Search results for "Epididymis"
showing 10 items of 22 documents
Development of mouse testis and epididymis following intrauterine exposure to a static magnetic field
1999
In order to test if the in utero exposure to static magnetic fields affects testis and epididymis development in mice, females were exposed to 0.5–0.7 T, generated by a permanent magnet, from day 7 of gestation to the day of birth. No significant differences were found between exposed and sham-exposed animals with respect to body weight gain of dam during the gestational period, litter size, body weight of male pups at the day of birth, and body or testis-epididymis weight gain of pups from birth to day 35. Histopathologic evaluation of testis and epididymis of pups of 1, 5, 15, and 35 days of age showed no detectable alterations due to in utero exposure to static magnetic fields. Bioelectr…
Comparison of three different staining methods for the assessment of epididymal red deer sperm morphometry by computerized analysis with ISAS®
2005
When collection of ejaculated sperm samples is not possible, as is the case with wild species, the epididymides of sacrificed wild males become the only possible source of spermatozoa. Mature cauda epididymal spermatozoa display characteristics similar to those of ejaculated sperm cells. The present work proposes a sperm staining technique suitable for the morphometric evaluation of red deer epididymal sperm using a new computerized system. Epididymides from wild animals were extracted no later than 2 h post mortem. After epididymal sectioning, sperm samples were collected, cooled to and equilibrated at 5 °C, and frozen in liquid nitrogen. Before staining, sperm samples were thawed for 20 s…
Distribution of origin of nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the rat epididymis.
1996
Abstract Distribution of neuronal nitric oxide synthase-immunoreactive (nNOS-IR) nerve fibers and somata in the rat epididymis and major pelvic ganglia was studied by immunohistochemical methods. In the epididymis, the supply of nNOS-IR fibers was highest in the cauda and became progressively fewer toward the caput. In the cauda and corpus, nNOS-IR fibers were distributed throughout the subepithelial tissues and around the epithelium. The pattern of distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)- and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-immunoreactive fibers in the epididymis was similar but the latter was generally more numerous in a given region as compared to that of nNOS-IR fibers. A popu…
Quantitative changes in sperm head morphology during passage through the male excurrent duct system of the rabbit.
1998
A fine adjustment of sperm head size and shape occurs during maturation and storage within the male excurrent duct of the rabbit. This remodelling, as judged by morphometric values of area, perimeter, length, width, and shape factors, takes place mostly in passage from the seminiferous tubules of the testis to the distal caput of the epididymis. The dimensions of sperm heads from the distal corpus of the epididymis break the general tendency toward a reduction in size and more elliptical shapes. A period of transport and storage within the epididymal cauda and vas deferens follows in which there are no further changes in sperm head morphometry. It can be concluded that the period immediatel…
Dietary antioxidant supplementation did not affect declining sperm function with age in the mouse but did increase head abnormalities and reduced spe…
1998
The present study aims to ascertain whether dietary administration of a mixture of vitamins C and E may prevent the negative effects of paternal age on male fertility variables in the mouse. Experimental males were fed a standard diet supplemented with either a low or high dose of vitamins C and E. Oocytes enclosed in cumulus masses were inseminated using a 2 x 2 factorial design established according to whether males were young (3-4 months of age) or aged (22-24 months of age) and whether they were fed a control or antioxidant diet. Aged males showed a significant decrease in number of spermatozoa/mg epididymis when compared to young males. Dietary supplementation with low doses of vitamin…
Inhibin-α, CD99, HEA125, PLAP, and chromogranin immunoreactivity in testicular neoplasms and the androgen insensitivity syndrome
2000
We investigated 115 testicular and 3 epididymal tumors and 6 cases of the complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (AIS) for the expression of inhibin-alpha, CD99, HEA125, PLAP, and chromogranin, using monoclonal antibodies and standard immunhistochemical techniques. Ihibin-alpha was detected in the neoplastic cells in 27 of 27 primary Leydig cell tumors (LCTs), 1 of 1 metastatic LCT, 6 of 20 Sertoli cell tumors (SCTs), 4 of 5 juvenile granulosa cell tumors (GCTs), and 2 of 5 unclassified sex cord-stromal tumors (USCSTs). Except for 2 choriocarcinomas, the choriocarcinomatous component of 1 mixed germ cell tumor, and a small focus of inhibin-positive syncytiotrophoblast in 1 embryonal carci…
A comparison of the effects of bilateral efferent duct ligation and of partial epididymectomy on the testes of rats.
1990
Testis weight as a percentage of body weight did not change following bilateral ligation of the efferent ducts (EDL) close to the epididymis, whereas following removal of part of the epididymis between the site of ligation and a point close to the junction between the caput and corpus (PCE), testis weight first rose linearly until Day 4 and then showed an exponential decrease between Days 4 and 28. After EDL, the perimeter of the seminiferous tubules rose for the first 7 days and then remained elevated, whereas after PCE, there was a linear decrease between Days 4 and 28. Following EDL, the percentage of altered and degenerated tubular cross-sections rose to about 30% and 10%, respectively,…
Effect of inhibiting carnitine biosynthesis on male rat sexual performance.
2008
l-carnitine has a documented role as a cofactor in cellular energy metabolism and fatty acid beta-oxidation pathways and it has also been considered to function in reproductive biology. We investigated whether decreasing concentrations of L-carnitine using an inhibitor of its biosynthesis, mildronate (3-(2,2,2-trimethylhydrazinium)-propionate), would influence the sexual behavior or sperm quality in male rats. Mildronate treatment induced a significant decrease in carnitine concentration and an increase in gamma-butyrobetaine (GBB) concentration in both plasma and testes extracts. However, the expression of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I in testes and testosterone concentration in plasma …
Puma (Puma concolor) epididymal sperm morphometry
2016
The Andean puma (Puma concolor) has not been widely studied, particularly in reference to its semen characteristics. The aim of the present study was to define the morphometry of puma sperm heads and classify their subpopulations by cluster analysis. Samples were recovered postmortem from two epididymides from one animal and prepared for morphological observation after staining with the Hemacolor kit. Morphometric data were obtained from 581 spermatozoa using a CASA-Morph system, rendering 13 morphometric parameters. The principal component (PC) analysis was performed followed by cluster analysis for the establishment of subpopulations. Two PC components were obtained, the first related to …
Changes in the motility patterns of spermatozoa from the rabbit epididymis as assessed by computer-aided sperm motion analysis
1996
Sperm maturation in the epididymis includes changes in their potential for motility that enables spermatozoa to reach the egg and penetrate its investments. The motility characteristics of spermatozoa from the testis, the epididymis, and vas deferens of the rabbit were investigated by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Various forms of motility were displayed by sperm from different regions of the epididymis released into incubation medium. Testicular sperm were motile, although nonprogressive. The maximum percentage motility was expressed by sperm in the proximal cauda epididymidis, and forward progression was developed by spermatozoa from the distal caput. Once forward progression w…