Changes in sialic acid levels in the dog epididymides under normal and altered physiologic conditions

Sialic acid is secreted by the caput, corpus and cauda epididymides of an adult mature dog. 2- alpha-Chlorohydrin administration results in a considerable reduction in the sialic acid content of the epididymides. 3- Single subcutaneous injection of CdCl2 depletes the content of caput epididymides. Whereas in the corpus and cauda region, the sialic acid contents did not change. 4- The epididymides of caput and cauda ligated side showed a marked decrease in contents of sialic acid as compared with that of non-ligated control epididymides of the same animal. Bilateral vasectomy and 72 hour vascular occlusion resulted in the reduction in the sialic acid content of the epididymides. 5- It is interesting to note that the decrease in sialic acid in the epididymides coincided with the absence of sperms and reduced secretory activity of the luminal epithelium. 6- The significance of these changes is discussed.