Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Estrogens and epididymal function.

R A Hess1, Q Zhou, R Nie

  • 1Reproductive Biology and Toxicology, Veterinary Biosciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61802-6199, USA. r-hess@uiuc.edu

Reproduction, Fertility, and Development
|January 22, 2002
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Energy Spectrum of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays across Declinations -90° to +44.8° as Measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Physical review letters·2026
Same author

Perimesencephalic Hemorrhagic-Pontine Infarction Syndrome: Miler Fisher's Hint to Subarachnoid Paramedian Artery Rupture-A Case Report.

Case reports in neurological medicine·2025
Same author

Digital proficiency and educational needs of Portuguese radiation therapists.

Radiography (London, England : 1995)·2025
Same author

Cross-cultural similarities and differences in level of personality functioning across eight countries.

Psychology, health & medicine·2025
Same author

Search for the Anomalous Events Detected by ANITA Using the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Physical review letters·2025
Same author

Inference of the Mass Composition of Cosmic Rays with Energies from 10^{18.5} to 10^{20}  eV Using the Pierre Auger Observatory and Deep Learning.

Physical review letters·2025

Estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) is crucial for male fertility, regulating fluid transport in the reproductive tract. Its inhibition causes reduced sperm concentration and infertility.

Area of Science:

  • Reproductive Biology
  • Endocrinology
  • Molecular Biology

Background:

  • Estrogen is present in the male reproductive system, targeting estrogen receptors (ER) in the efferent ductules.
  • ERalpha is abundant in efferent ductules, while both ERalpha and ERbeta are found throughout the male reproductive tract.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of ERalpha in the adult male reproductive tract.
  • To define the specific functions of ERalpha in fluid transport and cellular processes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized transgenic ER knockout mice (alphaERKO and betaERKO) and adult male mice treated with the antiestrogen ICI 182,780.
  • Examined alterations in the efferent ductules and epididymis in response to ERalpha inhibition.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • AlphaERKO mice exhibited significantly altered efferent ductules with inhibited fluid reabsorption and reduced endocytic organelles.
  • Antiestrogen treatment demonstrated ERalpha's role in regulating non-ciliated cells of efferent ductules and epididymal cells.
  • Inhibition of ERalpha function led to decreased sperm concentrations and infertility.

Conclusions:

  • ERalpha plays a critical role in male reproductive tract function, particularly in fluid transport within the efferent ductules.
  • ERalpha inhibition negatively impacts sperm production and leads to infertility.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate the precise mechanisms of estrogen action and the contribution of androgens in the male reproductive tract.