• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
• /
• v.28 no.3
• /
• pp.155-159
• /
• 2004

This study was carried out to investigate the general characteristics and viability of sperm after freezing and thawing and the pregnancy rates after artificial insemination with thawed semen. The rates of viable sperm after slow and rapid freezing were 87.4±3.85% and 70.8±4.45%, respectively which were significantly lower than that of fresh semen control (91.7±3.45%). The mean concentration of epididymal sperm after dilution in 1.0 ml saline and. 3.0 ml extender in a various concentrations of cryoprotectants was 124.5±48.3 x 10/sup 6/ (range of 45 x 10/sup 6/ to 280 X 10/sup 6/ /ml). There was a significant difference not in the percentage of acrosome-reacted sperm, but in the percentage of capacitated sperm, between fresh and frozen-thawed epididymal semen. When frozen-thawed after diluting with tris-buffer extender containing glycerol, DMSO and ethylene glycol with concentration of 2 to 6%, the rates of epididymal sperm exposed to different cryoprotectants ranged from 14.4±4.7% to 20.7±5.8%, 17.8±5.2% to 36.5±4.9%, and 14.4±4.6% to 18.5±5.3%, respectively which were lower compare to fresh semen control. The pregnancy rate after artificial insemination with frozen semen was 70.6%, whereas that with fresh semen was 90.0% in dogs with naturally induced estrus.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
• /
• v.14 no.8
• /
• pp.1196-1202
• /
• 2001

In boar spermatozoa, the head-to-head agglutinability changes in parallel with the development of the fertilizing ability. Namely, both abilities gradually increase in the distal caput and corpus epididymides, but are subsequently suppressed in the cauda epididymidis. It has been postulated that these changes of the agglutinability are controlled via sperm interaction with specific epididymal plasma factors including agglutination mediators (agglutinins) and inhibitors (anti-agglutinins). Expression of these abilities (sperm agglutination and capacitation) is hardly observed in spermatozoa immediately. after ejaculation, but it occurs during incubation in a capacitation medium. Recently, we have purified and characterized epididymal plasma anti-agglutinin for boar spermatozoa. Moreover, we have conducted a series of experiments to reveal biological significance and mechanism of the head-to-head agglutination and have accumulated data indicating that boar sperm agglutination is mediated by capacitation-supporting factors including calcium, bicarbonate and sterol acceptors. This review introduces our recent data and discusses a possible mechanism for suppression of the agglutinability in the distal epididymidis and relationship between agglutinability and fertilizing ability.

• Applied Microscopy
• /
• v.22 no.2
• /
• pp.127-140
• /
• 1992

This research was undertaken to determine the effects of the cyclophosphamide (CP) on the epididymal corpus 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 and 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 epididymal corpus, the mitochondria were significantly swollen or disrupted. The lumens of rough endoplasmic reticulum (rER) were also dilated and the number of secretory vesicles and lysosomes were increased respectively. CP caused changes in protein concentrations in the corpus of epididymis after CP treatment. Total proteins of 31 to 36 species were expressed in the corpus fluid. Then the more CP was increased, the more concentration of proteins caused to decrease, synthesize or increase in epididymal corpus. In contrast to the control group, in particular 88KD and the other 8 proteins in the corpus fluid, were decreased or disappeared respectively, whereas acid phosphatase and the other 9 proteins in the corpus fluid, were increased or synthesized respectively. The other proteins are not showed distinctive difference. It is suggested that treatment with CP alters the specific cell organelles and proteins in segment of the epididymal corpus.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.2
• /
• pp.123-128
• /
• 1990

Capacitation of mouse spermatozoa in vitro is brought about by epididymal secretions released into the m-Tgrode medium at the time of sperm collection. Epididymal mouse sperm suspension achived by centrifugation were preincubated for a total of 120min with aliquants being removed at 5, 30 and 120min. By gently centrifugation and resuspending in fresh medium, the fertilizing rate of unwashed 5-and 30-min suspensions was increased such that 30-min washed samples did not differ significiantly from full capacitated, highly fertile 120-min unwashed samples. When epididymal suspension was added fertilization of cumulus intact oocyte was markedly inhibited, although fertilization of zona free oocytes was unaffected. Washing sperm suspensions preincubated in the absence of $Ca^{2+}$ with the subsequent introduction of exogenous $Ca^{2+}$ resulted in a significant increase in fertilization rates over equivalent unwashed samples.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.351-360
• /
• 2018

The adipogenesis is a maturation process of pre-adipocyte cell into mature lipid-filled adipocyte cell. The adipogenesis begins at the late prenatal stage and continues until the early postnatal age. Because the adipogenesis and formation of adipose tissue persist during postnatal period and are precisely regulated by the action of numerous gene products, the present research was attempted to determine the expressional patterns of adipose tissue-associated genes in the rat epididymal fat pad at different postnatal ages, from 7 days to 2 years of ages, using a quantitative real-time PCR analysis. The basal expression levels of CCAAT/enhancer binding protein gamma, sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1, fatty acid binding protein 4, adiponectin, leptin, and resistin at the early postnatal ages were significantly lower than those at the elderly ages, even though a fluctuation of expressional levels was observed at some ages. The lowest expressional level of delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1 was detected at 44 days and 5 months of ages. The expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma ($PPAR{\gamma}$) was the highest at 44 days of age, followed by a diminished expression of $PPAR{\gamma}$ at the elderly ages. These results indicate the existence of a complex regulatory mechanism(s) for expression of adipose tissueassociated genes in the rat epididymal fat during postnatal period.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
• /
• v.51 no.6
• /
• pp.493-502
• /
• 2009

Glucose is a major source of metabolic fuel and lipid and protein syntheses. Transport of glucose into the cell is regulated by an action of glucose transport.associated transporters, especially solute carriers 2A (Slc2a, protein symbol GLUT). The present study was focused on examination of mRNA expression of various Slc2a isoforms in the epididymis during postnatal development. Total RNAs isolated from different epididymal segments (caput, corpus, and caudal epididymis) were utilized for real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses. Results showed that Slc2a 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 were expressed in the entire epididymal regions. In addition, the abundance of these Slc2a isoforms' transcripts was different within each epididymal regions. Moreover, the present study showed differential expression of these Slc2a isoforms among different epididymal segments according to postnatal ages. The current study suggests that glucose transport in the epididymis via various Slc2a isoforms would be necessary for maintenance of the epididymal functions.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
• /
• v.26 no.6
• /
• pp.1200-1207
• /
• 1997

Effects of kimchi on lipid metabolism and immune function were studied in experiments using 63mals SD rats fed 6 inds of Baechu-kimchi containing diet during 4 weeks. Three kinds of freeze dried kimchi differ in fermentation period (not fermented, 3-, 6-week-fermented at 4$^{\circ}C$) were added at 5%, 10% of the diet containing 15% lard. The levels of serum total lipid and triglyceride and the content of liver total lipid and triglyceride of all kimchi groups were lower than those of a control group. But the levels of serum and liver cholesterol is not affected by kimchi intake. The triglyceride concentration of epididymal fat pad and feces of kimchi groups were higher than those of a control group. The food efficiency ratio, epididymal fat pad weight of 3-, 6-week-fermented kimchi 10% groups were significantly lower than control and not-fermented kimchi groups. Especially 6-week-fermented kimchi groups showed adipocytes, less in number and larger in size than those of other groups. The blastogenesis of spleen lymphocytes to LPS was higher in rats fed fermented kimchi diets than rats fed control and not-fermented kimchi diet. These results suggest that kimchi stimulates lipid mobilization to epididymal fat pad and lipid excretion via feces, so lower serum and liver triglyceride concentration. The fermented kimchi stimulate the proliferation of B cell and lower the lipid accumulation in epididymal fat pad, especially kimchi fermented for 6 weeks at 4$^{\circ}C$ lower the adipose cell number.

• Development and Reproduction
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.287-296
• /
• 2020

The absence of functional estrogen receptor α (Esr1) results in an overgrowth of the epididymal fat, as observed in estrogen receptor α knockout (ERαKO) mouse. The present research was aimed to evaluate expression of various molecules associated with adipocyte differentiation and maturation in the epididymal fat of ERαKO mouse at several postnatal ages by using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. The highest transcript levels of all molecules were detected at 12 months of postnatal age, except leptin which the mRNA level was increased at 5 months of age and was unchanged until 12 months of age. The expression levels of CCAAT enhancer binding protein (Cebp) alpha, androgen receptor, and lipoprotein lipase were decreased at 5 months of age but increased at about 8 months of age. The mRNA levels of Cebp gamma and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 remained steady until 8 months of age. Continuous increases of transcript levels during postnatal period were found in Cebp beta, estrogen receptor (ER) beta, fatty acid binding protein 4, and delta like non-canonical Notch ligand 1. The increases of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma and adiponectin mRNA levels were detected as early as 8 months of age. The levels of fatty acid synthase and resistin transcript at 5 and 8 months of age were lower than that at 2 months of age. These findings show the aberrant expression patterns of genes related to adipocyte differentiation and maturation in the postnatal epididymal fat pad by the disruption of ER alpha function.

• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.239-246
• /
• 1997

The objective of this study was to evaluate the variation of fertilizing ability following the morphologically normal sperm ratio in porcine IVF using epididymal sperm The results obtained in this experiment were summarized as follows: 1. When the penetration rate (PR), polysper my rate (PSR), pronuclei formation (2PNF) and mean number of sperm (MNS) per oocyte were evaluated according to the percentage of morphologically normal epididyrnal sperm at insemination($\leq$lO%, 10~30% and $\geq$50%). the PR and PSR of $\leq$50% group (82.4, 87.4%) were significantly higher than those of other two groups ($\leq$lO%; 29.7%, 22.6% and 10~30%; 20.3, 37.0%) (p<0.01). Also, the 2PNF per examined oocytes was significantly high in $\geq$ 50% group (p<0.01). 2. When the $\geq$50% group in epididymal sperm was adjusted to 100% (5x1$^5$ cells/ml) , the PSR and 2PNF were not different between epididymal sperm (86.7, 35.1%) and frozen-thawed ejaculated sperm (86.0. 39.4%) although the PR in epididymal sperm (79.7%) was significantly lower than that in frozen-thawed ejaculated sperm (95.5%)(p<0.01). 3. Also. when the PR, PSR, 2PNF and MNS of epididymal sperm were evaluated according to the oocyte: sperm ratio (1:6000, 1:6650. 1:7700 and 1: 10000) at insemination. the PR, PSR and MNS were increased as the oocyte:sperm ratio increases. However, this result indicated that the 2PNF was high in the oocyte:sperm ratio (1:6000 and 1:6650). Therefore. these results suggested that when the percentage of morphologically normal epididymal sperm was more than 50. the fertilizing a ability was very similar to that of frozen-thawed ejaculated sperm and that the detailed evalu¬a ation of morphological normality in porcine IVF using epididymal sperm should be prerequisite to obtain the more effective fertilizing ability.

• Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine
• /
• v.30 no.2
• /
• pp.119-126
• /
• 2003

Objective: This study was carried out to compare the clinical outcomes of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) in patients with obstructive azoospermia according to sperm retrieval site and technique; microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration (MESA), percutaneous epididymal sperm aspiration (PESA), testicular sperm extraction by open biopsy (TESE). Methods: The outcomes of ICSI and IVF-ET were evaluated and compared among 3 groups. Seventy three men suffering from infertility due to obstructive azoospermia had 107 ICSI cycles using MESA (21 cycles in 15 patients), PESA (26 cycles in 17 patients) and TESE (60 cycles in 41 patients). Results: In the clinical outcomes in patients undergoing ICSI with epididymal or testicular sperm, there were no significant differences in fertilization rate (66.1% vs. 60.5%), cleavage rate (94.9% vs. 97.6%), cumulative embryo score (CES) (51.3 vs. 58.8), implantation rate (7.9% vs. 6.1), and clinical pregnancy rate per ET (30.4% (14/46) vs. 25.4% (15/59)) between both groups. Also, in the clinical outcomes in ICSI patients using MESA, PESA, TESE, there were no significant differences in fertilization rate (61.8%, 69.4%, 60.5%), cleavage rate (92.1%, 97.3%, 97.6%), CES (38.1, 52.0, 58.8), implantation rate (9.5%, 6.6%, 6.1%), and clinical pregnancy rate per ET (35% (7/20), 26.9% (7/26), 25.4% (15/59)) among 3 groups. Conclusion: When compared with MESA or TESE, PESA, the clinical outcomes were similar in ICSI patients with obstructive azoospermia whatever the origin or the technique of sperm retrieval. However, we considered PESA is more time-saving and cost effective for ICSI in patients with obstructive azoospermia.