Biology of Reproduction, Vol 33, 477-485, Copyright © 1985 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

ARTICLES

Lectin staining of rat testis and epididymis after ligation of excurrent ducts at different levels

T Vanha-Perttula and M Arya

Seven rhodamine-conjugated lectins (PNA, RCA I, SBA, Con A, WGA, UEA I, and DBA; see Table 1) were utilized in studying the staining pattern of glycoproteins in rat testis and epididymis after ligation of ductuli efferentes (DE), corpus epididymidis (CE), and vas deferens (VD) for various time periods. Ductuli efferentes ligation caused a widening of seminferous tubules and detachment of spermatids with formation of multinuclear cells. These cells acquired a strong affinity for all lectins. Corpus epididymidis ligation also caused degeneration of spermatids with increased lectin staining in some tubules, but after 7 days another cell population close to the periphery of seminiferous tubules showed an increased nuclear affinity for some lectins followed by a clear degeneration and strong cytoplasmic staining with all lectins. Vas deferens ligation caused no degenerative changes in testicular spermatids. However, the peripheral cell population showed degenerative changes similar to those found after CE ligation. In both cases this was coincident with the formation of spermatic granulomas at the site of ligation. Ductuli efferentes ligation caused a gradual decrease of intratubular content in caput epididymidis, while the contrary was true after CE ligation. The latter was associated with intratubular accumulation of lectin-positive swollen cells and sperm aggregates as well as an increased lectin staining of narrow cells in initial segment and light cells in distal caput. After VD ligation an increased staining of light cells was initially found in distal cauda and distal caput, but, concomitant with distension of the tubules this reaction decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)