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Guinea pig epididymal sperm, incubated for ATPases at pH 7.0 or pH 9.0, localize reaction product on both the periacrosomal segment of the plasmalemma and the outer acrosome membrane. In other species, e.g., rabbit, Ca++-ATPase is identified with the outer acrosome membrane. It may transport Ca++ into the acrosome for activation of enzymes released during the acrosome reaction. The neutral ATPase is demonstrable on the periacrosomal plasmalemma and possibly modifies Ca++ concentration in the fluid around the acrosome. In guinea pig sperm, Ca++-ATPase is sensitive to centrifugation or washing of sperm which indicates that the ductal fluid has unusual properties for preservation of the acrosome. Inhibition of the enzyme by these treatments suggests that conditions on the plasmalemmal surface affect the acrosome membrane. Inability to separate reaction product on the plasmalemma from that on the acrosome membrane may be due to migration of reaction product across the periacrosomal space. However, the ATPases are elicited in the guinea pig under the same conditions as in other species. The pH 9.0 enzyme requires Ca++ while the enzyme at pH 7.0 has no ion specificities. Demonstration of these enzymes indicates that mechanisms of acrosome activation, similar to those in other sperm, are relevant to the guinea pig.
Anat Rec 1978 May
PMID:Identification of phosphates on the membranes of guinea pig sperm. 2 98

Rat spermatozoa are highly dependent on the milieu of the normal epididymis for their maturation and survival, and die within a few days after androgenic support of the epididymal epithelium is withdrawn. The immediate changes in the ultrastructural organization of the epithelial cells of the rat epididymis, 2, 4, 6 and 14 days following castration have been monitored by morphometric analysis of localized regions of the caput and cauda epididymidis. While castration results in greater endocytosis by principal cells (Moore and Bedford, '79), many of their early structural changes following androgen withdrawal (disappearance of vesicles from the cell apex, reduction in rough endoplasmic reticulum, a drop in the volume of the Golgi cisternae and increase in lysosome content) seem indicative of inhibition of a secretory function. By contrast with the regressive response of the principal cell, the ultrastructure of clear cells in the cauda and of apical cells in the caput region appeared unchanged up to 14 days after castration. The implications of this evidence for specialized functions, and the suggestion of a differential androgen dependence among major cell types of the epididymal epithelium, are discussed briefly.
Anat Rec 1979 Feb
PMID:Short-term effects of androgen withdrawal on the structure of different epithelial cells in the rat epididymis. 42

In the guinea pig, the narrow part of the epididymis that traverses the upper pole of the testis and passes downward over the entire length of the gonad is composed exclusively of efferent ductules and the initial segment (zone I) of the epididymal duct. At the beginning of zone II, the narrow contour of zone I expands into a large globular region which lies adjacent to the caudal pole of the testis. The globular region of the guinea pig epididymis is commonly referred to as the cauda epididymidis but in the present study, examination with the light microscope reveals that it is composed of five histologically distinct zones (zones III through VII). A detailed histological analysis of the characteristics of the epithelium in the seven zones of the guinea pig epididymis and in the efferent ductules and ductus deferens was udertaken to obtain a better understanding of structure-function relationships in the epididymis of the guinea pig. It was found that each of the zones could be readily distinguished on the basis of its histological features and primarily on the basis of the appearance of the principal cells.
Anat Rec 1978 Mar
PMID:The structure of the epididymis, efferent ductules and ductus deferens of the guinea pig: a light microscope study. 63 18

