Review
Environmental Sciences
Mariana Machado-Neves
Summary: Male fertility has declined in recent decades, and environmental risk factors such as heavy metals may be a possible cause. This study conducted a meta-analysis of 138 studies and found that exposure to inorganic arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury reduces epididymal weight, sperm motility, and sperm number. The study also revealed that these metals damage sperm structures within the epididymal duct and disrupt the balance of important minerals. These findings highlight the potential hazards of heavy metal exposure on male reproductive health.
Article
Andrology
Yoo-Jin Park, Byeong-Mu Lee, Won-Ki Pang, Do-Yeal Ryu, Md Saidur Rahman, Myung-Geol Pang
Summary: This study investigated the relationship between sequential changes in protein expression during epididymal sperm maturation and sperm motility and fertility in bovine. The study found that irregular modifications of mitochondrial proteins during epididymal sperm maturation may lead to excessive ROS production and premature activation of spermatozoa, resulting in a decline in sperm motility and bull fertility.
WORLD JOURNAL OF MENS HEALTH
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Guangxin Yao, Shengsong Xie, Xiaofeng Wan, Ling Zhang, Qiang Liu, Shuanggang Hu
Summary: The study identifies and characterizes rLcn13, a member of the rat epididymal lipocalin family. rLcn13 is found to be an epididymis-specific gene expressed predominantly in the initial segment and proximal caput epididymis, and influenced by androgen. The protein rLCN13 is modified by N-glycosylation, secreted into the epididymal lumen, and binds to the acrosome region of the sperm. The findings highlight the specific expression pattern and potential roles of rLcn13 in sperm maturation.
ACTA BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA SINICA
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Kai Xing, Yu Chen, Liang Wang, Xueze Lv, Zheng Li, Xiaolong Qi, Xiangguo Wang, Longfei Xiao, Hemin Ni, Yong Guo, Xihui Sheng
Summary: In this study, the molecular mechanisms underlying sperm motility in the epididymis of roosters were investigated. The researchers identified candidate genes and miRNAs that affect sperm motility and shed light on the regulatory mechanisms of fertility. The findings provide valuable information for understanding and improving chicken production.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Katarzyna Dyrda, Aleksandra Orzolek, Joanna Ner-Kluza, Pawel Wysocki
Summary: Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of proteins play crucial roles in sperm maturation during epididymal transit. Differences in phosphorylation status were observed in certain proteins, potentially impacting sperm maturation and fertilization capability.
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Hong Chen, Maira Bianchi Rodrigues Alves, Clemence Belleannee
Summary: Epididymal epithelial cells and EVs play crucial roles in sperm maturation, with recent discoveries of immune cell populations and epididymal cell extensions providing a more comprehensive understanding of the sperm's surrounding environment.
HUMAN REPRODUCTION UPDATE
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Alessia Gloria, Alberto Contri, Elena Mele, Silvia Fasano, Riccardo Pierantoni, Rosaria Meccariello
Summary: The study found the presence of the Kisspeptin system in dog testis and spermatozoa, indicating a significant role of the system in sperm maturation and storage. The trafficking of Kiss1R towards the plasma membrane along the length of the epididymis and the presence of Kiss1 in epididymal fluid suggest a new functional role of the Kisspeptin system.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Melanie Balbach, Lubna Ghanem, Sara Violante, Aye Kyaw, Ana Romarowski, Justin R. Cross, Pablo E. Visconti, Lonny R. Levin, Jochen Buck
Summary: Mammalian sperm require sufficient energy to support motility and capacitation for successful fertilization. Previous studies exploring changes to metabolism in sperm mainly focused on ejaculated human sperm or dormant mouse sperm surgically extracted from the cauda epididymis, resulting in uncertainty about species differences or the distinct maturation states of the sperm under study. This study compares metabolic changes during capacitation of epididymal and ejaculated mouse sperm, and relates these changes to ejaculated human sperm. It is found that capacitation-induced changes increase flux through both glycolysis and oxidative phosphorylation in mouse and human sperm, and ejaculation enhances the ability to use different carbon sources, such as pyruvate and citrate.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Cell Biology
Ruchi Vyas, Kavindra Kumar Kesari, Norbert Lukac, Petr Slama, Shubhadeep Roychoudhury, Rashmi Sisodia
Summary: This study evaluated the effect of ethanolic extract of Chlorophytum borivilianum L. (CRE) on sperm maturation against adversities posed by ionizing gamma irradiation. The results showed that CRE exhibited remarkable antioxidant potential and could protect sperm from oxidative stress.
FRONTIERS IN CELL AND DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Zongzhuang Wen, Dongyue Liu, Haixia Zhu, Xiaoyang Sun, Yu Xiao, Zhuchun Lin, Aizhen Zhang, Chao Ye, Jiangang Gao
Summary: Lipocalin family member LCN8 plays a crucial role in maintaining sperm quality in the epididymis, and its deficiency leads to sperm maturation defects.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Maiko Roberto Tavares Dantas, Nayra Rachel Nascimento Luz, Luana Grasiele Pereira Bezerra, Samara Sandy Jeronimo Moreira, Moacir Franco Oliveira, Alexandre Rodrigues Silva
Summary: This study investigated the sperm membrane functionality during epididymal transit in red-rumped agouti. The results showed that the agouti sperm membrane exhibited similar functional integrity in different regions of the epididymis. The use of a 50 mOsm/L hypoosmotic solution was recommended for the analysis of this parameter through the hypoosmotic swelling test. There were correlations between osmotic response and some sperm kinetic parameters, especially in the caput region.
REPRODUCTION IN DOMESTIC ANIMALS
(2022)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Felipe Couto-Santos, Arabela Guedes de Azevedo Viana, Ana Claudia Ferreira Souza, Alexandre Augusto de Assis Dutra, Tiago Antonio de Oliveira Mendes, Andre Teixeira da Silva Ferreira, Jonas Enrique Perales Aguilar, Leandro Licursi Oliveira, Mariana Machado-Neves
Summary: Arsenic exposure during prepubertal stage reduces sperm production, epididymal sperm count, motility, and quality in sexually mature rats, leading to low fertility potential and high preimplantation loss. Proteomic and phosphoproteomic analysis revealed alterations in protein expression and phosphorylation patterns, indicating potential pathways involved in the deleterious effects of arsenic on male fertility.
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Jess E. Mulhall, Natalie A. Trigg, Ilana R. Bernstein, Amanda L. Anderson, Heather C. Murray, Petra Sipila, Tessa Lord, John E. Schjenken, Brett Nixon, David A. Skerrett-Byrne
Summary: The testes and vas deferens are separated by the epididymis, a tubule with a unique microenvironment that is crucial for sperm maturation. The epididymal epithelium creates this microenvironment through the release of extracellular vesicles and small non-coding RNAs. In this study, the authors used mass spectrometry to compare the protein profiles of an immortalized mouse epididymal epithelial cell line to native mouse epididymal epithelial cells. They found that many proteins identified in the cell line were also present in native cells, supporting the use of this cell line as an in vitro model for studying epididymal epithelial cell function.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Yu-Fei Yang, Jia-Hao Wu, Run-Lan Lin, Shang-Jun Yin, Guo-Ying Qian, Wei Wang, Yong-Doo Park
Summary: This study systematically investigated the reproductive process of the soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis, through anatomical, staining, and immunohistochemistry techniques. It was found that the spermatozoa maturation and epididymal storage in P. sinensis exhibited clear seasonality. The enzyme creatine kinases, which are key to ATP metabolism, were highly expressed in the epididymal tubule epithelium during the breeding season, suggesting their importance in regulating sperm maturation. Additionally, during the breeding season, the epididymal tubule epithelium proliferated to form villous structures and secreted large amounts of glycoproteins, which may contribute to the rapid maturation of sperm.
ANIMAL REPRODUCTION SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Fanyi Qiu, Xiao Wang, Meiyang Zhou, Junjie Yu, Zhengpin Wang
Summary: This study shows that loss of DIS3 in the initial segment of the epididymis does not affect sperm maturation, motility, or male fertility.
BIOCHEMICAL AND BIOPHYSICAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)