In vitro organ culture of rhesus monkey epididymal tubules.

The caput and cauda epididymal tubules of rhesus monkey were cultured for 5 days using a simple organ culture system. The viability of the tubules in culture was established by assessing: (a) the histology of the epididymis; (b) motility and viability of spermatozoa; and (c) scanning electron microscopic morphology of spermatozoa before and at the end of culture. The efficacy of the culture was evaluated by introducing the antiandrogen, cyproterone acetate, into the culture medium. Cyproterone acetate caused degenerative changes in the histology of the epididymis and coiling of the epididymal spermatozoa which may be due to alterations in epididymal milieu.