title: Ultrastructural interaction between spermatozoon and human oviductal cells in vitro.
abstract: The oviduct is an important organ for successful mammalian reproduction. In this work, human oviducts were inseminated and their explants analyzed using scanning electron microscopy in order to study, at a finer ultrastructual level, the interaction between spermatozoon and oviduct in vitro. Results show unequivocally a spermatozoon tightly attached through the acrosomal region of its head to several cilia of the human tubal epithelial cells. This finding proves that spermatozoa do indeed adhere to the endosalpinx, a fact of utmost relevance for the physiology of the reproductive process, since it supports the idea of a spermatozoa reservoir being formed in the oviduct, which is also briefly discussed.
authors.affiliation: Programa Teen STAR de Educación en Afectividad y Sexualidad, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Alameda B. O'Higgins 340, Santiago, Chile. pvigil@uc.cl
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vigil
authors.forename: Ana María
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Salgado
authors.forename: Manuel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cortés
mesh_terms: D000177:Acrosome / Q000648:ultrastructure; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002923:Cilia / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D004848:Epithelium / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure*