring 3 X 2 X 1 cm. The rapid diagnosis of tumors by frozen section was made and we diagnosed it as right epididymal seminoma. Right high inguinal orchiectomy was performed and histopathologically, tumor cells which mainly occupied the testis were observed. This case was diagnosed as seminoma which showed epididymal swelling as the clinical symptom.

Adult↗