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Epididymal Tubule (epididymal + tubule)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Medical Sciences	60%

Selected Abstracts

IL-10 is highly expressed in the cryptorchid cryptepididymal epithelium: a probable mechanism preventing immune responses against autoantigenic spermatozoa in the epididymal tubule

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ANDROLOGY, Issue 3 2002
E. Veräjänkorva
The expression of several immunoregulatory adhesion proteins and cytokines was studied in the normal epididymis, cryptorchid cryptepididymis, the epididymis of oestrogen-treated mice and the epididymis of non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice at the protein level to see which of these immunoregulatory proteins may be involved in lymphocyte regulation in the normal or pathological epididymis and if cytokine balance in this organ is on the cellular or humoral side. The aim of the study was to characterize the immunological microenvironment of the epididymis to explain the survival of the autoantigenic spermatozoa in this site. In the 6-week-old BALB/c or NOD mouse epididymis there were some CD18 and CD44 expressing cells in the interstitial tissue. There were no differences between these strains in the expression of the studied antigens, except that some CD4 positive cells were present in the interstitial tissue of BALB/c mice. In the cryptorchid cryptepididymis CD4, CD8, CD18, CD44, CD54 and CD106 expressing cells were occasionally present in the connective tissue surrounding the epididymal tubule. In the epididymis of the oestrogen-treated mice these antigens were not expressed. In the cryptorchid cryptepididymis the epithelial cells expressed IL-10 highly and the myoid peritubular cells IL-6. The present results suggest that the epididymal epithelial IL-10 suppressing TH0, TH1 and TH2 immune responses may be involved in the protection of autoantigenic spermatozoa from immune destruction. [source]

Obstructive infertility: changes in the histology of different regions of the epididymis and morphology of spermatozoa

ANDROLOGIA, Issue 4 2006
P. C. Pal
Summary In the present study, the effects of prolonged obstruction in different regions of the human epididymis on its histology and on the spermatozoa retained at the site of obstruction were assessed. Men who were confirmed of having obstruction of the epididymis underwent vasoepididymostomy (VEA) for surgical correction of the obstruction. At the time of surgery, fluid from the epididymal tubule above the site of obstruction was aspirated and examined for sperm profile. Epididymal tissue, collected at the site of obstruction, was processed for assessment of histological changes and also used to identify the site of obstruction. Prolonged obstruction of the epididymis has caused degeneration of the epididymal epithelium, gradual decrease in the diameter of the tubule and tubular lumen and increase in the intertubular connective tissue. Sperm aspirated from the caput epididymal fluid showed sluggish pattern of motility only in one out of the six subjects, whereas spermatozoa collected from the cauda epididymal fluid showed rapid linear progressive motility in one of three subjects. A major percentage of spermatozoa in the aspirated fluid showed various types of morphological abnormalities, irrespective of the site of obstruction. These results are discussed in relation to the role of the epididymis in investing spermatozoa with motility and fertilizing capacity. [source]

Effects of FSH receptor deletion on epididymal tubules and sperm morphology, numbers, and motility

MOLECULAR REPRODUCTION & DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2005
Amit Grover
Abstract Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) interacts with its cognate receptor (R) on Sertoli cells within the testis and plays an important role in the maintenance of spermatogenesis. Male FSH-R knockout (FORKO) mice show fewer Sertoli cells and many that are structurally abnormal and as a consequence fewer germ cells. Lower levels of serum testosterone (T) and androgen binding protein (ABP) also occur, along with reduced fertility. To assess the effects of FSH-R depletion as an outcome of testicular abnormalities, sperm from the cauda epididymidis were counted and examined ultrastructurally. As reduced fertility may also reflect changes to the epididymis, the secondary responses of the epididymis to lower T and ABP levels were also examined by comparing differences in sizes of epididymal tubules in various regions of FORKO and wild type (WT) mice. Sperm motility was evaluated in FORKO mice and compared to that of WT mice by computer assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Quantitatively, the data revealed that epithelial areas of the caput and corpus epididymidis were significantly smaller in FORKO mice compared to WT mice. Cauda epididymal sperm counts in FORKO mice were also much lower than in WT mice. This resulted in changes to 9 out of 14 sperm motility parameters, related mostly to velocity measures, which were significantly lower in the FORKO mice. The greatest change was observed relative to the percent static sperm, which was elevated by 20% in FORKO mice compared to controls. EM analyses revealed major changes to the structure of the heads and tails of cauda luminal sperm in FORKO mice. Taken together these data suggest a key role for the FSH receptor in maintaining Sertoli cells to sustain normal sperm numbers and proper shapes of their heads and tails. In addition, the shrinkage in epididymal epithelial areas observed in FORKO mice likely reflect direct and/or indirect changes in the functions of these cells and their role in promoting sperm motility, which is noticeably altered in FORKO mice. Mol. Reprod. Dev. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]