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PubMed2005

Short-term zinc deficiency in diet induces increased oxidative stress in testes and epididymis of rats.

In order to determine the effects of Zinc deficient diet on oxidative stress in testis and epididymis, various parameters viz: total proteins, lipid peroxidation, hydroperoxides, antioxidant capacity and enzymatic activities are evaluated in rats fed on zinc deficient diet for 2, 4 and 6 weeks. Total proteins, water and lipid solouble antioxidant capacity decreased while lipid peroxidation (TBARS) and hydroperoxides concentration increased in testes, caput and cauda epididymis except in 2ZD (testes) where hydroperoxides revealed a significant decrease. GSH decreased in testes and caput and cauda epididymis. GPx and gamma-GT activities increased in testes and caput and cauda epididymis of zinc deficient rats. Further, GST increased in testes but exhibited decreases after 2 and 4 weeks and an increase after 6 weeks in caput and cauda epididymis of zinc deficient rats. GR activities decreased in testes but it increased in caput and cauda epididymis of zinc deficient rats. Thus, zinc deprivation results in increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. All these may have been as a consequence of increased ROS generation and/or decreased zinc dependent antioxidant processes.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

[Effects of experimental varicocele on CRES protein in the testis and epididymis of adolescent rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of experimental left varicocele (ELV) on the cystatin-related epididymal spermatogenic (CRES) protein in the testis and epididymis of adolescent rats. METHODS: The ELV model of Sprague-Dawley (SD) male adolescent rats was established, and the expression of CRES protein in the testis and epididymis was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western-blot at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: Immunohistochemistry and Western-blot detected CRES protein in both the testis and the epididymis of the ELV rats and the control rats. Immunohistochemistry showed that within the testis, CRES protein was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of round spermatids and elongating spermatids, sperm acrosomes and residual bodies. The expression was most intensive at Stages I-III and IX-XIV, and then decreased gradually at Stages VII-VII and IV-VI. Within the epididymis, CRES protein was expressed mainly in the cytoplasm of the principal cells of epididymal epithelia. Western-blot detected CRES protein in Mr 19,000 and 14,000, stronger in the former than in the latter. Image and statistical analyses showed that the expression of CRES protein in the 2-week and 4-week ELV groups was significantly higher than in the control group (P < 0.05, or P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: CRES protein expressed in both the testis and epididymis of adolescent rats and the expression is stage-specific and cell-specific in the testis and segment-specific and cell-specific in the epididymis. The expression of CRES protein in the ELV rats is much stronger than in their corresponding controls. It is suggested that CRES protein may be significantly involved in the regulation of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation, and possibly associated with varicocele-related male infertility or subfertility.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

The histological changes in the testis, epididymis and prostate gland of the red-bellied tree squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus, during the growth and reproductive cycle.

The male reproductive glands of the red-bellied tree squirrel, Callosciurus erythraeus, in the infantile, and prepubertal males, as well as sexually functional, degenerating and redeveloping adults were studied histologically. In the infant, testes are characterized with solid seminiferous tubules filled with primordial germ cells and Sertoli cells. Interstitial cells are sparse. The prostate is composed of condensed cell cords grouped into lobules dispersed with interlobular tissues rich in fibroblasts. In the epididymis the highly convoluted tubule is lined with a simple cuboidal or columnar epithelium and thin smooth musculature without. In the prepubertal male, germ cells are engaged actively in mitosis. Primary spermatocytes are readily recognized. Leydig cells appear in groups in the interstitial tissue. In the prostate, cell cords become highly branched and collecting tubules make their appearance. The tubules in the epididymis are enlarged in diameter but their peripheral musculature becomes thinner. In functional males, meiosis is active and bundles of spermatozoa are scattered along the central lumen. Leydig cells have their cytoplasm highly enriched. The prostate is in the secretory phase. The tubule in the epididymis is filled with sperm. In the degenerating adult, meiosis is interrupted and necrotic germ cells are detached from germinal epithelium. In the prostate, secretory and collecting ducts are eventually reduced to condensed lobules separated by interlobular fibrous tissue. The tubule in the epididymis often fills with necrotic germ cells but no sperm. In the redeveloping adult, the histology of the testes, prostate and epididymis is similar to that of the prepubertal male. However, there is more fibrous tissue in the interlobular septa in the prostate gland and thick musculature at the periphery of the tubule in the epididymis.

