Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0029713 (immaturity)
 4,335 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Prostaglandins E and F were measured in the testis, epididymis, vas deferens, and seminal vesicles of CD-1 mice from 2 to 8 weeks of age. The concentration of PGF was higher than that of PGE in all organs studied, except for the vas deferens. The concentration of prostaglandins (PGs) was age-dependent, showing a progressive decline from immaturity to adulthood. However, in the testis, there was an apparent transient increase in the concentration of PGs in the seminal vesicle changed very little between the ages of 5 and 8 weeks. The vas deferens had a significantly higher PG concentration than any of the organs studied, and a unique pattern of changes in the levels of PGE and PGF with age. In the vas deferens of two- and three-week-old mice, the concentration of PGF was higher than the concentration of PGE, but after 4 weeks of age PGE became somewhat more abundant than PGF. Treatment of immature mice with testosterone propionate (TP) produced significant changes in PG concentrations, resulting in PG levels resembling those of adult animals. The treatment also changed the ratio of PGE to PGF in the vas deferens (from 1:2 to 1:1). Hereditary dwarf mice had higher levels of PGs in the tissues of the male reproductive system than did their normal littermates. The treatment of dwarf mice with TP generally reduced the concentration of PGs in their reproductive system and resulted in a PG pattern more characteristic of normal adult males of the same strain. The data demonstrate pronounced changes in PG levels in the tissues of the male reporductive system of mice during sexual maturation. From the present study and from previous findings, it can be concluded that these changes can be accounted for by an increase in testicular testosterone secretion.
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PMID:Effect of sexual maturation and androgens on prostaglandin levels in tissues of the male reproductive system in mice. 127 16

Ninety minutes after i.p. injection of 3 mumol of cadmium chloride/100 g body weight into immature, 15 day-old rats, the endothelial intercellular junctions of the caput epididymis capillaries showed none of the lesions such as loss of junctional associated ectoplasmic microfilaments, separation of interdigitated leaflets, disassembling of interendothelial tight junctions, passage of blood plasma and cells into the pericapillary space, platelet clumping and disintegration, and intracapillary clotting, which after the same dose are found in sexually mature rat epididymides. The resistance of the immature, physiologically intraabdominal epididymal capillary endothelium reminds one of the protection against cadmium that is brought about by surgical cryptorchidism in adult mature rats. We suggest that either local enzyme immaturity or the abdominal temperature (5 degrees C than scrotal temperature) may protect zinc enzymes against displacement by cadmium.
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PMID:Refractoriness of the immature rat epididymis to the early cadmium lesion. 763 33

Spermatozoa mature during epididymal transit, acquiring the abilities to swim progressively, fertilize oocytes, and produce viable offspring. In this study, we investigate the capacity of spermatozoa retrieved from the midcorpus and distal cauda regions of the epididymis of the cynomolgus monkey to penetrate homologous zona pellucida. Successful in vitro fertilization by ejaculated macaque sperm is dependent upon the addition of caffeine and dbcAMP. Therefore, the effect of these cyclic nucleotide mediators was also examined in this study. Results of sperm motion analysis indicate no difference in baseline values (without stimulators) for any motion parameter. With the addition of caffeine and dbcAMP, curvilinear velocity significantly increased only for the distal cauda sperm (P = 0.05). Amplitude of the lateral head displacement was significantly increased for distal cauda sperm (P < 0.01); although elevated above baseline, the increase observed after activation by corpus sperm was significantly lower than that achieved by cauda sperm (P < 0.05). The addition of caffeine and dbcAMP was an absolute requirement for zona penetration by both midcorpus and distal cauda sperm. With activation, zona penetration was significantly decreased for corpus sperm compared to cauda sperm (P < 0.001). These results suggest that cynomolgus monkey sperm reaching the midcorpus region of the epididymis have not completed all of the maturational changes requisite for successful fertilization; this immaturity is evidenced by decreased sperm motion and by impedance at the level of zona penetration.
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PMID:Effects of caffeine and dbcAMP on zona pellucida penetration by epididymal spermatozoa of cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). 905 45

We investigated the histopathological effects of excess L-cysteine on the male rat reproductive tract during sexual maturation. Male 6-week-old Sprague-Dawley rats were injected intraperitoneally daily with L-cysteine, 1,000 mg/kg body weight, for 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks. L-Cysteine-treated rats developed sperm granulomas in the epididymides at an incidence of 0% (0/6), 50% (3/6), 83% (5/6), and 100% (6/6) in rats examined at study weeks 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. These sperm granulomas were unilateral or bilateral, and most frequently involved the proximal cauda region of the epididymides. Interestingly, small ducts, indicative of immaturity, were seen frequently in L-cysteine-treated rats. These findings suggest that the maturation of epididymides in L-cysteine-treated rats might be delayed. Additionally, dilated ducts and interstitial edema, suggestive of an increase in intraluminal pressure, were seen often in the epididymides of L-cysteine-treated rats. Labeling spermatozoa and epithelial cells with monobromobimane indicated no influence of the thiol-disulfide status of L-cysteine to the epididymides. The testes and prostate glands also showed no effects, suggesting that inhibited epididymis maturation was not a result of hormonal deficiencies. We speculate that defective development of the ducts might result in aberrant fluid flow, leading to ductal rupture in the epididymides. In that case, sperm granulomas might form around leaked spermatozoa.
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PMID:Development of sperm granulomas in the epididymides of L-cysteine-treated rats. 1274 15

