• Development and Reproduction
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.237-245
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• 2016

Direct communication between neighboring cells via gap junction in tissue is important for maintenance and regulation of its physiological functions. Each epididymal region has different composition of cell types. It is well recognized that the epididymis is a steroid hormone-responsive tissue. The present study was designed to determine the effect of estradiol benzoate (EB) or flutamide exposured at the early postnatal age on the expression of connexin (Cx) isoforms in the caudal epididymis. The EB or flutamide was subcutaneously administrated to male Spragure Dawley rat at 7 days of age, and expressional changes of Cx isoforms in the adult corpus epididymis were determined by quantitative real-time PCR. The treatment of low-dose EB resulted in decreases of Cx30.3, Cx31.1, Cx37, and Cx45 expression but caused an increase of Cx32 expression. Exposure to high-dose EB led into expressional increases of Cx31, Cx31.1, Cx32, Cx40, and Cx43, even though a decrease of Cx37 expression was found with a high-dose EB treatment. A low-dose flutamide induced increases of Cx31, Cx31.1, Cx32, and Cx43 expression but a decrease of Cx37 expression. Expression of most Cx genes were significantly increased by a high-dose flutamide, while no expressional change of Cx26 and Cx40 was detected by a high-dose flutamide. These results indicate that expression of Cx isoforms in the caudal epididymis is altered by exposure to steroidal compounds at the prepubertal age. It is suggested that a contact with environmental exogenous materials during the early postnatal period would lead to alteration of epididymal functions at the adult.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 1999

The objective of this study was to optimize the selection of sperm sources, optimal culture systems and vitrification method depends on sperm sources. The oocytes were inseminated with either KPN 105, 114, 191, SNU 101, 102, 103 or epididymis and then embryos inseminated were cultured in oviductal cell co-culture or HECM-6 as defined me dium. The blastocysts produced were pooled according to sperm sources as KPN, SNU or epididymis and then vitrified by OPP vitrification method. The results obtained were as follows: 1. The cleavage(86.2 or 84.7%) and development rates to blastocyst (30.6 or 32.0%) were not significantly different between oviductal cell co-culture or HECM-6 culture systems(P<0.05). 2. To determine the optimal sperm sources for using IVF in this system, cleavage rates in KPN 191 and SNU 101 (74.2, 55.8%) were significantly lower rather than those in KPN 105, 114, SNU 102, 103 or epididymis (86.7, 85.1, 89.8, 85.5 or 81.2%), but development rates to blastocyst in KPN 114, SNU 103 or epididymis sperm (30.0, 33.0 or 28.6%) were significantly higher rater than those in KPN 105, 191, SNU 101, 102(21.4, 15.4, 14.9 or 25.4%), respectively (P<0.05). 3. The blastocysts produced were pooled according to sperm sources as KPN, SNU or epididymis and then vitrified by OPP vitrification method. The survival rates were not significantly different among sperm sources (89.6%: 43/48 ; 90.1%: 46/51 ; 83.3% : 20/24). These results obtained indicate that the defined medium, HECM-6, could be use to produce of IVP bovine embryos. Since the frozen semen must be required to maintain of unvariation data in IVP embryo production system, KPN 114 and SNU 103 produced in our laboratory were useful for this purpose. The blastocysts produced by different sperm sources as KPN, SNU or epididymis were vitrified by OPP vitrification method and survived very high rates. The OPP vitrification method could be susceptibility to use of IVP bovine blastocyst embryos.

• Advances in Traditional Medicine
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.111-124
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• 2008

In the present study, an attempt has been made to assess whether the effect of benzene extract of Ocimum sanctum leaves on the ultrastructural changes in the epithelial cells of the cauda epididymis, its subsequent recovery in the seminiferous epithelium and fertility of male albino rats. Wistar strain male albino rats were orally administered benzene extract of 250 mg/kg body weight of O. sanctum leaves followed by subsequent recovery maintaining suitable controls for 48 days. Results indicate decrease in the weights of testis, epididymis and seminal vesicles. Other accessory organs were not affected. Total count, cell and nuclei diameters of germ cells and Leydig cells were reduced. Cauda epididymis exhibited significant reduction in epithelial height and nuclei diameter of epithelial cells. Cells showed vacuolization with exhibit of signs of degeneration. Ultra study revealed that, in general, the cauda epididymis was affected and in particular, the principal, clear and basal cells were highly disturbed. Further, there was decrease in the size of lipid droplets, mitochondria, Golgi complex, endoplasmic reticulum and accumulation of lysosomal bodies. Fertility performance test showed no implantation in female rats mated with O. sanctum treated rats. Moreover, their recovery after withdrawal of treatment was observed suggesting that the effect of the treatment is transient and reversible. A recovery period resulted in normal spermatogenesis and fertility, suggesting reversible antispermatogenic and antifertility effects of the plant.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.12-25
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• 1994

