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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Male mice were inoculated with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) to produce an acute generalized infection. Infections virus was recovered from both epididymal sperm and seminal vesicles as well as from uterine sperm collected from mated females, suggesting that MCMV might be transmitted sexually. Because the presence of virus in the ejaculate might affect the fertilization process, the effect of MCMV on the fertilization of mouse gametes and on subsequent embryonic development was studied in vitro. Although the fertilization rate was reduced when sperm were preincubated with infectious virus, this was also the case when heat-inactivated virus was used, leading to the conclusion that this effect was not due to a direct infectious interaction between virus and gametes. Subsequent embryonic development was normal, and there was no evidence of productive infection of the preimplantation embryo.
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PMID:Murine cytomegalovirus and fertility: potential sexual transmission and the effect of this virus on fertilization in vitro. 21 48

An inhibitory effect of fatty acid oxidation on glucose uptake and oxidation has been demonstrated in heart and skeletal muscle under certain experimental conditions. This reciprocal relationship has been termed the glucose-fatty acid cycle. The purpose of the present study was to determine under in vivo conditions whether this interaction was operational in various nonmuscle tissues, and whether infection altered the activity of this cycle. Oral administration of alpha-methylpalmoxirate (MPA; 75 mg/kg), a known inhibitor of long-chain fatty acid oxidation, suppressed hepatic glucose production by 54% and increased whole body glucose disappearance by 15% in nonseptic rats. In contrast, MPA produced a larger reduction of glucose output in septic rats, but did not enhance glucose disposal. In vivo glucose uptake (Rg) by individual tissues was determined using the tracer 2-deoxyglucose technique. In nonseptic animals, MPA increased Rg in "working" muscles (heart and diaphragm; 12-fold and two-fold respectively), but not in "resting" skeletal muscles. MPA increased the Rg of heart and diaphragm to the same level in septic animals. Inhibition of fatty acid oxidation in nonseptic rats also enhanced Rg in liver (174%), spleen (158%), lung (153%), ileum (52%), skin (28%), kidney (115%), and epididymal fat (135%). In septic rats, MPA only increased Rg in the ileum (23%) and kidney (50%). This increased glucose uptake was independent of increases in plasma glucose and insulin concentrations. The infusion of heparin and intralipid, which increased circulating levels of fatty acids, failed to produce consistent changes in either the whole body glucose turnover or glucose uptake by individual tissues. We conclude that under basal in vivo conditions the inhibition of fatty acid oxidation suppresses glucose production and increases peripheral glucose disposal in nonseptic animals. These data support the presence of the glucose-fatty acid cycle in nonmuscle tissues and emphasizes its importance in whole body glucose homeostasis in situations where fatty acid oxidation is impaired. Infection increases glucose uptake by nonmuscle tissues which, for the most part, cannot be further enhanced by the inhibition of lipid oxidation.
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PMID:Regulation of glucose metabolism by free fatty acid availability in septic and nonseptic rats. 142 26

Studies on the human epididymis suggest that both histologically and biochemically, it can be subdivided into discrete segments with different functions. Current research attempts to isolate segment-specific secretory markers which can be used in localizing dysfunction and pathology in cases of male infertility. In cases of azoospermia, the segmental level of an occluding lesion also has prognostic relevance for the results of epididymovasostomy. Infection with Chlamydia trachomatis is the most frequent cause of acute epididymitis but an epididymal involvement is also a common feature of chronic prostato-vesiculitis, the etiology of which is unknown. This article provides a short review of the structure and function of the epididymis, the pathological changes in the organ associated with male infertility and the potential methods of treatment.
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PMID:[Epididymis. Anatomy, function and pathology]. 223 68

Infection with Hymenolepis microstoma significantly affected the lipid metabolism of young male Balb/C mice. Infection increased the rates of hepatic fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis and cholesterol synthesis by the gut. Decreases were recorded in testicular fatty acid synthesis and in the weights of testes and white epididymal adipose tissue. Plasma glucose decreased rapidly during infection. The observed changes in lipogenesis could not be attributed to changes in food intake or body temperature. The changes are discussed in relation to nutritional interactions between host and parasite and the possible effects on host hormone levels. The presence of newly synthesized fatty acid in H. microstoma is also reported.
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PMID:Fatty acid and cholesterol synthesis in mice infected with the tapeworm Hymenolepis microstoma. 367 Sep 1

Infection with Brucella ovis was established by conjunctival instillation in 8 male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Infection was transient in young bucks, but persisted in bucks that were mature when inoculated. The deer were euthanatized and necropsied at various intervals after inoculation. Brucella ovis was recovered from a mature buck at necropsy on postinoculation day 429. Four deer had gross lesions and histopathologic changes of the epididymides. A mature noninfected buck confined for 7 months with an infected buck acquired infection and developed epididymal lesions.
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PMID:Susceptibility of male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) to Brucella ovis infection. 403 5

The epididymal, testicular, and prostatic tissue penetration of sparfloxacin, a new quinolone, was assessed in a rat model of acute epididymitis. Seventy-two hours after injection of 0.1 ml (10(6) cfu/ml) of an Escherichia coli suspension into the right epididymis via the right ductus deferens, a single oral dose of sparfloxacin 50 mg/kg body weight was administered. One, 2, 4, 8, 12, and 24 h after administration the animals were sacrificed and the sparfloxacin concentrations and "areas under the curve" (AUC0-24) in both epididymides, both testes, the prostate gland and in the serum were measured by bioassay. The highest mean AUC0-24 was found in the prostate gland, followed by left epididymis, right epididymis, serum, right testis, and left testis (190, 79, 60, 28, 12, and 9 mg/kg x h, respectively). Though there was no statistically significant difference in the sparfloxacin concentration of both epididymides (p = 0.09), the mean AUC0-24 was significantly higher in the non-infected left epididymis (p < 0.0001). The AUC0-24 and sparfloxacin concentrations of the right infected epididymis were significantly higher than those observed in the serum (p < 0.0001). In both testes, the AUC0-24 and sparfloxacin concentrations were lower than in the serum (p < 0.0001), however, the concentration exceeded the MIC tenfold for approximately 20 h. It is concluded that the pharmacokinetic properties of sparfloxacin (good in vitro activity, high penetration into the prostate gland, testes, infected and non-infected epididymides) make this drug a recommendable choice for the initial treatment of acute epididymitis caused by E. coli.
Infection
PMID:Tissue penetration of sparfloxacin in a rat model of experimental Escherichia coli epididymitis. 918 88

Less than 1% of all vasectomies give rise to epididymitis, or swelling and tenderness near the testes. The condition is usually caused by engorgement of the epididymal tubules with sperm rather than bacteria. Epididymitis is managed by application of heat and wearing of support. Epididymo-orchitis, a painful enlarged testicle often associated with acute epididymitis is managed by antibiotics and bedrest. Infection following vasectomy is infrequent and may occur at any of the following sites: incision, vas, epididymis and testes. Sperm granulomas (inflammatory response to the leakage of sperm from the vas or epididymis into surrounding tissues) occur in 0.1 to 3% of vasectomy cases and are usually so small and harmless that they may go unnoticed except in cases of later surgery. Their true incidence may thus be as high as 20%. Fulguration reduces the incidence of sperm granulomas but should be used with caution. Vasectomy failures are caused by 1) spontaneous recanalization; 2) division of the wrong suture; 3) inadequate occlusion of the vas; 4) duplication of vas; and 5) unprotected intercourse.
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PMID:Side effects of vasectomy. 1231 Mar 35

Inflammation is a primordial host response to invasion by pathogens or tissue injury. During infection, microbes can activate immune cells through pattern-recognition receptors, such as Toll-like receptors, an evolutionarily conserved family of receptors that mediate innate immunity in a wide range of organisms. Infection also triggers an increase in glucocorticoid levels as part of the stress response. The scenario indicates that these signals have to be well integrated to mount an effective host response to infection and injury. The mechanisms by which innate and adaptive immunity are regulated, as well as the intersection of these responses with glucocorticoids and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) in the epididymis, an organ essential for the transport, maturation, storage, and protection of the spermatozoa, are not well understood. In this review we bring together recent data demonstrating the cellular and biochemical machinery involved in the response of the adult rat epididymis to a bacterial product challenge. We also illustrate the basic aspects of the expression, localization, function, and regulation of the GR by steroid hormones (androgens and glucocorticoids) within the epididymis. We conclude with considerations of controversial or still unanswered topics about GR, now emerging as a regulatory step in epididymal biology, its functional relationship with androgens and androgen receptor, and the innate immune response of the epididymis. How these topics may be of interest as part of future research in the area, and how they ultimately can help us to better understand the epididymal function under noninflammatory and inflammatory conditions, are also discussed.
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PMID:Innate immunity and glucocorticoids: potential regulatory mechanisms in epididymal biology. 2176 96

Infections of the male reproductive tract lead to infertility, and the molecular mechanisms that operate under these conditions are not well studied. Using epididymal and testicular tissues cultured in vitro, we demonstrate that lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induces the mRNA expression of beta-defensins, Spag11s, and pro-inflammatory cytokines in the rat caput, cauda, and testes. LPS-induced antimicrobial gene expression involved NF-kB activation and decreased levels of histone deacetylase 1 (HDAC1) and DNA methyltransferase (DNMT), all of which possibly allow antimicrobial gene transcription. Inhibition of endogenous HDAC1 and DNMT1 resulted in higher antimicrobial gene expression when compared to the LPS alone treated conditions. Increased trimethylation of histone 3, its binding to the upstream region of Spag11e gene, and demethylation of this region were observed during endotoxin challenge. We demonstrate that antimicrobial gene expression in the male reproductive tract tissues during endotoxin challenge involves NF-kB activation and epigenetic changes.
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PMID:Lipopolysaccharide induces epididymal and testicular antimicrobial gene expression in vitro: insights into the epigenetic regulation of sperm-associated antigen 11e gene. 2327 18

Infection and inflammation of the genital tract are thought to be a primary aetiological factor of male infertility. Chronic epididymitis appears to be more important than prostatitis or seminal vesiculitis due to the direct interaction between sperm cells and epididymal epithelium. Dendritic cells (DCs) are a heterogeneous population of antigen-presenting cells that play a crucial role in the regulation of the immune response and immunological tolerance. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression and characteristic of different DC subsets in chronic inflammation of human epididymis and controls. Our study demonstrated that normal human epididymis contained only immature CD1a(+) DCs, CD11c(+) myeloid DCs (mDCs) and CD209(+) DCs whereas CD123(+) plasmacytoid DCs and CD83(+) mature DCs were virtually absent. The number of both CD11c(+) IL-23(+) mDCs and CD123(+) pDCs were significantly elevated in inflamed epididymis; meanwhile the mDC populations of CD1a(+), CD209(+) immature DCs and CD83(+) mature DCs also increased in inflamed group. Moreover, Th17 (CD4(+) IL-17(+)) cells were predominantly distributed under chronic inflammation of human epididymis. Taken together these results suggest that epididymal DCs might play a pivotal role in the development of chronic epididymitis and induce an increased recruitment of Th17 cells under inflammatory conditions.
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PMID:Characterisation of dendritic cell subsets in chronically inflamed human epididymis. 2625 53


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