Ductuli efferentes in the epididymis of boar, goat, ram, bull, and stallion.
Abstract: Dutculi efferentes were studied by microdissection and histologic methods in 2 boar, 6 goat, 5 ram, 25 bull, and 19 stallion epididymides. On the basis of the present findings and the data of others and relating them to the total number of specimens examined in each species, an estimate (narrow range) was made of the minimal-maximal numbers of efferent ductules as follows: dog 13 to 15; cat 14 to 17; boar 14 to 16; goat 18 to 19; ram 17 to 20; bull 13 to 16; and stallion 14 to 17. The histologic appearance of the efferent ductules of the bull, including measurements of their diameter, lumen, and epithelium, was briefly described. Attention was focused on the presence of blind-ending ductules, because it was thought that they might be a factor in the cause of spermiostasis. Blind-ending ductules were found in 1 of 2 porcine, 1 of 6 caprine, 2 of 5 ovine, 8 of 25 bovine, and 13 of 19 equine ductules per affected male were 4 in the boar, 1 in the goat, 2 to 3 in the ram, 1 to 5 in the bull, and 1 to 14 in the stallion. From our work, it appears that in the bull and stallion at least, blind-ending ductules were present in sufficient numbers to be considered a factor in spermiostasis and the infertility resulting from it.
Publication Date: 1978-12-01 PubMed ID: 749571
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
Summary
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This research article explores the morphology of the efferent ductules in the epididymides of several species and how the presence of blind-ending ductules may contribute to spermiostasis and subsequent infertility in these animals.
Study Methodology
- The researchers studied the ductuli efferentes in the epididymides of two boars, six goats, five rams, twenty-five bulls, and nineteen stallions using microdissection and histologic methods.
Main Findings
- They estimated the range of the minimal-maximal numbers of efferent ductules in various species: dogs 13 to 15, cats 14 to 17, boars 14 to 16, goats 18 to 19, rams 17 to 20, bulls 13 to 16, and stallions 14 to 17.
- The histologic appearance of the efferent ductules in bulls was briefly described, including the measurements of their diameter, lumen, and epithelium.
Presence of Blind-ending Ductules and its Implications
- The study also paid particular attention to the presence of blind-ending ductules, hypothesizing their role in spermiostasis.
- These ductules end blindly, not opening into another duct or cavity, and were found in various proportions among the species studied. Notably, they were found in 8 out of 25 bovine specimens and 13 out of 19 equine specimens.
- The researchers suggested that the presence of these blind-ending ductules in bulls and stallions, in specific, could be significant enough to be a factor contributing to spermiostasis.
Spermiostasis and Infertility
- Spermiostasis refers to the stagnation of sperm within the ducts of the male reproductive system, which can lead to infertility.
- From their findings, the researchers proposed that the presence of blind-ending ductules could play a role in causing spermiostasis and the subsequent infertility in these species, particularly in bulls and stallions.
Cite This Article
APA
Hemeida NA, Sack WO, McEntee K.
(1978).
Ductuli efferentes in the epididymis of boar, goat, ram, bull, and stallion.
Am J Vet Res, 39(12), 1892-1900.
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Cattle / anatomy & histology
- Epididymis / anatomy & histology
- Goats / anatomy & histology
- Horses / anatomy & histology
- Male
- Rete Testis / anatomy & histology
- Sheep / anatomy & histology
- Swine / anatomy & histology
Citations
This article has been cited 9 times.- Silva GF, Cunha R, Carvalho F, Ribeiro M, Rocha A, Amorim I, Guimarães T. Case report: Long term follow-up of a large unilateral epididymal cyst in a stallion used for teaching: Is this condition associated with infertility?. Front Vet Sci 2023;10:1145742.
- Hoque M, Kim EN, Chen D, Li FQ, Takemaru KI. Essential Roles of Efferent Duct Multicilia in Male Fertility.. Cells 2022 Jan 20;11(3).
- Squillacioti C, Mirabella N, Liguori G, Germano G, Pelagalli A. Aquaporins Are Differentially Regulated in Canine Cryptorchid Efferent Ductules and Epididymis.. Animals (Basel) 2021 May 25;11(6).
- Antalikova J, Secova P, Horovska L, Krejcirova R, Simonik O, Jankovicova J, Bartokova M, Tumova L, Manaskova-Postlerova P. Missing Information from the Estrogen Receptor Puzzle: Where Are They Localized in Bull Reproductive Tissues and Spermatozoa?. Cells 2020 Jan 10;9(1).
- Nakata H, Iseki S. Three-dimensional structure of efferent and epididymal ducts in mice.. J Anat 2019 Aug;235(2):271-280.
- Hess RA. Small tubules, surprising discoveries: from efferent ductules in the turkey to the discovery that estrogen receptor alpha is essential for fertility in the male.. Anim Reprod 2015 Jan-Mar;12(1):7-23.
- Ford J Jr, Carnes K, Hess RA. Ductuli efferentes of the male Golden Syrian hamster reproductive tract.. Andrology 2014 Jul;2(4):510-20.
- Clements KM, Shipley CF, Coleman DA, Ehrhart EJ, Haschek WM, Clark SG. Azoospermia in an 8-month-old boar due to bilateral obstruction at the testis/epididymis interface.. Can Vet J 2010 Oct;51(10):1130-4.
- Stoltenberg M, Therkildsen P, Andreasen A, Jensen KB, Juhl S, Ernst E, Danscher G. Computer-assisted visualization of the rat epididymis: a methodological study based on paraffin sections autometallographically stained for zinc ions.. Histochem J 1998 Apr;30(4):237-44.
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