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a family of 13 small hydrophobic trans-membrane proteins expressed in numerous tissues and cells. Some AQPs work as strict water channels, others are permeable to a range of substances, including glycerol. In the male reproductive system their localization in testis, efferent ducts, epididymis, and spermatozoa has been described. We studied the distribution of AQP7 in ejaculated human sperm and the relationship between AQP7 labeling and sperm characteristics. Semen samples from 33 men were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). TEM data were quantified using a mathematical formula that calculates a fertility index (FI) and the percentages of sperm apoptosis, immaturity, and necrosis. Immunocytochemistry with a polyclonal antibody anti-AQP7 was performed on the sperm samples. Normal sperm were labeled in the pericentriolar area, midpiece, equatorial segment, and weakly in the tail (grade 1). Abnormal sperm showed a diffuse low intensity of fluorescence evident in the cytoplasmic residues, coiled tails, in the entire head, and acrosome (grade 2). A high number of motile sperm obtained by swim up were labeled in a dotted manner in the mitochondria. A significant positive correlation was found between the spermatozoa with AQP7 grade 1 labeling and the percentage of normal form (P<0.008), progressive motility and FI (P<0.005); a negative correlation was noted with the percentages of cytoplasmic residues (P<0.010) and immaturity (P<0.006) and coiled tails (P<0.012). The link between AQP7 distribution and sperm morphology and the particular dotted labeling in swim up selected motile sperm are novel and deserve additional studies.
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PMID:Immunolocalization of aquaporin 7 in human sperm and its relationship with semen parameters. 2220 55

Spermatozoa become more susceptible to the attack of reactive oxygen species during maturation. To avoid oxidative damage, the epididymis must provide the necessary antioxidant protection. The aim of this study was to compare the canine sperm profile and the enzymatic antioxidant status of the ejaculated fractions and samples collected from the different segments of the epididymis (caput, corpus and cauda). Five adult dogs were used, and after 1-3 weeks, subsequently to bilateral orchiectomy and epididymal storage, sperm samples were collected from the different segments of the epididymis. Samples were evaluated for conventional microscopy and computer-assisted motility analysis: sperm plasma membrane permeability and the activity of the antioxidant enzymes catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Samples collected from the caput and corpus showed lower values for most of the motility variables evaluated, indicating different levels of immaturity. Catalase activity was observed only in ejaculated samples. Conversely, GPx activity was higher in the cauda epididymidis. Correlations were found between SOD and GPx and SOD and sperm motility in the epididymal cauda and corpus, highlighting the importance of the enzymes for the protection of spermatozoa during the transit along the epididymis.
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PMID:Sperm maturation in dogs: sperm profile and enzymatic antioxidant status in ejaculated and epididymal spermatozoa. 2396 63

Wistar Hannover rats have been utilized as one of major strains in regulatory toxicology studies. This study was performed to verify the appropriate age of male sexual maturity in the development and reproductive toxicity (DART) study in Wistar Hannover rats (RccHan:WIST) by comparing reproductive endpoints between 8, 10 and 12 weeks of ages. Although fertility showed a tendency toward decrease in 8-week-old males, copulation index was not different among three ages. Testis weights reached a plateau at 10 weeks of age, whereas weights of other reproductive organs developed until 12 weeks of age. Indices of spermatogenesis (sperm motility, number of sperm in the epididymis and testis and contents of morphologically abnormal sperm) showed age-related progress and did not fully develop except for 12-week-old. For histology, epididymal tubules in 8-week-old animals showed immaturity with tall epithelium. At cesarean section, dams mated with 8-week-old males showed high incidence of preimplantation loss and the number of live fetuses was less than 10. In conclusion, although reproductive performance attained maturity by age of 10 weeks, spermatogenesis was not fully established at 10-week-old, which could result in a low fertility index. Therefore, we recommend that Wistar Hannover male rats at 12-week-old or older are used to conduct DART study properly and evaluate any adverse effects on dams and embryo-fetal development.
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PMID:Effects of male sexual maturity of reproductive endpoints relevant to DART studies in Wistar Hannover rats. 2464 8