Antibodies against epididymal glycoproteins block fertilizing ability in rat.
Antiserum against rat androgen-dependent secretory epididymal protein DE (raised in rabbit) was added to suspensions of rat spermatozoa from the cauda epididymidis which were used for artificial insemination. While control spermatozoa fertilized 41.6% of oocytes, those exposed to antiserum to protein DE fertilized only 6.6% (P less than 0.01). An equal amount of normal rabbit serum (NRS) did not cause inhibition (33.1%). To study the entry of antibodies into the epididymis, caudal tubules were cultured for 24 h and the fertility of the contained spermatozoa was assessed by artificial insemination. Culture in Medium 199 alone or with NRS resulted in spermatozoa which fertilized 52% of oocytes while the presence of antiserum to protein DE in the culture medium yielded spermatozoa which fertilized only 16.6% of oocytes (P less than 0.01). These results suggest (1) that the epididymal protein DE might be part of a sperm structure involved in the fertilization process, and (2) that, at least under the present culture conditions, immunoglobulins penetrate the epididymal epithelium in sufficient numbers to reduce fertility significantly.
D000818:Animals; D004822:Epididymis / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011506:Proteins / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology
D007106:Immune Sera; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D011506:Proteins; D029589:Seminal Plasma Proteins; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein