Description
Springer The Epididymis Sperm Maturation and Fertilisation 1st Editon 2011 Softbound by Trevor G. Cooper
The epididymis has great significance in the reproductive biology of the male and it is gaining recognition as an organ worthy of study in its own right - where the secretory and absorptive activities of one tissue (the epithelium) profoundly modify the function of another (the spermatozoon). Apart from cases of epididymal agenesis or physical blockage, however, it is not yet known to what extent mal functions of the epididymis contribute to 'unexplained' male infer tility, but its importance as a target for antifertility agents in the male is now widely appreciated. This monograph evolved from two lectures on epididymal func tion given at the National Research Institute for Family Planning, Beijing and the Sichuan Provincial Family Planning Research Insti tute, Chengdu, China in 1983. In order to stress for this audience the central importance of the epididymis in fertilisation, and so highlight its potential for attack by antifertility agents, the talks attempted to put the epididymis in reproductive perspective by stressing the func tional development of the sperm cells during their sojourn in the epididymis, rather than merely listing the changes observed in them. I. Maturation of Spermatozoa in the Epididymis.- 1. Acquisition in the Epididymis of Sperm Fertilising Ability.- 2. Involvement of the Epididymis in the Development of Sperm Fertilising Ability.- 3. The Nature of the Androgen-Dependent Epididymal Secretions Involved.- 4. Response of Immature Spermatozoa to Epididymal Secretions.- 5. Scope of this Review.- 6. Summary.- 7. References.- II. Fertilisation.- A. Sperm Motility.- B. Capacitation.- C. Consequences of Capacitation. I. Sperm-Egg Binding.- D. Consequences of Capacitation. II. The Acrosome Reaction.- E. Consequences of Capacitation. III. Hyperactivation.- F. Sperm-Egg Fusion.- G. Post-Fusion Events.- III. Function of the Epididymis and Its Secretory Products.- A. Epididymal Structure and Function.- B. Secretion of Steroids by the Epididymis.- C. Resorption and Secretion of Ions by the Epididymis.- D. Epididymal Secretion of Glycerophosphocholine (GPC).- E. Epididymal Secretion of Carnitine.- F. Epididymal Secretion of myo-Inositol.- G. Epididymal Secretion and Resorption of Proteins.- IV. Conclusions.- Appendix I (Tables 1–21).- Appendix II (Figures 1–8).