title: The maturation of rabbit epididymal spermatozoa in organ culture: inhibition by antiandrogens and inhibitors of ribonucleic acid and protein synthesis.
abstract: Infertile spermatozoa from the proximal corpus epididymidis will become fertile when this epididymal segment is cultured 24 h in vitro with 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5alpha-DHT). The effect of antiandrogens and inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis upon this 5alpha-DHT-induced sperm maturation was investigated. The response to 5alpha-DHT was abolished by cyproterone acetate, SKF 7690, actinomycin D, cycloheximide, puromycin, and the aminonucleoside analog of puromycin. Addition of cyproterone acetate or actinomycin D to a suspension of distal corpus spermatozoa did not change their fertilizing ability. Culture of segments of the distal corpus for 24 h with the same antiandrogens and RNA and protein synthesis inhibitors did not change the fertilizing ability of spermatozoa. These results indicate that the development of the sperm-fertilizing ability observed in the proximal corpus epididymidis in vitro in response to 5alpha-DHT is dependent upon binding of 5alpha-DHT and synthesis of new RNA and protein molecules by the target cell. They also indicate that antiandrogen and inhibitors of RNA and protein synthesis do not have a nonspecific toxic effect on spermatozoa during the time period studied. It is likely that the target cells are the epididymal epithelial cells rather than the spermatozoa themselves.
mesh_terms: D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D003534:Cyproterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003609:Dactinomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008777:Methyltestosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects; D011691:Puromycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051381:Rats; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D003609:Dactinomycin; D011691:Puromycin; D012313:RNA; D003513:Cycloheximide; D003534:Cyproterone; D008777:Methyltestosterone