Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P56851 (epididymal)
 11,273 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase (DC) is highly active in the testis and epididymis of rats and increases during pubertal development. Zinc deficiency during this period depresses the activity of DC in the testis. Experiments were conducted to determine the effects of zinc deficiency on epididymal DC activity. Comparisons were made between changes seen in this organ and those observed in testis. Three dietary treatments were used; zinc-deficient, fed ad libitum; zinc-adequate, pair-fed to the deficient group; and zinc-adequate, fed ad libitum. Results confirmed that testicular DC is affected negatively by zinc deficiency. DC activity was also lower in the epididymis of zinc-deficient rats than in control rats. These effects apparently were specific relative to changes in activity of other enzymes. Alkaline phosphatase activity in the epididymis was not affected by zinc deficiency and it was depressed in the testis. Gamma-glutamyl transferase activity in the epididymis was not affected by zinc deficiency but it was elevated in the testis. The results of this study suggest that part of the effect of zinc deficiency on sexual maturity in the male rat may be caused by reduced activity of DC. This enzyme is thought to be required for maturation and development of sperm cells.
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PMID:Zinc deficiency and dipeptidyl carboxypeptidase activity. Comparative effects on epididymis and testis of rats. 170 55

Flow-cytometric procedures were used to determine effects of dietary Zn and Si variations on rat testicular cell development, including integrity of caudal epididymal sperm chromatin structure defined as the susceptibility of DNA to denaturation in situ. Concentrations of 4 (deficient), 12 (adequate), and 500 (excessive) mg of Zn/kg of diet were used with Si concentrations of 0 (low), 540 (medium), and 2,700 (high) mg/kg of diet in a 3 x 3 factorial arrangement. Three-week-old Sprague-Dawley male rats were fed the experimental diets for 8 wk. Rats fed the Zn-deficient/Si-low diet demonstrated significant deviations in the ratio of testicular cell types present, including a reduction of S phase and total haploid cells. Furthermore, approximately 50% of epididymal sperm had a significant decrease in resistance to DNA denaturation in situ. In the Zn-deficient/Si-medium treatment, the effects of Si on animal and testicular growth, distribution of testicular cell types, and sperm chromatin structure integrity were quite similar to the effects of the Zn-adequate diets. A toxic effect of Zn on sperm chromatin structure integrity observed in the Zn-excess/Si-medium treatment seemed to be counteracted by Si in the Zn-excess/Si-high treatment. Silicon at medium and high levels seems to affect Zn metabolism through potentiation and antagonistic reactions, respectively. Zinc deficiency likely disrupts the normal sperm chromatin quaternary structure in which Zn plays a role by providing stability and resistance to DNA denaturation in situ.
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PMID:Zinc-silicon interactions influencing sperm chromatin integrity and testicular cell development in the rat as measured by flow cytometry. 847 95