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Query: UMLS:C0432222 (SEM)
 47,337 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Both scanning (SEM) and transmission (TEM) electron microscopic studies of the major ductules and ducts of the perfused epididymal region of the drake were reported. The SEM correlated with TEM studies and confirmed some previous observations that the non-ciliated Types I and II cells in the proximal and distal efferent ductules, respectively, possessed apical microvilli as distinct from the cilia of the ciliated cells. The relative number of each cell type in each duct was also revealed. All microvilli and cilia were regular in shape. The connecting and epididymal ducts showed 'craters' scattered over their entire epithelial surfaces. Also, a single cilium projected from most of the cells of the epithelial lining into the lumen of these ducts. The name, 'uniciliated cell' has been suggested to describe this cell which has, until now, been referred to as the non-ciliated Type III cell (Aire, 1980; Aire et al. 1979). Neither bulbous microvilli nor blebbing of the apical plasmalemma of the cells occurred in properly fixed tissues.
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PMID:Surface morphology of the ducts of the epididymal region of the drake (Anas platyrhynchos) as revealed by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. 715 70

The luminal topography and cell surface fine structure of the chicken and turkey excurrent duct system, which consists of the epididymal region, ductus deferens, and papillae were examined. All specimens were fixed in glutaraldehyde, cryofractured or bisected with a razor, and prepared for SEM, TEM, or LM. The mucosa of the more proximal ducts in the epididymal region was highly folded and had an epithelial lining of ciliated and onociliated Type 1 cells. The other epididymal ducts and ductus deferens had low mucosal folds lined exclusively by nonciliated Type 2 cells. The only major structural differences between the excurrent duct system of the chicken and tufkey were limited to the receptaculum, a sac-like dilation of the distal ductus deferens, and the gross external structure of the papillae. Variation in the surface fine structure of the Type 1 and Type 2 cells suggests that they have secretory and nonsecretory phases.
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PMID:Luminal topography of the male chicken and turkey excurrent duct system. 741 86

Ornidazole (400 mg kg-1 day-1) given by oral gavage rendered male rats infertile by 6.6 +/- 0.7 days (mean +/- SEM, n = 9, range 3-10) after beginning the treatment and fertility returned within 5-10 days after treatment with ornidazole for 6-7 days. At 200 mg ornidazole kg-1 day-1, fertility was reduced but total infertility was not achieved. No differences were found in the percentage motility of spermatozoa recovered from any region of the epididymides of ornidazole-treated rats compared with controls. However, computer aided sperm analysis revealed significantly lower straight-line and average path velocities in ornidazole-treated animals (400 mg kg-1 day-1) for spermatozoa from the distal regions of the tract than for controls. Curvilinear velocity was significantly lower than that of controls in the distal corpus and cauda regions. The motility characteristics of spermatozoa from animals receiving 200 mg ornidazole kg-1 day-1 were lower than, but not significantly different from, motility in controls. There were no differences between the total protein, L-carnitine, glycerophosphocholine or total alpha-glucosidase content in epididymal homogenates from fertile control and infertile ornidazole-treated animals. Spermatozoa released from the cauda epididymidis of untreated rats into ornidazole solutions displayed no changes in the percentage motility up to 20 mmol l-1 and were only depressed at 50 mmol l-1. All velocities revealed a biphasic response with an initial increase in motility and then inhibition at higher concentrations, but a significant difference from velocities in the absence of orindazole was evident only for straight line velocity (VSL) at 50 mmol l-1.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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PMID:Induction of reversible infertility in male rats by oral ornidazole and its effects on sperm motility and epididymal secretions. 802 76

It has been established in laboratory mammals that sperm motility and fertilizing capacity develop during epididymal transit, but sperm maturation along the human epididymis is less well characterized. Spermatozoa were prepared from 5 regions of 8 epididymides from 8 prostatic carcinoma patients undergoing castration and from 8 epididymal spermatocoeles located adjacent to the head of the epididymides and the testes of 5 patients. Sperm movement was characterized by computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA), and percentage motility was estimated by conventional methods. The efferent ducts and spermatocoeles contained the same percentage of motile spermatozoa with similar kinematics. Percentage motility increased from 22.9 +/- 4.8 (mean +/- SEM) in the efferent ducts to a maximum of 68.3 +/- 7.9 in either the mid- or distal corpus epididymidis and declined in the cauda region. Straight line velocity increased from 20.3 +/- 3.7 microns/sec to reach a plateau value of 44.0 +/- 5.3 microns/sec in the mid-corpus epididymidis; this was more marked than the increase in curvilinear velocity, although the trend was the same. Similar trends in linearity and straightness of the swim paths were not accompanied by any significant changes in the amplitude of lateral head displacement. This objective quantification of sperm movement documents the maturation of sperm motility in the human epididymis, confirming that this maturation pattern is similar to that in other mammals.
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PMID:Changes in movement characteristics of human spermatozoa along the length of the epididymis. 837 50

