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

The objective of these studies was to optimize conditions for computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) of rat epididymal spermatozoa. Methodologic issues addressed include sample collection technique, sampling region within the epididymis, type of diluent medium used, and sample chamber depth. In addition, sources of variation were identified and accuracy of the analysis was examined. All samples in this report were analyzed using a Hamilton Thorn Motility Analyzer (HTM-2000; Hamilton Thorn Research, Danvers, MA). We found that allowing the sperm to swim out from cuts made in the distal cauda epididymidis yielded samples with percentages of motile sperm 60% higher than samples collected using an aspiration method. Furthermore, sperm isolated from the distal cauda epididymidis exhibited slightly but significantly greater percentages of motile sperm and swimming speeds than sperm isolated from the proximal cauda epididymidis. Of the four motility media examined, all maintained a high percentage of motile sperm over an hour-long incubation period, but Medium 199 and modified Hanks' Balanced Salt supported substantially greater sperm velocity than Dulbecco's Phosphate Buffered Saline (with Ca++ and Mg++), with or without glucose. Motility and velocity endpoints were comparable in 200-, 100-, or 40-micron deep chambers, but significantly lower in 20-micron-deep chambers. Since these and presumably other variables in the preparation and analysis of rat sperm do influence the assessed motility endpoints, it is important to standardize these methods and to consider these issues when interpreting CASA data.
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PMID:Rat sperm motility analysis: methodologic considerations. 180 55

The effect of inhaled epichlorohydrin on rat sperm motility characteristics was evaluated. Male F-344 rats were exposed to 100 ppm epichlorhydrin via inhalation for 4 hr in the morning of Day 0 and killed immediately and on Days 1, 2, 6, and 14 postexposure. Videotapes of cauda epididymal sperm were analyzed (300-350 sperm/sample) with a Hamilton Thorn motility analyzer (HTM-2000, Hamilton Thorn Research, Danvers, MA). Epichlorohydrin did not affect the percentage of motile sperm at any time. However, transient changes in sperm velocity were found. On Day 1 postexposure mean progressive (straight line) and mean path (smoothed curvilinear) velocity were significantly decreased to 80 and 85% of control, respectively. The progressive velocities of sperm from both control and treated rats were normally distributed, indicating a general effect of epichlorohydrin on all sperm as opposed to a more severe effect on a specific sperm subpopulation. Sperm velocity was not significantly affected at later times. Other endpoints (testis and epididymis weights, testicular spermatid counts, and cauda epididymal sperm reserves) were unaltered by epichlorohydrin. Thus, inhaled epichlorohydrin at 100 ppm produced specific, transient decreases in rat sperm velocity. Furthermore, computer-assisted sperm analysis was able to detect these relatively subtle, toxicant-induced changes in rat sperm velocity, demonstrating the utility of this technology in reproductive toxicology studies.
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PMID:Acute inhalation exposure to epichlorohydrin transiently decreases rat sperm velocity. 225 22

We have developed a cell culture system of bovine epididymal epithelium in which cryopreserved bovine sperm motility was efficiently maintained for many hours. The culture conditions to maintain viable epididymal cells are quite different from conditions normally used to incubate sperm cells. Thus, we have modified a previously described principal cell medium (PCM; Moore et al, 1992) using HEPES as a buffer and supplemented media with myo-inositol, pyruvate, lactate, glycerol, and carnitine to mimic epididymal intraluminal conditions. In the first experiments the effects of PCM and our epididymal cell medium (ECM) on sperm motility were compared in the absence of cells and evaluated by microscopic analysis under a phase contrast microscope or using the Hamilton Thorn Image Analyzer System. Our results showed that motility of cauda epididymal sperm was significantly higher in ECM than in PCM during a 48-hour incubation period when both media were supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS). We then replaced FBS with bovine serum albumin (BSA) or no proteins at all to verify if ECM was able to enhance sperm survival. To test this aspect we used frozen-thawed sperm, which survived up to 48 hours when sperm cells were coincubated with epididymal cell monolayers. Hence, PCM, ECM, and different media containing each metabolite of ECM were supplemented with 0.5% BSA to assess motility of thawed sperm after an incubation period of 6 hours. A positive effect on sperm motility was observed in all fresh and unconditioned media containing 1 mM pyruvate. Motion parameters were more efficiently maintained in all conditioned media than in unconditioned media. Our results showed, however, that pyruvate was almost completely oxidized or consumed by epididymal cells during preincubation of culture media. We conclude that motility of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa can be improved using a culture medium or a medium conditioned by epididymal cell cultures without carnitine but containing mainly pyruvate, inositol, glycerol, and lactate.
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PMID:Addition of specific metabolites to bovine epididymal cell culture medium enhances survival and motility of cryopreserved sperm. 1110 14

Benign prostatic hyperplasia was diagnosed in an American Staffordshire Terrier of high breeding value presenting concurrent haematuria. Castration as a treatment was synchronized with the oestrus cycle of a bitch selected for insemination. After castration the cauda epididymis was flushed with Gent semen extender and collected spermatozoa were filtered and analysed by Hamilton Thorn computer assisted sperm analysis. A total of 7 ml semen containing 742 x 10(6) spermatozoa with 76.5% mean motility was used for insemination. Intravaginal insemination of the bitch was performed with an insemination catheter for dogs (Kruuse, Marslev, Denmark) on the day when plasma progesterone levels reached 9.9 ng/ml. Normal pregnancy without complications resulted in eight live-born puppies 63 days after insemination. This is the first report of a normal pregnancy and birth of puppies from a bitch inseminated with epididymal semen obtained from a dog affected by benign prostate hyperplasia.
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PMID:Establishment of a pregnancy following intravaginal insemination with epididymal semen from a dog castrated due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. 1632 84