Aging↗
PubMed1995

Effects of chronic fluoride toxicity on the morphology of ductus epididymis and the maturation of spermatozoa of rabbit.

This study used light and scanning electron microscopy to observe the effect of chronic fluoride toxicity on the structure of the ductus epididymis, testis and spermatozoa in rabbit. The rabbits were treated with 10 mg NaF/kg body weight/day for 20 and 23 months. Serum fluoride was estimated by the fluoride ion-specific electrode method. Fluoride levels in the sera of both 20 and 23-month treated rabbits were significantly increased (P < 0.001). Loss of stereocilia, significant decrease (P < 0.001) in the height of the pseudostratified columnar epithelium and significant increase (P < 0.001) in the diameter of both the caput and cauda ductus epididymis were observed only in the 23-month fluoride treated rabbits. The decreases in the epithelial cell height (P < 0.01) and the tubular diameter (P < 0.001) of the testis were significant only in 23-month treated animals. Spermatozoa in the lumen of the testis of both treated groups of animals and in the caput and cauda ductus epididymis of 20-month treated animals appeared normal, but spermatozoa in the caput and cauda ductus epididymis of 23-month treated animals were fragmented. In the 23-month fluoride treated rabbits, the weights of the caput and cauda epididymis were significantly reduced (P < 0.025) and there was also a reduction in the number of secretory granules in these organs. The structural changes observed in the caput and cauda ductus epididymis might adversely affect the maturation of spermatozoa.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

[Stereology of the human epididymis in different groups of age: fetus, children, adolescents and elderly].

The importance of abnormalities of function and epididymis structure in the etiology of male infertility is still not well understood. We studied 52 individuals distributed in five age groups: fetuses, children, adolescents, adults and the elderly. The region of the body of epididymis was obtained by autopsy and immediately fixed by immersion in a solution of 10% buffered formaldehyde, embedded in paraffin and histologically prepared. The samples were observed under an optic microscope. Test-points were counted in 12 random microscopic fields with the M42 test-system. The following stereological parameters were determined: ductal area, volumetric densities (Vv) of the duct, smooth muscle, connective tissue, epithelial duct and blood vessels. The main results distinguished by those whose averages were statistically significant (p < 0.05), showed that the ductal area is 9.7 times greater in the adolescent/adult/elderly group than the children's group. The Vv of the lumen of the epididymis duct occupies 11.7% of the epididymis body in the fetal period, 5.3% in the child and in individuals after puberty this figures reaches more than 15%. The Vv of smooth muscle occupies 28.3% of the body of the epididymis in the fetus and 35.9% in children, but after puberty this figures stays around 22%. The Vv of the connective tissue occupies 26% in prenatal life, 37% in children, and after puberty these figures range from 21 to 27.5%. Comparing the results of the adult group with that of the elderly group there is an increase in the volumetric density of the connective tissue by 18.1%. In conclusion, the epididymal duct area and the Vv of the ductal lumen, smooth muscle and connective tissue were significant comparing the different groups. However, the quantitative relative differences of the duct's epithelium and the blood vessels were not significant comparing these groups. The study of quantitative aspects of the normal human epididymis can increase our knowledge about male fertility.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Effects of melatonin, testosterone and the two hormones administered in parallel on epididymis of the rat estrogenized with stilbestrol in the first day of life.

Effect of melatonin, testosterone and of both hormones given in parallel on rat epididymis was tested in rats given a single dose of 1 mg stilbestrol on the first day of the life. The hormones were given daily for 39 days, beginning from the 20th or 28th day of life. The single dose of estrogen treatment resulted in epididymis atrophy, accompanied by changes in glandular epithelium and in its stroma, when the rats reached mature age (59 or 67 days of life). In such rats, LH gonadotropin level was elevated and testosterone level was decreased. Administration of melatonin failed to affect the changes induced by estrogen treatment. Administration of testosterone alone or of testosterone in parallel with melatonin caused the epididymis status to resemble more closely that seen in control animals. Efferent ductules of the testis (head of epididymis) were also demonstrated to be more sensitive to the performed experimental procedures than the duct of the epididymis (body and tail of the epididymis).

Aging↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effects of cyclophosphamide on selected cytosolic and mitochondrial enzymes in the epididymis of the rat.

