Ford J, Carnes K, Hess R A
Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA.
Andrology. 2014 Jul;2(4):510-20. doi: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2014.00194.x. Epub 2014 Mar 28.
Efferent ductules are responsible for the transportation of spermatozoa from the testis to the epididymis and their epithelium is responsible for the reabsorption of over 90% of the luminal fluid. The purpose of this research was to characterize the gross morphology and histology of efferent ductules in the male Golden Syrian hamster. The efferent ductules emerge from rete testis with a unique polarity at the apex or cephalic pole of the testis. The number of efferent ductules varied from 3 to 10 with an average of 6.0 and blind ending ducts were observed in approximately 56% of the males. The ductules merged into a single common duct prior to entering the caput epididymidis. The proximal efferent ductule lumen was wider than the distal (conus and common ducts), consistent with reabsorption of most of the luminal fluid, as was morphology of the ductal epithelium. Non-ciliated cells in the proximal region had prominent endocytic apparatuses, showing both coated pits and apical tubules in the apical cytoplasm. Large basolateral, intercellular spaces were also present in the epithelium of the proximal region. Distal non-ciliated cells had an abundance of large endosomes and lysosomal granules. Localisation of sodium/hydrogen exchanger-3 (NHE3; SLC9A3) and aquaporins 1 and 9 (AQP1, AQP9) along the microvillus border was also consistent with ion transport and fluid reabsorption by this epithelium. In comparison, the caput epididymidis epithelium expressed only AQP9 immunostaining. Another unusual feature of the hamster efferent ductules was the presence of glycogen aggregates in the basal cytoplasm of small groups of epithelial cells, but only in the proximal ducts near the rete testis. Androgen (AR), estrogen (ESR1 and ESR2) and vitamin D receptors (VDR) were also abundant in epithelial nuclei of proximal and distal efferent ductules. In comparison, caput epididymidis showed very little immunostaining for ESR1.
输出小管负责将精子从睾丸输送到附睾，其上皮细胞负责重吸收超过90%的管腔液。本研究的目的是描述雄性金黄地鼠输出小管的大体形态和组织学特征。输出小管从睾丸网发出，在睾丸的顶端或头极具有独特的极性。输出小管的数量从3到10不等，平均为6.0，约56%的雄性观察到盲端管。这些小管在进入附睾头之前合并成一条单一的总管。近端输出小管的管腔比远端（圆锥部和总管）宽，这与大部分管腔液的重吸收一致，导管上皮的形态也是如此。近端区域的非纤毛细胞具有突出的内吞装置，在顶端细胞质中可见包被小窝和顶端小管。近端区域上皮细胞的基底外侧也存在大的细胞间隙。远端非纤毛细胞有大量的大的内体和溶酶体颗粒。钠/氢交换体3（NHE3；SLC9A3）以及水通道蛋白1和9（AQP1、AQP9）沿微绒毛边界的定位也与该上皮细胞的离子转运和液体重吸收一致。相比之下，附睾头上皮仅表达AQP9免疫染色。仓鼠输出小管的另一个不寻常特征是在小群上皮细胞的基底细胞质中存在糖原聚集体，但仅在靠近睾丸网的近端小管中存在。雄激素（AR）、雌激素（ESR1和ESR2）和维生素D受体（VDR）在近端和远端输出小管的上皮细胞核中也很丰富。相比之下，附睾头对ESR1的免疫染色很少。
