Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Published on: January 17, 2025

Segment-specific morphological changes in aging Brown Norway rat epididymis

V Serre¹, B Robaire

¹Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

Biology of Reproduction

|February 25, 1998

Summary

Aging male rats show significant epididymal changes, including thickening basal membranes and altered cell structures. These histological shifts occur independently of sperm presence, suggesting intrinsic aging mechanisms in epididymal cells.

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

Effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals on gonad development: Mechanistic insights from fish and mammals.

Environmental research·2021

Same author

Process type is the key driver of the fate of organic micropollutants during industrial scale treatment of organic wastes.

The Science of the total environment·2020

Same author

A new era in research on the epididymis.

Andrology·2019

Same author

Stability of the human sperm DNA methylome to folic acid fortification and short-term supplementation.

Human reproduction (Oxford, England)·2016

Same author

The adaptive metabolic response involves specific protein glutathionylation during the filamentation process in the pathogen Candida albicans.

Biochimica et biophysica acta·2016

Same author

Lessons learned in Andrology: Yves Clermont, an interview by Lonnie D. Russell.

Andrology·2016

Area of Science:

Reproductive Biology
Aging Research
Histology

Background:

Spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis decline with age in Brown Norway rats.
Epididymal changes during aging are poorly understood.
Testicular component changes may impact the epididymis.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate age-related histological alterations in the Brown Norway rat epididymis.
To identify segment-specific and cell-specific changes in the aging epididymis.

Main Methods:

Light and electron microscopy of epididymides from rats aged 3 to 24 months.
Quantitative and qualitative histological analysis.

Main Results:

Age-dependent increase in basal membrane thickness and halo cell number.

More Related Videos

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Published on: April 21, 2022

Mass Histology to Quantify Neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Mass Histology to Quantify Neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Published on: December 15, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 19, 2026

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Imaging and Quantifying Mitochondrial Morphology in C. elegans During Aging

Published on: January 17, 2025

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Immunolabeling and Counting Ribbon Synapses in Young Adult and Aged Gerbil Cochleae

Published on: April 21, 2022

Mass Histology to Quantify Neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Mass Histology to Quantify Neurodegeneration in Drosophila

Published on: December 15, 2016

Segment-specific cellular changes observed, including basal cell pseudopods, lysosome accumulation in clear and principal cells, and giant lysosomes in apical cells.

Vacuoles containing sperm debris noted in proximal cauda principal cells.

Conclusions:

Aging epididymis exhibits characteristic aging features and immune system activation.
Observed changes are cell- and segment-specific.
Epididymal aging may involve intrinsic mechanisms within epithelial cells, preceding sperm loss.