This research was undertaken to determine the effects of the anticancer and immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide (CP) on the epididymis of the male rat in terms of ultrastructural alteration and protein analysis by SDS-PAGE at different groups; control group, 1 week group, 3 weeks group, 5 weeks group were treated with saline (control group) or CP at doses of 20mg/Kg/week, 1 time a week, respectively. In the cytoplasm of the principal cells on the epididymis, the mitochondrial outer and inner membranes were significantly swollen or disrupted. The cisterns of rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) were also swollen, and a number of Golgi vesicles were increased, respectively. It is suggested that treatment with CP alters the specific cell organelles in all segments of the epididymis. CP caused changes in protein concentrations in cauda of epididymis after CP treatment. Total proteins of 30 to 39 species such as lactate dehydrogenase, carnitine acetyltransferase and acid phosphatase were expressed in the cauda fluid. Then the more CP was increased, the more concentration of proteins caused to decrease, synthesize or increase in epididymal cauda. In contrast to the control group, in particular 29KD and the other 10 proteins in the cauda fluid were decreased or disappeared, respectively, whereas 89KD and the other 6 proteins in the cauda, were increased or synthesized, respectively. The other proteins are not showed distinctive difference. Therefore, it is possible that CP at a high dose accumulation alters epididymal function with dose-related increase or decrease in specific activity of marked proteins for all regions of the epididymis (particularly, specific segment of cauda). These alterations could be mediated by direct, toxic effects of the drug on the epithelium or be secondary to changes in the spermatozoa as a result of the CP treatment.

• Development and Reproduction
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.69-77
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• 2015

Cell-cell direct communication through channel-forming molecules, connexin (Cx), is essential for a tissue to exchange signaling molecules between neighboring cells and establish unique functional characteristics during postnatal development. The corpus epididymis is a well-known androgen-responsive tissue and involves in proper sperm maturation. In the present research, it was attempted to determine if expression of Cx isoforms in the corpus epididymis in the adult is modulated by exposure to estrogenic or anti-androgenic compound during the early postnatal period. The neonatal male rats at 7 days of age were subcutaneously injected by estradiol benzoate (EB) at low-dose ($0.015{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) or high-dose ($1.5{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) or flutamide (Flu) at low-dose ($500{\mu}g/kg$ body weight) or high-dose (50 mg/kg body weight). The corpus epididymis collected at 4 months of age was subjected to evaluate expressional changes of Cx isoforms by quantitative real-time PCR. Treatment of low-dose EB resulted in increases of Cx32, Cx37, and Cx45 transcript levels, while exposure to high-dose EB decreased expression of Cx26, Cx30.3, Cx31, Cx31.1, Cx32, Cx40, Cx43, and Cx45. Treatments of Flu caused significant decreases of expression of all examined Cx isoforms, except Cx37 and Cx43 shown no expressional change with high-dose Flu treatment. These findings imply that expression of most Cx isoforms present in the corpus epididymis would be transcriptionally regulated by actions of androgen and/or estrogen during postnatal period.

• The Korean Journal of Zoology
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.159-172
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• 1991

It has been investigated what could be the selective marker distinguishing the immature from mature spermatozoa and whether fi -glucuronidase and fi -glucosidase are dependent on androgen in the luminal fluid of the epididymis or not. The contents of hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid in the epithelial cells, luminal fluid and spermatozoa of the epididymis were examined and the patterns of protein bands were compared in each group of the luminal fluid by SDS-PAGE. Lactate dehydrogenase, glucose-6-phosphatase, Na+ -K+ -ATPase and MgNa-ATPase showed higher activities in the cauda than the caput epididymal spermatozoa but only $Mg^2$+-ATPase activity appeared to be changed significantly. When the contents of hexose, hexosamine and sialic acid were analyzed and compared quantitatively, those of hexose were significantly different in the luminal fluid of caput and cauda epididymis, those of hexosamine in the epithelial cells and those of sialic acid in the epithelial cells and luminal fluid. When SDS-PAGE has been performed in each group, the band of MW 33-37 KD which was absent in the luminal fluid of caput epididymis appeared obviously in the luminal fluid of cauda epididymis and ako apeared in the cauda sperm crude membrane fraction. In addition, $\beta$ -glucuronidase and $\beta$ -glucosidase activities and their dependence on androgen were measured and the SDS-PAGE patiems of proteins and/or glycoproteins in the luminal fluid were examined. The activities of these two enzymes in the luminal fluid of the epididymis decreased significantly from the 5th day after castration. When testosterone was injected, the activity of $\beta$ -glucuronidase began to increase significantly from the 5th day following injection and that of $\beta$ -glucosidase from the loth day. On the other hand, the band of about MW 21 KD was newly observed in the lumen of caput epididymis when testosterone was administered.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Life Science Conference
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• 2007.10a
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• pp.48.2-48.2
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• 2007

