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

It is often stated that unilateral testicular torsion results in damage to the contralateral testis; however, there are a growing number of experimental and clinical papers which suggest this is not so. Conflicting results from experimental studies confuse the issue and may be due, among other things, to some specifics of the experimental model. In the present paper, we have examined bilateral rat testes 30 and 60 days after 720 degrees torsion to determine 1) the effect of unilateral testicular torsion with and without the inclusion of epididymal torsion, 2) the effect of relatively chronic torsion (24 hr., 10 day) versus relatively acute torsion (two hr., four hr.), and 3) the effect of establishing the model using scrotal surgery versus using an abdominal approach. Bilateral testicular histology, testis wt. (gm.), cauda epididymal sperm concentrations (sp./ml.), and cauda sperm motility scores (0-4) were examined. Ipsilateral testicular torsion or testicular plus epididymal torsion of two hr. or four hr. duration significantly reduced (p less than .05) ipsilateral testis weights, sperm concentrations, and motility scores, and disrupted normal tissue histology. Contralateral testicles were not altered. Epididymal ischemia alone produced no significant ipsilateral or contralateral effects. Chronic torsion (one day, 10 days) also destroyed ipsilateral testis function without altering the contralateral testicles. The occult cryptorchidism associated with the scrotal approach to establishing the torsion model had no effect on contralateral testicles. In no group, using either Lewis rats or Sprague-Dawley rats, were contralateral testicles altered by unilateral testicular torsion. These results plus recent clinical reports indicate that contralateral testicular damage due to ipsilateral torsion is hardly a proven phenomenon, let alone a significant factor contributing to male infertility.
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PMID:On unilateral testicular and epididymal torsion: no effect on the contralateral testis. 349 19

At necropy, 20 out of 35 Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) with prolonged infertility at 12-30 weeks of age were found to have spontaneous hyperplasia in both seminiferous and epididymal tubules. This high incidence of hyperplasia in young gerbils is indication of possible congenital lesions and suggests the possibility of using these animals as a useful model for the further study of male infertility.
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PMID:Benign testicular hyperplasia in Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus). 360 54

The measurement of biochemical markers in human seminal plasma is important in the evaluation of male infertility. We recommend the measurement of one representative substance for each organ involved in seminal fluid production as a routine diagnostic tool: The initial fructose level for seminal vesicular function, citrate or acid phosphatase for the prostate gland and free carnitine as an index of epididymal function. A biochemical analysis of seminal fluid enables us to detect disturbances of the male adnexal organs and may lead to more exact therapy.
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PMID:Recommended biochemical parameters for routine semen analysis. 379 10

Important advances have been made recently in our knowledge of hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular functions. Current understanding of the hypothalamic control of pituitary gonadotrophin secretion and the mechanisms of testicular feedback is beginning to yield benefits in the clinical management of certain reproductive disorders. But much remains to be learned about the neuroendocrine control of hypothalamic GnRH secretion--an area which encompasses the mechanisms regulating the onset of puberty. Spermatogenesis is a highly complex process involving subtle interactions between endocrine, paracrine and autocrine regulators acting on different cell populations within and without the testis. Until basic research can advance the very limited knowledge in this area, we cannot expect to improve the currently unsatisfactory management of infertile men. It is not surprising that only limited information can accrue from conventional semen analysis and measurement of systemic hormones. Nor is it unexpected that empirical or seemingly rational treatments for male infertility are of dubious benefit. In future, assessment of the infertile man should be improved by studying sperm functional capacities and testicular synthesis and metabolism of gonadal steroids and by the definition of representative markers of Sertoli cell and epididymal functions. Reversible male contraception is another objective that remains beyond our reach at present. Hormonal disruption of spermatogenesis is often incomplete and invariably suppresses Leydig cell function, so that androgen replacement for sustaining sexual function is mandatory. Alternative approaches to male contraception aimed at the epididymis and sperm-egg interaction seem more promising avenues for future exploration.
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PMID:Male hypogonadism--current concepts and trends. 393 78

More and more cases of male infertility are now being adapted to the use of the microscope. Utilization of microscopic techniques varies with the surgeon's expertise, the facilities in which the surgical procedure will be performed, and the general attitude towards the use of the microscope prevailing among the patients and physicians in the community. Surgery continues to be the treatment of choice in many cases of male fertility. Attention in this discussion is directed to the preservation of testicular tissue, cryptorchidism, vasovasotomy, and vasoepididymostomy. Many surgical procedures exist that can be utilized to preserve a testis capable of fertility. Principles of the surgical treatment of testicular trauma include early exploration, drainage, and excision of damaged or divided tissues, debridement of the tunica vaginalis and closure with absorbable sutures. The microscope has been used in the surgical management of cryptorchidism, yet in patients with dysgenetic testes their future fertility has not yet been determined. Microsurgery as a treatment for the cryptorchid male is still in a stage of evolution. The role of microsurgery in vasovasotomy is becoming more important. Surgical reconstruction of the vas deferens is being performed at an increasing rate in North America due to the large number of males that have previously undergone vasectomy. With the development of microsurgery and the advances in the basic science of epididymal function, vasoepididymostomy has reached a new level of importance.
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PMID:The role of microsurgery in male infertility. 610 12

A 24-year-old man whose chief complaint was male infertility for 3 years was referred to our clinic. Round nodules approximately 2 cm in diameter were observed both in the left epididymis-head and the right para-epididymal head. These tumors were removed and they were confirmed to be papillary cystadenoma histopathologically. Only 6 cases of papillary cystadenoma including our case were collected in Japan. Pathologic lesions of this disease associated with Lindau's disease were also discussed.
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PMID:[A case of papillary cystadenoma of epididymis with chief complaint of male infertility]. 652 60

Ethanol is generally regarded as a reproductive toxin. However, the mechanism(s) of ethanol-induced infertility remain poorly understood. As male fertility depends upon the ability of spermatozoa to fertilize ova, it was the purpose of the present study to examine the effects of chronic ethanol treatment on several parameters related to sperm fertility. Male C57Bl/6J mice of proven fertility were administered liquid diets as follows: 5% (v/v) ethanol for either 1) 5 weeks; 2) 10 weeks; 3) 20 weeks; or 4) 6% (v/v) ethanol for 5 weeks. After each treatment, epididymal spermatozoa were evaluated with respect to quantity, motility, morphology and the ability to fertilize. A biphasic effect on sperm content was noted: 5- and 10-week treatments with 5% ethanol increased content by 80 and 65%, respectively, whereas 20-week treatment with 5% ethanol and 5-week treatment with 6% ethanol decreased content by 52 and 71%, respectively. Although the proportion of motile spermatozoa was unaffected by ethanol, average forward progression velocity was reduced, the effect being dependent on ethanol dose and duration of exposure. Similarly, the frequency of abnormal spermatozoa was increased; 20-week treatment with 5% ethanol and 5-week treatment with 6% ethanol increased the frequency of sperm morphological anomalies by 50 and 40%, respectively. Fertility of spermatozoa was reduced as a function of ethanol dose and duration of exposure. The ability of sperm to fertilize mouse ova in vitro was reduced by 34% (P less than .02) and 62% (P less than .001) subsequent to 20-week treatment with 5% ethanol and 5-week treatment with 6% ethanol, respectively. An animal model has been developed which describes ethanol-induced male infertility. The degree of reproductive impairment varies with the amount of ethanol ingested, and the duration of ethanol exposure. The continuum of effects should make possible the evaluation of putative mechanisms of male sterility resulting from chronic ethanol consumption.
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PMID:Ethanol-induced male infertility: impairment of spermatozoa. 668 42

70 infertile males with epididymal tenderness, pus cells in the semen, and/or history of urinary tract infection were studied by semen culture examination. Significant growth of Streptococcus fecalis, Escherichia coli, coagulase positive Staphylococci, Proteus valgaris, Pseudomonas pyocyanea, and beta hemolytic Strepticocci was found in 42.9% of the cases. Most of the tested strains were sensitive to ampicillin, cotrimoxazole, nitrofurantoin, erythromycin, and chloramphenicol. In a control group of 20 healthy fertile males, only an insignificnat growth of Staphylococcus albus and Streptococcus facalis was found in 65% of the samples. Nonspecific seminal tract infection can be an important cause of male infertility. These infections may affect fertility in several ways: by damaging sperm, hampering their motility, altering the chemical composition of the seminal fluid, or by producing an inflammatory structure in the tract. Seminal infection could also be the cause of the chronicity of urinary tract infection by acting as the reservoir of infection.
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PMID:Non-specific seminal tract infection and male infertility: a bacteriological study. 727 53

The outcome of treatment by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is described for patients with severe male infertility. In 296 consecutive cycles, a normal fertilization rate of 69% was achieved with 288 cycles (97%) resulting in embryos suitable for transfer. A total of 32 clinical pregnancies were achieved from the transfer of fresh embryos (clinical pregnancy rate of 12% per transfer) and an additional 44 clinical pregnancies were obtained after the transfer of frozen-thawed embryos (clinical pregnancy rate of 16% per transfer). Overall, 57 of the 76 pregnancies were ongoing or delivered. An analysis of outcome in 5 male factor subgroups revealed no significant differences in pregnancy and implantation rates between the categories. However, the fertilization rate was significantly lower in patients with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia and significantly higher in those patients for whom epididymal sperm were used for insemination. The treatment of patients with extreme male infertility is also described; normal fertilization and embryo development were obtained using ICSI in patients with mosaic Klinefelter's syndrome, severe sperm autoimmunity, round-headed acrosomeless sperm (globozoospermia), completely immotile sperm selected by hypo-osmotic swelling and sperm isolated from testicular biopsies. Three ongoing pregnancies were obtained from 6 patients for whom testicular sperm were used. These results demonstrate the value of ICSI in the management of severe male infertility, however, the treatment of some types of extreme male infertility using ICSI may be limited.
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PMID:The use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection for the treatment of severe and extreme male infertility. 748 Aug 42

Microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), or sperm microaspiration retrieval technique (SMART), in conjunction with in vitro fertilization is a successful therapy in male infertility. From November 1991 to March 1994 a total of 29 attempts at MESA with subsequent IVF were made. Of 48 aspirations, 37 were successful and 13 attempts at IVF were possible, 6 of which were successful with 10 subsequent embryo transfers. In all, 3 pregnancies were achieved and 1 boy was born. In conclusion, microsurgical spermaspiration in conjunction with in vitro fertilization is a way of treating male infertility with a chance of achieving paternity with the partner's own sperm; the chances are probably better with intracytoplasmatic sperm injection.
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PMID:[MESA (microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration) and IVF (in vitro fertilization). A therapy concept in treatment of male infertility]. 748 59


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