The anticancer and immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide is extensively used in clinical practice and is known to alter fertility in man. We showed previously that treatment of male rats with low daily doses of cyclophosphamide over a 9-week period caused fetal malformations, a high rate of postimplantation loss and affected epididymal and sperm histology. In the present study, five biochemical measures of epididymal function were used to characterize further the effects of cyclophosphamide on the epididymis. For 1, 3, 6, or 9 weeks, adult Sprague-Dawley rats were gavage-fed daily with saline (control), 5.1 (low dose), or 6.8 (high dose) mg/kg of cyclophosphamide. The specific activities of the two glycolytic enzymes aldolase and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), the mitochondrial enzyme succinate dehydrogenase, the cytosolic enzyme carnitine acetyltransferase and the lysosomal enzyme acid phosphatase were determined in cytosolic and mitochondrial subcellular fractions from four segments of the epididymis. Cyclophosphamide caused decreases in protein concentrations in all segments of the epididymis only after 6 weeks of treatment with the high dose. The specific activities of aldolase, LDH and succinate dehydrogenase did not differ from control with respect to dose or duration of treatment. In contrast, there were significant effects of cyclophosphamide on carnitine acetyltransferase and acid phosphatase specific activity. After 1 week of treatment, there was a transient dose-related decrease in the specific activity of carnitine acetyltransferase, which was most striking for the corpus epididymidis (76% of control), but which did not differ from control after 3, 6, and 9 weeks. After 6 weeks of treatment with the high dose of cyclophosphamide, carnitine acetyltransferase specific activity in the initial segment and the corpus epididymidis was elevated to 165 and 140%, respectively, as compared with the 1-week high dose values. The specific activity of acid phosphatase did not differ from control after 1 and 9 weeks of treatment. At 3 and 6 weeks, however, there was a dose-related increase in acid phosphatase specific activity for all regions of the epididymis that was most marked in the cauda after the 6-week treatment (140% of control). Therefore, low dose, daily treatment of male rats with cyclophosphamide not only alters specific enzymes in specific segments of the epididymis, but acts in a dose- and time-dependent manner. It is possible that these changes could be mediated by direct, toxic effects of the drug on the epithelium or be secondary to alterations in the spermatozoa as a result of the treatment.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrastructural studies on the development of the blood-epididymis barrier in immature rats.

The development of the blood-epididymis barrier in immature rats (8, 11, 14, 18, and 21 days old) was examined with an electron microscope using lanthanum nitrate as an electron dense tracer. A gradual increase in the development of the blood-epididymis barrier was noted with age. On Day 8, lanthanum was frequently detected in both the intercellular spaces and the lumen. On day 14, no lanthanum penetration into the lumen was observed in 75% of the junctions in the caput, 40.3% in corpus, and 30% in cauda epididymidis. On Day 18, only 7.5%, 9%, and 15%, of the junctions in the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymidis, respectively, remained permeable to lanthanum. No lanthanum was observed in the lumen of any tubules in the 21-day-old rat epididymis. These findings indicate that the postnatal development of the blood-epididymis barrier is gradual, and that its formation is virtually completed by Day 21. As with adult rats, the zonula occludens is the ultimate structural component of the blood-epididymis barrier in immature rats (Agarwal and Hoffer, 1985).

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Monoclonal antibodies to epididymis-specific proteins using mice rendered immune tolerant to testicular proteins.

Monoclonal antibodies (mabs) have been used as a powerful tool for identification of newer sperm proteins. However, conventional hybridoma technology rarely provides chance to obtain mabs to epididymal proteins. To increase this chance, we have used an alternate method of neonatal tolerization. In this protocol, animals were tolerized at birth using testicular proteins followed by immunization with cauda epididymal sperm protein (which is a cocktail of proteins both from testicular and epididymal origin). This protocol induced a specific immune response to epididymal sperm proteins. Spleen from one of these animals was then used for preparation of mabs. This fusion resulted in a number of mabs reacting specifically to epididymal proteins. Although mabs identified a protein of approximately similar molecular weight on 1-dimensional Western blot analysis, there were differences in regional localization on rat sperm as seen by indirect immunofluorescence. Immunohistochemical localization of these proteins in rat epididymis showed region specific synthesis. The synthesis of proteins was seen in the distal caput epididymis, and maximum expression was seen in supranuclear region of corpus epithelium. The proteins were localized on sperm from corpus and cauda region. Epididymis specific synthesis of the proteins and agglutinating nature of the mabs to these underlines the functional importance of these proteins in sperm maturation in epididymis. These antibodies could therefore, be used as tools for understanding the physiology of maturation of sperm in epididymis and role of the epididymal protein in fertilization.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Cell specificity of aquaporins 0, 3, and 10 expressed in the testis, efferent ducts, and epididymis of adult rats.

