Morphometric study and immunolocalization of androgen receptors in epididymis during postnatal development in d"man lamb reared under arid environment in algeria

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine the morphometry and the immunolocalization of androgen receptors in the epididymis of D"Man lamb during postnatal development. The epididymis was collected at the slaughtering lamb, aged of 2 to 5 month. The weight of the epididymis increased with a significant difference at 3 months. The tubular diameter of the corpus and the cauda epididymal tubules increased respectively from 2 till 4 months, and from 2 till 5 months. The luminal diameters of the caput epididymal tubules increased significantly at 3 months. The luminal diameters of the corpus and cauda epididymal tubules increased significantly from 3 and 4 months respectively. The epithelial height of the caput and cauda epididymal tubules increased significatively at 5 months. The epithelial height of the corpus epididymal tubules increased significantly at 3 months. The androgen receptor immunostaining was localized in nuclei and cytoplasm of epithelial cells, smooth muscle cells and in the cytoplasm of interstitial cells of the epididymis at each age. In conclusion, both the morphometric changes and androgen receptors immunolocalization during the postnatal development of epididymis indicated the necessity of androgens for postnatal differentiation and maintaining the structure of the epididymis.

Keywords

• epididymis
• morphometry
• androgen receptor
• immunohistochemistry
• postnatal development
• d