title: Different locations of RANTES and its receptors on mouse epididymal spermatozoa.
abstract: Our previous study showed that the chemokine regulated upon activation normal T-cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) originating from the mouse epididymis bound to the midpiece of luminal spermatozoa. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association between RANTES and epididymal spermatozoa and to determine whether the association is mediated by the RANTES receptors CCR1, CCR3 or CCR5. The use of reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), immunohistochemical staining and immunofluorescent staining demonstrated that RANTES secreted by apical and narrow cells of mouse epididymal ducts was associated with luminal spermatozoa. Flow cytometric analysis and immunofluorescent labelling revealed that the association between RANTES and spermatozoa of different regions weakened gradually as the spermatozoa moved along the epididymis. Moreover, CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5 were expressed in epididymal spermatozoa and located on the head of epididymal spermatozoa, while RANTES was generally located at the midpiece. In conclusion, RANTES and its receptors were not in the same sperm location, suggesting that RANTES binding to mouse epididymal spermatozoa is independent of CCR1, CCR3 and CCR5.
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.|These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors: Jin-Hua
authors: JH
authors: Wei
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.|These authors contributed equally to this work.
authors: Xiao
authors: X
authors: Feng
authors: Research Center for Reproductive Medicine, 202 Hospital of PLA, No. 5, Guangrong Street, Shenyang 110003, China.
authors: Zhi-Jian
authors: ZJ
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors: Pang
authors: P
authors: Cheng
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors: Bin-Fang
authors: BF
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Zhao
authors: Department of Stomatology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.
authors: Yu-Hang
authors: YH
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.|Corresponding authors. Emails.
authors: Yuan-Qiang
authors: YQ
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Human Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, The Fourth Military Medical University, No. 169, Changle West Road, Xi'an 710032, China.|Corresponding authors. Emails.
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Li
keywords: CCR1; CCR3; CCR5; epididymis