Aquaporins (AQPs) are transmembrane protein channels that allow the rapid passage of water across an epithelium at a low energy requirement, though some also transport glycerol, urea, and solutes of various sizes. At present, 11 members of the AQP family of proteins have been described in mammals, with several being localized to the testis (AQP-7 and AQP-8), efferent ducts (AQP-1 and AQP-9), and epididymis (AQP-1 and AQP-9) of adult rats. With the discovery of expression of multiple AQPs in different tissues, we undertook a systematic analysis of several other members of the AQP family on Bouin-fixed tissues of the male reproductive tract employing light microscope immunocytochemistry. In the testis, AQP-0 expression in the seminiferous epithelium was restricted to Sertoli cells and to Leydig cells of the interstitial space; no reaction was observed in the efferent ducts or epididymis. In Sertoli cells, a semicircular pattern of staining was noted, with only one fourth or one half of the Sertoli cells of a given tubule showing a reaction product. Furthermore, while Sertoli cells at stages VI-VIII of the cycle showed intense staining, those at stages IX-XIV were least reactive, with Sertoli cells at stages I-V showing intermediate levels of reaction product. The epithelial expression of AQP-10 was restricted to the microvilli of the nonciliated cells and the cilia of the ciliated cells of the efferent ducts; however, the endothelial cells of vascular channels of the efferent ducts and epididymis were also intensely reactive. AQP-3 expression was localized exclusively to the epididymis, where intense staining was noted exclusively over basal cells. Examination of orchidectomized rats revealed that AQP-3 expression was abolished over basal cells and that it was greatly diminished after efferent duct ligation. As the reaction was not fully restored in orchidectomized animals supplemented with high levels of testosterone, we suggest that AQP-3 expression in basal cells is regulated in part by testosterone, in addition to a luminal factor emanating from the testis. Together, the data indicate a cell- and tissue-specific expression for AQP-0, AQP-3, and AQP-10 in the testis, efferent ducts, and epididymis, as well as differential regulating factors for the expression of AQP-3 in basal cells.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Vasectomy-dependent dysregulation of a local renin-angiotensin system in the epididymis of the cynomolgus monkey (Macaca fascicularis).

The mammalian epididymis is a fundamental organ for sperm cell maturation; it allows mammals to acquire their fertilizing ability. We have previously shown that during obstruction in cases of vasectomy, gene expression profiles were modified in human and cynomolgus monkey epididymides. Paracrine factors thus appear to be key elements in local gene expression along the epididymis. Local renin-angiotensin systems (RAS) have been described in many other organs as paracrine regulators of gene expression. This work demonstrates the presence of a local RAS in the epididymis of the cynomolgus monkey and investigates the vasectomy-dependent changes occurring in this system. After unilateral vasectomy in 4 monkeys (two for 3 days and two others for 7 days), the presence of two major components of the RAS (ie, angiotensinogen [ANG] and the type 1 receptor to angiotensin II [AT-I]) was evaluated in the vasectomized and the normal controlateral epididymides of each monkey. We also show by in situ hybridization that the principal cells of the epididymis express ANG and AT-I mRNAs and immunohistochemistry permitted to verify the co-localization of the AT-I protein and mRNA. Quantitative comparisons of individual variations in the mRNA and protein profiles for ANG and AT-I revealed that vasectomy altered the RAS expression profiles in an individual manner, thus confirming its role as a local system. This study provides a good basis for further investigation of the possible implications of the RAS in the physiology of the epididymis. Furthermore, the individual dependent modifications are in accordance with the very fluctuating results obtained in the fertility status of human patients undergoing a vasectomy reversal. The variations observed in the RAS expression profiles may be a good model to study the causes of the overall epididymal gene expression dysregulation that follows vasectomy and potentially affects fertility.

Angiotensin I↗
PubMed1994

Blood barriers of the epididymis and vas deferens act asynchronously with the blood barrier of the testis in the mink (Mustela vison).

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the blood barrier of the epididymis and vas deferens acted synchronously or not with the blood barrier of the testis. The permeability of the blood-epididymis and blood-vas deferens barrier was tested in neonatal kit mink up to puberty and monthly in adult minks throughout the annual seasonal reproductive cycle. Attention was focused particularly on time intervals when the blood barrier of the testis has been documented to be permeable, namely, before puberty and during testicular regression in the adult. One of two electron-opaque permeability tracers was perfused into the blood stream: horseradish peroxidase (HRP) or lanthanum nitrate. The convoluted tube of the epididymis was divided into three anatomical regions: the caput, corpus, and cauda. The vas deferens was divided into proximal and distal regions. At birth and throughout puberty, the three regions of the epididymis and the two of the vas deferens showed a lumen and a competent blood barrier. In the adult, a lumen persisted in the epididymis and vas deferens throughout the annual seasonal reproductive cycle, and the blood barrier of the excurrent duct remained impermeable even when the blood barrier in the testis became momentarily permeable during testicular regression. When HRP was used to test the permeability of the blood-tissue barrier of the excurrent ducts, no tracer deposits were observed on the lumenal surface of the epithelium. Conversely, when lanthanum served as the tracer, deposits of the probe were associated with microvilli and intracellular membranes despite impermeability of tight junctions. The data show that the lanthanum technique can yield false-positive results. The findings also indicate that 1) a blood-excurrent duct barrier is established before the blood-testis barrier and 2) the two barriers act asynchronously. It is therefore plausible that they are modulated by distinct factors.

Aging↗
PubMed2003

ADAM7 (a disintegrin and metalloprotease 7) mRNA is suppressed in mouse epididymis by neonatal exposure to Diethylstilbestrol.

We investigated whether neonatal exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES) induces the alteration of mRNA expression in adult mouse epididymis, which plays an important role in sperm maturation. Using a cDNA subtraction method, we isolated 15 changed gene clones in neonatally DES-treated mouse epididymides, and we found a clone homologous with a disintegrin and metalloprotease (ADAM) 7 in the epididymis, as a suppressed gene, by means of neonatal DES treatment in 8-week-old mice. Indeed, it was confirmed by Northern blot analysis that the ADAM7 mRNA expression in the epididymis was at a lower level in neonatally DES-treated mice than in non-treated mice. Moreover, in situ hybridization analysis and real-time reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (real-time RT-PCR) revealed that ADAM7 expression was markedly reduced in the corpus region of the epididymis of DES-treated mice as compared with non-treated mice. Our results suggest that neonatal exposure to DES leads to the suppression of ADAM7 expression in the epididymis in the long term. ADAM7 gene expression might be a biological marker of fetal or neonatal exposure to estrogenic compounds, including endocrine disruptors.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Postnatal development and testosterone-dependence of GP-83 and GP-49, two sperm maturation-related glycoproteins in BALB/c mouse epididymis.

The secretion of sperm maturation-related molecules by the epididymis is subjected to developmental and hormonal regulation. In the BALB/c mouse, we found that GP-83 and GP-49, two sperm maturation-related glycoproteins, were secreted by the epididymis. The present study investigated the postnatal development and testosterone-dependence of these two molecules. Histochemical localization in paraffin sections revealed that wheat-germ agglutinin (WGA)-binding sites were first present in the epididymis of 4-week-old mice. The distribution of WGA-binding sites was the same as that of more mature mice, i.e., it was first found in the principal cells of the corpus epididymidis, and gradually appeared in the contents of epididymal tubules. On WGA blots, GP-83 and GP-49 were identified in the corpus, and GP-83 was identified in the cauda of the epididymis. In mice that had received unilateral orchiectomy at 4 weeks of age, GP-83 and GP-49 were present in both intact and orchiectomized epididymides 4 weeks after the operation. In the epididymides of mice that had received bilateral orchiectomy, GP-83 and GP-49 were barely identifiable. However, the presence of these two molecules was restored if testosterone was supplemented immediately after orchiectomy. These results indicate that GP-83 and GP-49 are secreted de novo in the epididymis, and that the secretion of these two molecules is developmentally regulated and androgen-dependent.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Cystic appendix epididymis: a sonomorphologic study.

