The epididymis as a target for male contraceptive development.
The epididymis is an excellent target for the development of a male contraceptive. This is because the process of sperm maturation occurs in this organ; spermatozoa become motile and are able to recognise and fertilise an egg once they have traversed the epididymal duct. However, a number of attempts to interfere in sperm maturation and epididymal function or both have not been successful. The use of transgenic animals has proved useful in identifying a few epididymal targets but has yet to open the doors for drug development. Continuous focus on identifying additional epididymal targets and sperm-specific and epididymal-specific drugs is key to bringing a male contraceptive acting on the epididymis to the public.
Hinton
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BT
Department of Cell Biology, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA. bth7c@virginia.edu
Cooper
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TG
D000818:Animals; D001814:Blood-Testis Barrier / Q000502:physiology; D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic
D003272:Contraceptive Agents, Male; D030501:Epididymal Secretory Proteins