Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 17, 2026
Mouse Models of Epididymitis Induced by Pathogen-Associated Molecular Patterns
Published on: December 12, 2025
Effects of bilateral vasectomy on the interleukin 1 system in mouse epididymis
Yeong Seok Oh1, Eun Ju Na1, Myung Chan Gye1
1Department of Life Science and Research Institute for Natural Sciences, Hanyang University, Seoul, Korea.
Problem:
Regional difference in the inflammatory response in vasectomized (VAX) epididymis remains unraveled.
Method Of Study:
Epididymal expression of interleukin 1α (IL1α), IL1β, IL1 receptor antagonist (IL1ra), IL1 receptor 1 (IL1R1), IL6, IL10, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) was examined in bilateral VAX mice by real-time RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry.
Results:
IL1α, IL1β, IL1ra, and IL1R1 were expressed in the epididymal epithelia of normal mice. Following VAX, IL1R1 mRNA was not changed, but TNF-α, IL10, IL1α, IL1β, and IL1ra mRNA were significantly upregulated in whole epididymis, whereas IL6 and TGF-β1 mRNA were significantly increased in corpus and cauda but not in caput epididymis. Consistently, IL1α, IL1β, and IL1ra immunoreactivities were visibly increased in epididymis following VAX.
Conclusion:
Following VAX, IL1α, IL1β, IL1ra, IL10, and TNF-α may mediate immune reaction in whole epididymis, whereas IL6 and TGF-β1 may mediate regionally different immune response primarily in the lower part of epididymis.