We aimed to describe the morphologic characteristics of the appendix epididymis that appears cystic on ultrasound (US) examinations. Two hundred and seventy-two patients (544 testes) were examined by US for various scrotal complaints. The patients were prospectively evaluated for the presence of testicular appendages. Cystic appendix epididymis on US examinations was classified according to the presence of the stalk and size of the cyst. Testicular appendages have been identified in 337 out of 544 testes (61.9%). Of them, 241 were appendix testis (44.3%) and 96 (17.6%) were appendix epididymis. Of the appendix epididymises, 35 were cystic in nature (36.4%). The most common morphology in our study was the stalked appendix epididymis with nonseptated unilocular cysts (31.4%). In conclusion, cystic appearance of the appendix epididymis on sonographic examinations is frequent and it should not be mistaken with a torsed testicular appendage.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Quantitative and spatial differences in the expression of tryptophan-metabolizing enzymes in mouse epididymis.

Previous reports have suggested that indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) activity is particularly important in mouse epididymis tissue. We show here, using reverse transcription/polymerase chain reaction assays, Northern assays, Western blotting experiments, and immunohistochemistry that IDO is indeed highly expressed in mouse epididymis, and that IDO mRNA distribution and protein location are precisely regionalized within the organ and within sub-territories of the proximal part of the epididymal duct, the so-called caput epididymidis. Within the caput epididymidis, both the principal and the apical cells have been shown to express IDO. On the contrary, tryptophan dioxygenase (TDO), a sister enzyme of IDO, is weakly and uniformly expressed in mouse epididymis and, in contrast to IDO, is also expressed in testis. In the epididymis, TDO protein expression has been found in a totally different cell type in the smooth muscle layer surrounding the epididymal tubules. Finally, IDO is not secreted into the epididymal lumen, whereas the testis-expressed TDO is present on the head of spermatozoa retrieved from the cauda epididymidis. On the basis of the various functions that have been associated with IDO/TDO, we discuss the putative impacts of IDO/TDO expression on the physiology of mammalian epididymis and spermatozoa.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

5 Alpha- and 5 beta-reductases for 4-ene-3-ketosteroids and 17 beta-ol-dehydrogenase in epididymis and testis of golden hamster during sexual development.

Homogenates of the epididymis, testis and seminal vesicle from 15, 25, 35 and 60-day old golden hamsters were incubated with [3H]4-androstene-3,17-dione and NADPH and enzyme activity was estimated. In the testis, activities of 5 alpha- and 5 beta-reductases were the highest (32 +/- 4 and 68 +/- 13 (SD) nmol/100 mg protein/h, respectively) at 25 days of age, moderately high at 35 days and very low (1-3 and 5-6, nmol/100 mg protein/h, respectively) at 15 and 60 days. In the epididymis, 5 alpha-reductase activities increased with age during sexual development by up to 50-fold and reached the maximum value (40 +/- 11 nmol/100 mg protein/h) at 60 days. The 5 alpha-reductase activities in the seminal vesicle were found to be relatively low (0.5-1 nmol/100 mg protein/h), compared with those in the epididymis and testis. Activities of 5 beta-reductase in the epididymis and seminal vesicle were very low (0.1-0.5 nmol/100 mg protein/h) at all ages. These results indicate the existence of a marked, but transient, increase in 5 alpha- and 5 beta-reductase activities during immature period in the testis of golden hamster. In the epididymis, however, 5 alpha-reductase activity increases with age during sexual maturation, while 5 beta-reductase activity is almost undetectable at all ages.

17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases↗
PubMed1987

Sterol sulfates in the epididymis; synthesis and possible function in the reproductive process.

Sterol sulfates are present in relatively high concentrations in the male reproductive tract. Cholesteryl sulfate is the major sterol sulfate in the human epididymis while desmosteryl sulfate is the major sterol sulfate in the hamster epididymis. While the testis is the major source of sterol sulfate in the human, the epididymis of the hamster is the source of demosteryl sulfate. This conjugate accumulates along the length of the epididymis and is taken up by the plasma membrane in the acrosomal region of the spermatozoa. Sulfotransferase activity increases along the epididymis and this is due to the actual synthesis of the enzyme. Sterol sulfates are potent and specific inhibitors of the proteolytic enzyme, acrosin. This property could provide protection against the premature release of proteolytic activity within the male reproductive tract. It is proposed that the removal of this inhibition occurs within the female tract via sulfatase activity in order to enable the acrosome reaction and ovum penetration to occur.

Acrosin↗