Light (LM) and electron (EM) microscope immunocytochemistry were used to investigate the distribution of SGP-2 in the rete testis, efferent ducts and epididymis. Intense immunolabeling was observed in the apical and supranuclear regions of the epithelial cells lining the rete testis and efferent ducts which, under EM observation, corresponded to a labeling of the cell's endocytic apparatus. Sperm in the lumen of the efferent ducts were unreactive. The strongest immunolabeling was observed in the caput epididymidis, but demonstrated variable intensities of labeling from cell to cell. More detailed EM observation of labeled principal cells revealed gold particles over the cell's secretory apparatus. / Results suggest that testicular SGP-2 dissociates from sperm during passage through the rete testis and efferent ducts, where it is endocytosed by the epithelial cells lining these regions. Testicular SGP-2 is subsequently replaced by epididymal SGP-2, which is secreted by epididymal principal cells. Furthermore, the principal cells of the epididymis appear to be in different functional states with respect to the secretion of epididymal SGP-2 within a given region and in different regions of the duct.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.60671 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Wright, Janice Gail |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Science (Department of Anatomy.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001266007, proquestno: AAIMM74509, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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