Active spermiophagy in the initial part of the proximal efferent duct of the epididymis of normal domestic fowl (Gallus domesticus)

In a study of the absorptive activities of the excurrent ducts of the testis of birds, six adult cocks of the Ovambo breed of domestic fowl were deeply anaesthetised and intravascularly perfused with buffered 3 per cent glutaraldehyde. Epididymal tissue was prepared conventionally for electron micro...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Research in veterinary science 2000-04, Vol.68 (2), p.135-140
Main Author: AIRE, T.A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Chickens - immunology
Epididymis - immunology
Epididymis - ultrastructure
Male
Microscopy, Electron
Phagocytosis
Spermatozoa - ultrastructure
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:In a study of the absorptive activities of the excurrent ducts of the testis of birds, six adult cocks of the Ovambo breed of domestic fowl were deeply anaesthetised and intravascularly perfused with buffered 3 per cent glutaraldehyde. Epididymal tissue was prepared conventionally for electron microscopy. In favourable sections in three of these birds avid ingestion of spermatozoa was revealed in the non-ciliated (Type I) cells of the epithelial lining of the initial part of the proximal efferent duct, at and a little beyond its junction with the rete testis. No obvious defects were detected in luminal spermatozoa. The testicular excurrent ducts were neither distended nor obstructed, and mononuclear cell mobilisation was absent in both the ductal and periductal tissue. The significance of this observation with regard to the specific segment of the efferent duct system involved and how certain spermatozoa are identified for elimination from the duct lumen, must await precise studies.
ISSN:0034-5288
1532-2661
DOI:10.1053/rvsc.1999.0348