Direct effects of ethane dimethanesulphonate on epididymal function in adult rats. An in vitro demonstration
It was recently demonstrated that the Leydig cell toxicant ethane dimethanesulphonate (EDS) produces multiple effects on the epididymis after a single in vivo exposure. To determine whether any of the perturbations were mediated by a direct action of the compound, we used a novel system for the coculture of epididymal epithelial cells and sperm from the caput epididymidis. This system maintains the morphologic integrity and cell polarity of the epididymal epithelial cells before and during coculture, and the sperm recovered after coculture have intact plasma and acrosomal membranes. In addition, several functions required for epididymal sperm maturation are expressed, including the secretion of protein by the epididymal epithelium, the association of secreted protein with the plasma membrane of cocultured sperm, and the acquisition of progressive motility by cocultured sperm. In vitro exposure of epididymal epithelial cells and sperm to EDS results in a significant decline in protein secretion by the epithelial cells during coculture, and in particular, a dose-dependent decline in a 36- to 38-kd protein (PI 4.0 to 4.5) and a 34- to 36-kd protein (PI 4.5 to 5.0). Moreover, these and other proteins are not recovered from the sperm membrane of cocultured sperm after EDS treatment. Finally, EDS results in a dose-dependent decline in the percentage of both motile and progressively motile sperm recovered after coculture compared with that of sperm from untreated cocultures.
- Research Organization:
- ManTech Environmental Technology, Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC (United States)
- OSTI ID:
- 6692892
- Report Number(s):
- PB-93-141281/XAB; CNN: EPA-68-02-4450
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Pub. in Jnl. of Andrology, Vol. 13, No. 5, 409-421(Sep-Oct 1992). See also PB--91-117572, PB--91-144691, PB--91-191569 and PB--91-207068
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ETHANE
TOXICITY
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY
EPITHELIUM
FUNCTIONS
IN VITRO
IN VIVO
MATURATION
MEMBRANE PROTEINS
MEMBRANES
PLASMA
RATS
SECRETION
SPERMATOZOA
STATISTICAL DATA
ALKANES
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANIMALS
BODY
DATA
GAMETES
GERM CELLS
HYDROCARBONS
INFORMATION
MAMMALS
MICROSCOPY
NUMERICAL DATA
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
PROTEINS
RODENTS
TISSUES
VERTEBRATES
560300* - Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology