Vascular permeability to effectors of the immune system in the male rat reproductive tract at puberty.
The net movements and distribution volumes of IgG in the pubertal rat testis and epididymis were measured using physiological techniques. A new method to calculate vascular permeabilities was developed. The volume of testicular extracellular fluid accessible to IgG (Veq, microliters/g) increased between 20 and 30 days of age and remained above 20-day-old levels. Estimates of the surface areas of the exchange vessels (S, cm2) increased with age, most between 20 and 30 days of age. The speed at which equilibrium between tissue extracellular fluid and serum was reached (K, min-1) increased between 20 and 30 days and decreased between 44 and 60 days of age. The lymph flow (QL) and estimates of permeabilities (P) to IgG increased between 20 and 30 days of age and remained high. In the caput epididymidis Veq increased between 30 and 60 days and S between 44 and 60 days of age, but K increased between 30 and 44 days and decreased between 44 and 60 days of age. QL and the estimates of P increased between 20 and 44 days of age and remained at that level. In the corpus epididymidis, Veq did not change with age, but S increased between 30 and 60 days and K, QL and P between 20 and 44 days of age. In the cauda epididymidis, there were no obvious changes in Veq with age, but the estimates of S increased and K values decreased between 44 and 60 days of age. QL and P increased between 30 and 44 days and then decreased. After 30 days of age the values for Veq, K, QL and S were larger in the testis than in the cauda, whereas P at 44 days of age was not different. The number of perivascular mononuclear cell infiltrate profiles per 1000 epididymal tubule cross-sections increased with age in the caput epididymidis, but no infiltrates were observed in the corpus or cauda before 60 days of age. It is concluded that the observed increases in vascular permeability to IgG with age in the testis, caput and corpus reflect the function of the microvessels rather than an increase in the size of the vascular bed.
Pöllänen
P
P
Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Westfalian Wilhelms-University, Münster, Germany.
Cooper
T G
TG
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D002199:Capillary Permeability; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000502:physiology; D004822:Epididymis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D008196:Lymph / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G