[Effect of the epididymis on male fertility]

Out of the publications of the last three years concerning the influence of the epididymis on the male fertility those with practical relevance were reviewed. Several qualities of the spermatozoa were influenced by the epididymis: the metabolism, the functions of cell membrane, the fertilizing capacity, the ability to bind to zonae pellucidae of the oocytes and the motility. The motility depends on the electrolytes, androgenes, cAMP-system and the forward motility protein in the epididymis. Furthermore investigations exist dealing with the inhibition of the maturation of spermatozoa during the epididymal transit as a mean of contraception. The conclusion is supported that male fertility demands only a weak or a reversible disturbance of the epididymis. An other possibility would be the in vitro maturation of testicular spermatozoa.