White adipose tissue was obtained from the mesentery, epididymis, omentum and subcutis of rats which were fed, fasted or fasted and then refed. Tissue samples were prepared using the glyoxylic acid method to detect adrenergic nerves by fluorescence histochemistry. Other tissue samples were fixed with an aldehyde solution containing sodium molybdate which is specific for catecholamine granules in nerve terminals. Thin and serial thick sections (0.25-0.5 micron) were viewed with a conventional electron microscope and with the high voltage electron microscope. With fluorescence microscopy it was found that most of the blood vessels except veins and venules were richly innervated. The most extensive branching of nerves down to the capillary level was found in the mesentery and epididymal fat of fasted-refed rats. Relatively few adipocytes appeared to be innervated. With electron microscopy, nerve terminals were found distributed with most blood vessels including capillaries, and with some adipocytes. Only 2-3% of all dipocytes were innervated by adrenergic nerves. It is suggested that in the adipose tissue sites studied the major adrenergic innervation is mainly for the supply of blood vessels.
Anat Rec 1978 Jul
PMID:Morphological studies on the adrenergic innervation of white adipose tissue. 67 91

The histology and fine structure of the testis, epididymis and sex accessory glands were studied in young adult male rats administered testosterone enanthate, 120 microgram/100 g body weight, three times weekly for 4, 8, or 12 weeks. The weights of the testis and epididymis decreased, and animals treated for 11 weeks were infertile. Alterations were found in the seminiferous tubules of all rats treated for 8 or 12 weeks, including the presence of many degenerating germ cells and a large decrease or absence of late spermatids. Study of different stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium showed that the greatest number of degenerating germ cells, step 7 spermatids and pachytene primary spermatocytes, occurred at stages VII-VIII of the cycle. Some normal appearing spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes and early spermatids remained in most seminiferous tubules. Sertoli cells contained many lipid droplets and lysosome-like bodies, and degenerating cells were surrounded by Sertoli cell cytoplasm. The Leydig cells of treated animals were greatly reduced in size. Sperm progressively disappeared from the lumen of the middle segment and proximal part of the terminal segment of the epididymis after treatment for 8 or 12 weeks. Changes in the middle segment also included the appearance of intraepithelial cavities containing debris, and the presence within the epithelium of phagocytic cells that resembled leukocytes. The lumen of the proximal part of the terminal segment was often collapsed, while in the distal part of the terminal segment, the lumen was filled with cellular debris and degenerating sperm. Organelles of the principal cells of the epididymal epithelium appeared to be qualitatively unaltered. The weight of the sex accessory glands remained close to normal, and the presence of normal ultrastructural features suggested that production of secretions continued.
Anat Rec 1978 Dec
PMID:Effects of testosterone enanthate on the structure of the male reproductive tract of the rat. 73 75

The combination of a progestin and androgen has received attention as a possible male contraceptive. The progestin is thought to reduce gonadotropin release and suppress spermatogenesis, while the sex accessory organs and male characteristics are maintained by the simultaneous administration of testosterone. In the present study, the histology and ultrastructure of parts of the male reproductive tract of rats treated with medroxyprogesterone (Provera, Upjohn) (1 mg/100 g body weight/day) alone and combined with testosterone (15, 30, or 100 mug/100 g/day) were studied following treatment for up to 16 weeks. The testes and epididymides of rats administered Provera alone or Provera and testosterone weighed less than those of control rats. The weights of the accessory glands of rats treated with Provera were greatly reduced; it was possible to maintain them at approximately control levels by simultaneously administering sufficient testosterone (100 mug/100 g body weight/day). The fertility of some of the animals was tested by caging them with female rats, and none of the treated rats tested in this way was fertile. Similar microscopic alterations were present in the testes of animals administered Provera alone or Provera and different levels of testosterone. Spermatogonia, spermatocytes, and early spermatids were abundant in treated rats and did not show ultrastructural changes. However, many degenerating or necrotic spermatids of the cap phase (approximately stages 6-7) and later were present. Late spermatids of the acrosome and maturation phases were rare. Some necrotic spermatids were surrounded by Sertoli cells, and parts of spermatids lay within lysosome-lyke structures in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells. Many large lipid droplets were also present in Sertoli cells of treated rats. Leydig cells were smaller in treated animals than in control rats. The results suggest that germ cells can develop up to cap phase spermatids but then undergo degeneration. These alterations in spermatogenesis may be responsible in large part for the antifertility effect of the progestin and androgen combination. Some rats were permitted to recover following the end of treatment. The microscopic appearance of the testis returned to normal within three to six weeks, although epididymal alterations persisted in some animals six weeks after the end of treatment. By 9 to 12 weeks after the end of treatment the reproductive organs had a normal microscopic appearance in all the rats studied.
Anat Rec 1977 Apr
PMID:The influence of progestin and androgen on the fine structure of the male reproductive tract of the rat. I. General effects and observations on the testis. 84 78