We have examined the epididymal (caput, corpus and cauda) and ejaculated spermatozoa of bufallo-bull (Bubalus bubalis) employing microscopic and spectroscopic techniques. Fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated lectins namely concanavalin A (Con A), Dolichos biflorus (DBA), Maclura pomifera (MPA), peanut agglutinin (PNA), soybean agglutinin (SBA) and wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) were used to study the changes in the sperm surface carbohydrate make up as the spermatozoa mature. Quantitative analysis of the lectin binding was made flow cytometrically. 31P-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectra of the sperms obtained from different regions (head, body and tail) of the epididymis and of the ejaculate were analyzed to assess their metabolic activity. And the kinetics of spin label reduction of these samples was monitored with ESR (electron spin resonance) spectroscopy. These observations are supplemented with the electron microscopic (SEM and TEM) examination of the epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa.
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PMID:Spectroscopic and microscopic studies of buffalo-bull (Bubalus bubalis) spermatozoa. 838 30

Genital tracts of male Lewis rats were transected at various levels to determine whether this may influence antisperm antibody response. Adult male rats underwent bilateral transection of the vas deferens (group I, n = 9), mid-epididymis (group II, n = 10), and efferent duct (group III, n = 9). Group IV (n = 10) underwent a sham operation. Sera were collected by retro-orbital puncture before the operative procedure and monthly for 3 months postprocedure. Sperm-reactive immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, and IgM were measured individually as well as combined in serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using lithium diiodosalicylate (LIS)-solubilized washed rat caudal epididymal sperm. The maximal immune response was seen in all groups at 2 months postprocedure. Antibody response defined as the net ELISA absorbance reading for the combined immunoglobulin group were (mean +/- SEM): group I = 120 +/- 16, group II = 156 +/- 23, group III = 190 +/- 20, and group IV = 116 +/- 22. The highest antibody response was noted in the efferent duct group, which was statistically (p < .05) greater than the sham-operated and vas deferens groups. In the efferent duct group the highest immunoglobulin response was observed in the IgG class, which was significantly higher (p < .05) than the IgA and IgM classes. The transection of the male genital tract at different levels leads to variation in antisperm antibody response and that sperm located at different sites along the genital tract may differ in their autoantigenic potential.
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PMID:Variation in antisperm antibody response following transection of male genital tract in Lewis rats. 849 73

We examined the effect of reducing ambient and intracellular free Mg ion ([Mg]i) concentrations on insulin action in epididymal adipocytes from male Sprague-Dawley rats in terms of (1) cellular transport of nonmetabolizable 2-deoxyglucose, (2) [U-14C]glucose oxidation to CO2, and (3) D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides. There were no significant differences in basal or insulin-stimulated transport of 2-deoxyglucose between adipocytes cultured in physiologic (1.24 mmol) or low (0.16 mmol) Mg for up to 24 hours. In contrast, insulin-stimulated but not basal [U-14C]glucose oxidation to CO2 was significantly reduced in adipocytes cultured in low versus physiologic Mg (P < .05 to .01). Similarly, there were no differences in basal glucose incorporation into triglycerides between cells cultured in low or physiologic Mg media for up to 24 hours. However, long-term (24-hour) but not short-term (2-hour) exposure of cells to low Mg was associated with a significant 30% reduction in insulin-stimulated D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides. When adipocytes incubated in low Mg were reincubated in high Mg (1.24 or 5 mmol) for 30 minutes, normal insulin-stimulated D-[3H]glucose incorporation into triglycerides was restored. Incubation of adipocytes in low Mg (0.16 mmol) for 24 hours resulted in a significant decrease in [Mg]i (264 +/- 89 v 437 +/- 125 micromol/cell [mean +/- SEM]) as compared with cells incubated in physiologic Mg (1.24 mmol; P < .01). These data support a role for intracellular Mg deficiency in the development of insulin resistance and suggest that the effect occurs at a site(s) distal to glucose entry into the cell. The effect of Mg deficiency on insulin action appears to be reversible.
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PMID:Magnesium deficiency and glucose metabolism in rat adipocytes. 869 18

Male C57B1/6 lacI transgenic mice were used to evaluate germ cell mutagenesis in vivo as part of a collaborative study. Groups of 10 mice were administered single intraperitoneal doses of ethylnitrosourea (ENU; 150 mg/kg), isopropyl methanesulfonate (IPMS; 200 mg/kg), methyl methanesulfonate (MMS; 40 mg/kg) or vehicle. Epididymal spermatozoa and testes were recovered 3 days later and DNA isolated subsequently from epididymal spermatozoa and seminiferous tubules were analyzed for lacI mutations. The mutant frequency in seminiferous tubules (average +/- SEM) increased significantly compared with untreated controls (7.2 +/- 0.7 x 10(-5) following treatment with ENU (11.7 +/- 0.8 x 10(-5), p = 0.003) or with IPMS (9.6 +/- 0.5 x 10(-5), p = 0.018) but not following treatment with MMS (8.1 +/- 0.8 x 10(-5), p = 0.213). Group mutant frequencies were not determined for epididymal spermatozoa from MMS- or IPMS-treated mice because of poor DNA recoveries. As another indicator of the genotoxicity of these alkylating agents, the frequencies of micronuclei were determined in the peripheral blood 48 h after carcinogen administration in the same transgenic mice. The micronuclei frequencies were elevated significantly (p < 0.05) by each treatment (IPMS: 1.0%; MMS: 0.94%) compared to vehicle controls (0.3%). In a separate experiment, 40 mg/kg ENU was previously found to increase the frequency of micronuclei in peripheral blood of lacI transgenic mice 48 h after treatment (3.2%; Gibson et al., 1995). These results demonstrate that the lacI transgenic mouse male germ cells are sensitive to some, but not all, mutagens under the conditions used in this experiment. Investigation of other experimental designs would offer additional perspective on the usefulness of this transgenic model for routine mutagenicity testing in germ cells.
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PMID:Evaluation of lacI mutation in germ cells and micronuclei in peripheral blood after treatment of male lacI transgenic mice with ethylnitrosourea, isopropylmethane sulfonate or methylmethane sulfonate. 905 80

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the chronic consumption of two starches, characterized by different glycemic indices and amylose-amylopectin content, on glucose metabolism in rat epididymal adipocytes. The two chosen starches were from mung bean (32% amylose) and cornstarch (0.5% amylose). The alpha-amylase digestibility was higher for the waxy cornstarch than that of the mung bean starch (60 +/- 4 vs. 45 +/- 3%, mean +/- SEM, respectively). The glycemic index of the waxy cornstarch diet (575 g starch /kg diet) was higher than that of the mung bean starch diet (107 +/- 7 vs. 67 +/- 5%, P < 0.01) when measured in vivo in two groups of normal rats (n = 9). In a subsequent study, normal and diabetic (streptozotocin-injected on d 2 of life) male Sprague-Dawley rats (18 per group) consumed a diet containing 575 g starch/kg diet as either waxy cornstarch or mung bean starch. After 3 wk, food intake, epididymal fat pad weights, and plasma glucose, insulin and triglyceride concentrations did not differ between diet groups. Adipocyte diameter was smaller in rats that consumed mung bean starch compared with those that consumed the waxy cornstarch diet (P < 0.01). The mung bean diet increased maximal insulin-stimulated 14C-glucose oxidation (% of basal values, P < 0. 05). In contrast, incorporation of 14C-glucose into total lipids was significantly lower in rats that consumed the mung bean diet (P < 0. 05). We conclude that in both normal and diabetic rats, the chronic replacement of a high glycemic index starch by a low glycemic index one in a mixed diet increases insulin-stimulated glucose oxidation, decreases glucose incorporation into total lipids and decreases epididymal adipocyte diameter. Thus, the type of starch mixed into the diet has important metabolic consequences at the cellular level in both normal and diabetic rats.
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PMID:Dietary amylose-amylopectin starch content affects glucose and lipid metabolism in adipocytes of normal and diabetic rats. 943 May 99

Although in several species there is a relationship between epididymal sperm transport and fertility, in human in vitro fertilization (IVF), spermatozoa recovered from the caput epididymidis or even the rete testis are fertile. We studied two objective markers of sperm maturity in the sperm of men and stallions: creatine kinase (CK) concentrations, which are a measure of cytoplasmic retention in immature spermatozoa, and the ratio of CK-M and CK-B isoforms (% CK-M/[CK-M + CK-B]), which is proportional to the incidence of mature sperm. The CK markers and the fertilizing function are closely related: Immature sperm with cytoplasmic retention do not bind to the zona, because during cytoplasmic extrusion, the sperm plasma membrane is also remodeled. We examined whether changes in sperm CK values are still ongoing during epididymal transport, or if cellular maturation is completed prior to the arrival of sperm in the caput epididymidis. The incidences of mature sperm in human caput and corpus epididymidis (studied in six men with obstructive azoospermia of various pathogeneses) were (mean+/-SEM) 55.7+/-2.2 and 49.3+/-7.6%, respectively; and the sperm CK-M ratios in the caput epididymidis of three men were 72, 75, and 70%, values that are similar to those of ejaculated sperm. In four segments of the proximal and distal epididymis of three stallions (the origin of sperm was also verified by the position of the cytoplasmic droplet) and in ejaculate of five stallions, the incidences of mature sperm were 88.2+/-6.2, 89.0+/-6.7, 90.3+/-7.8, 87.6+/-5.9, and 86.7+/-0.8%, and the respective CK-M ratios were 75.0+/-8.7, 84.2+/-2.9, 87.9+/-1.2, 92.5+/-1.5, and 69.3+/-3.5%. There were no differences in the incidences of mature and immature spermatozoa or in CK-M ratios among sperm arising from the various epididymal regions or from the ejaculate in men or stallions. Thus, the cellular maturation events in sperm, as detected by the CK markers, are completed by the time the sperm commences epididymal transport. These findings are in agreement with the IVF fertility of sperm aspirated from the male reproductive tract. The data may also suggest that the primary role of sperm epididymal transport in men is to remodel the plasma membrane to enhance sperm functional integrity in the diverse environments of the male and female reproductive tracts prior to fertilization.
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PMID:Cytoplasmic extrusion and the switch from creatine kinase B to M isoform are completed by the commencement of epididymal transport in human and stallion spermatozoa. 953 87


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