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• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.7
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• pp.1077-1086
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• 2020

Objective: We examined the localization and expression of H⁺ pumping vacuolar ATPase (V-ATPase) and cytokeratin 5 (KRT5) in the epididymis of pigs, expressed in clear and basal cells, respectively, during postnatal development. Methods: Epididymides were obtained from pigs at 1, 7, 21, 60, 120, and 180 days of age; we observed the localization and expression patterns of V-ATPase and KRT5 in the different regions of these organs, namely, the caput, corpus, and cauda. The differentiation of epididymal epithelial cells was determined by immunofluorescence labeling using cell-type-specific markers and observed using confocal microscopy. Results: At postnatal day 5 (PND5), the localization of clear cells commenced migration from the cauda toward the caput. Although at PND120, goblet-shaped clear cells were detected along the entire length of the epididymis, those labeled for V-ATPase had disappeared from the corpus to cauda and were maintained only in the caput epididymis in adult pigs. In contrast, whereas basal cells labeled for KRT5 were only present in the vas deferens at birth, they were detected in all regions of the epididymis at PND60. These cells were localized at the base of the epithelium; however, no basal cells characterized by luminally extending cell projections were observed in any of the adult epididymides examined. Conclusion: The differentiation of clear and basal cells progressively initiates in a retrograde manner from the cauda to the caput epididymis. The cell-type-specific distribution and localization of the epithelial cells play important roles in establishing a unique luminal environment for sperm maturation and storage in the pig epididymis.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.320-324
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• 2018

In this study, we examined effect of sperm penetration of oocytes after in vitro fertilization (IVF) with cauda epididymal spermatozoa in Hanwoo bull after feeding of timothy hay. One testicle with epididymides was castrated from one Hanwoo bull (14 months of age) and spermatozoa recovered from cauda epididymis and cryopreserved. As control, frozen Hanwoo semen was used. Matured cumulus oocyte complexes were co-incubated with frozen-thawed cauda epididymal spermatozoa for 12 or 18 hours. After IVF, presumptive zygotes were cultured in modified synthetic oviductal fluid. In experiment 1, we examined sperm penetration rate at 12 hours of IVF with epididymal sperm. Total penetration rate among cauda epididymis and control was similar(mean${\pm}$standard error, cauda epididymis and control vs. $49.7{\pm}11.3$ and $54.4{\pm}12.8%$). In experiment 2, cleavage and blastocyst developmental rate were evaluated at day 2 and day 8 after IVF for 18 hours. Cleavage rate among cauda epididymis and control was similar(cauda epididymis and control vs. $81.2{\pm}3.4$ and $82.7{\pm}2.5%$). However, blastocyst developmental rate of cauda epididymis group was significantly higher than that of control group(cauda epididymis and control vs. $24.4{\pm}1.6$ and $12.2{\pm}2.8%$, p<0.05). In conclusion, cauda epididymal spermatozoa in Hanwoo bull has high embryo developmental competence and can be used as an alternative to ejaculated frozen sperm in vitro.

• Applied Microscopy
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• v.43 no.3
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• pp.103-109
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• 2013

ICI 182,780 (ICI) is known as an estrogen receptor antagonist, whereas propyl pyrazole triol (PPT) is an estrogen receptor agonist. In this study, ICI or ICI added with PPT was injected into adult male mice. Body and reproductive organ weights were reduced in the ICI added with PPT group compared to the control group. Further, the ICI and ICI added with PPT groups both showed increases in luminal areas of the seminiferous tubules of the testis, whereas cell heights of efferent ductules and the initial segment of the epididymis were reduced. Sperm count in the caudal epididymis was reduced in the ICI and ICI added with PPT groups. These results show that reproductive tissues were more deeply affected in the ICI added with PPT group. We also demonstrated that treatment with ICI resulted in histological changes in the testis, efferent ductule, and epididymis. Further, alternate treatment with ICI and PPT induced abnormalities in reproductive organs. These results indicate that a high concentration of PPT together with ICI may cause histological abnormalities instead of histological restoration in reproductive organs.