title: Effect of storage media and storage time on histological and ultrastructural changes in cat epididymal cells.
abstract: The aim of this study was to assess the histological and ultrastructural changes in cat epididymides (n = 22) stored at 4 °C in two different media [saline solution (SAL) or tris-egg yolk (TEY)]. Our hypothesis was that epididymides stored in TEY would have delayed epithelial cell autolysis. Four epididymides were fixed and processed immediately, and the remaining 18 epididymides were stored at 4 °C in SAL or TEY for 24, 48 or 72 h. In histological sections, the nuclear features and stereocilia morphology were scored from 0 to 3. Ultrastructurally, nuclear chromatin and stereocilia morphology were scored from 0 to 3. In addition, using transmission electron microscopy nuclear number, nuclear area, mitochondrial number and mitochondrial area were recorded. In the histological study, parameters changed with time and media (p < 0.01). A significant effect of time was observed (p < 0.01), and the morphological changes were greatest when the storage time increased. Morphological changes were higher in SAL compared with TEY (p < 0.01). In the ultrastructural study, nuclear chromatin and stereocilia morphology decreased with time and media as in the histological study (p < 0.01). In addition, nuclear number and nuclear area changed with time (p < 0.004; p < 0.001) but not with media. Conversely, mitochondrial number and mitochondrial area did not change with media or time (p > 0.05). In conclusion, these results show that TEY preserved epididymal epithelial cells better than SAL; this finding could help improve sperm quality of stored epididymides.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Reproducción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Tittarelli
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Jurado
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nuñez-Favre
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Bonaura
authors.forename: R L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: de la Sota
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stornelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D002478:Cells, Cultured / Q000502:physiology*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000737:chemistry*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media