Young adult male rats were administered medroxyprogesterone (Provera, Upjohn) alone and in combination with testosterone,as has been done to inhibit male fertility. The histology and the fine structure of several segments of the epididymis, the ventral prostate, and the seminal vesicle were studied at intervals after treatment for up to 16 weeks. The epididymides of treated animals weighed less than those of control rats. Microscopic alterations in the epididymis were similar in rats treated with Provera alone and in those animals that received Provera and testosterone, but the changes varied with the segment of the epididymis. In the middle segment in the caput epididymidis, the normally abundant luminal sperm were absent but the epithelium retained its normal ultrastructural features. In the terminal segment in the cauda epididymidis, different changes were observed in the proximal and distal portions. In the proximal cauda epididymidis, the lumen was small, irregular in outline, and virtually devoid of sperm. The light cells of the epididymal epithelium in the proximal cauda contained extremely large numbers of dense bodies resembling lysosomes, which occupied most of the supranuclear and basal cytoplasm. In contrast, in the distal part of the cauda epididymidis, the epithelium had a normal appearance but the lumen was filled with debris, sperm, and spherical masses of cytoplasm that were apparently derived from germ cells. It is suggested that the clearing of the lumen of the proximal cauda epididymidis may reflect the greater activity of light cells of the epididymal epithelium in that region. Although alterations in spermatogenesis may be most important in the antifertility effect of progestin and androgen, these alterations in epididymal sperm and epithelium may also play a role. The weights of the prostate and seminal vesicles of rats treated with Provera (1 mg/100 g/day) were greatly reduced compared to those of control rats. Although there was considerable variation, in many specimens treated with Provera alone the epithelium of the prostate showed a change from a columnar to a cuboidal or squamous shape, and there was a reduction in the size and abundance of organelles involved in the formation of secretions. The microscopic structure of the seminal vesicle of rats treated with Provera was less severely affected than the prostate. Although the seminal vesicle epithelium of Provera-treated rats was generally not as tall as in control animals, the cells possessed parallel cisternae of rough endoplasmic reticulum, secretory vacuoles, and an active-appearing Golgi apparatus, suggesting that they continued to be able to form secretions in the presence of Provera. The weights of the sex accessory glands were maintained at control levels by the administration of testosterone, 100 mug/100 g/day, along with the Provera. A normal fine structure was present in the epithelium of both the prostate and seminal vesicle of rats administered this amount of testosterone in addition to Provera...
Anat Rec 1977 Apr
PMID:The influence of progestin and androgen on the fine structure of the male reproductive tract of the rat. II. Epididymis and sex accessory glands. 84 79

Several ultrastructural changes were found to occur in the midpiece region of wooly opossum spermatozoa during epididymal maturation. The changes include alterations in mitochondrial morphology, development of structural specializations of the plasma membrane, and acquisition of a prominent extracellular coating. The lamellar membrane network which is wound about the periphery of the mitochondria becomes more densely packed during sperm development and the reticular network of membranes noted in the center of the mitochondria of immature sperm disappears leaving a homogeneous electron dense central zone. During epididymal transit the plasma membrane over the sperm midpiece region shows extensive structural modification. In cross sections of paired spermatozoa the plasma membrane of the midpiece regions shows a very regular, repetitive scalloping. In longitudinal sections the scalloping is observed as continuous parallel ridges which extend slightly obliquely to the flagellar long axis. Each ridge appears to be greater in density than the interridge areas. In the epididymis a prominent extracellular coating of dense material is deposited over the midpiece surface; this material is similar in appearance to dense material seen in restricted areas of the epididymal lumen. At the proximal and distal ends of the midpiece the plasma membrane comes into intimate contact with underlying structural specializations and it is suggested that these zones of fusion may serve to preserve regional differences in membrane composition.
Anat Rec 1976 Nov
PMID:Morphological changes in the midpiece of wooly opossum spermatozoa during epididymal transit. 99 32

A low dose of Cyproterone acetate (CPA; 1 mg/kg body weight/day for 70 days) was administered to adult male rhesus monkeys to assess its effects on testicular and epididymal structure and function in a nonhuman primate species. CPA caused extensive degenerative changes in morphology of seminiferous, efferent duct, and epididymal epithelia, including decrease in diameter of seminiferous and epididymal tubules and their lumen, height of epididymal epithelium, and an increase in intertubular connective tissue. The protein profile of spermatozoa showed alterations during their epididymal transit in control and CPA-treated monkeys. In CPA-treated animals, 19 polypeptides were acquired and nine were eliminated during epididymal transit in contrast to acquisition of 12 and loss of 14 polypeptides in control animals. Treatment with CPA also resulted in the appearance of 14 new polypeptides in epididymal cytosol and luminal fluid, probably of lysosomal origin. The protein pattern of caput and cauda epididymal tubule cytosol, maintained in organ culture and exposed to 100 microM CPA for 3 days, showed absence of eight polypeptides. These results indicate that even at the low dose used in this study, CPA has caused spermatogenic arrest, degenerative changes in the epididymal structure, and alterations in epididymal and sperm protein profile. Suppression of serum testosterone levels indicates the need for androgen supplementation if CPA is to be used for male contraception.
Anat Rec 1992 Sep
PMID:Effect of cyproterone acetate on structure and function of rhesus monkey reproductive organs. 141 98

The epididymis, a post-testicular site required for maturation and storage of spermatozoa, is actively involved in exocytic and endocytic events, two phenomena likely to depend on the integrity of the lysosomal system. To study the lysosomal system of the epididymis, five monoclonal antibodies, previously characterized as recognizing five distinct lysosomal integral membrane proteins (LIMPs 1-5), were used as molecular probes of lysosome distribution in cells lining the epithelium. Immunocytochemical localization of LIMPs, using biotin-streptavidin immunoperoxidase methodology, was performed on frozen sections of adult rat epididymides and in cell cultures prepared from either the caput or cauda epididymis. In frozen sections, a heterogeneous distribution of the different LIMPs along the length of the epididymis was observed. For example, the distribution of LIMP 1 (35-50 K) was detected in all cells of the caput and quite dramatically in clear cells of the distal caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis, but specifically not in the principal cells of the distal caput, corpus, and cauda. In contrast, LIMP 2 (64-71 K) was present in all cells of the epididymis, except clear cells. LIMPs 4 and 5 (93 K and 93 K) were detected in all epididymal cells, including the clear cells. Finally, whereas the regional and cell type distribution of LIMP 3 (74 K) in the epididymis was identical to that of LIMPs 4 and 5, the nature of the vesicles immunostained was distinct. In cultured cells, the general immunostaining patterns observed in vivo were maintained during the duration of the primary cultures for all five LIMPs. Our results begin to address the molecular heterogeneity of the lysosomal system along the length of the epididymis, and may suggest in part a basis for underlying structural and functional characteristics of the epididymis leading to the sequential maturation of sperm.
Anat Rec 1992 Jan
PMID:Lysosomal integral membrane proteins exhibit region and cell type specific distribution in the epididymis of the adult rat. 153 68


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