Characteristics of epididymal epithelium in the adult roe-buck (Capreolus capreolus L.)
Gentile, R.; Sciscioli, V. de Metrio, G.; Petrosino, G.; Passantino, G.
Bollettino della Societa Italiana di Biologia Sperimentale 64(3): 273-280
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0037-8771 PMID: 3190889 Document Number: 311851
The authors describe the structure and the microanatomy of the epididimis in roe-buck. The epididimis is surrounded by the tunica albuginea which forms the connective tissue septa. These septa surround the channel of epididimis and form the basal lamina of the epithelium. The epididimis is divided in three segments: proximal part, corpus and cauda. The different tracts of the epididimis are covered by an epithelium which presents significant histological differences. In fact in the first tract the epithelium is pseudostratified being formed by basal, principal and apical cells; all these cells rest on the basal lamina but their nuclei are arranged at variable height. The basal cells are roundish and rest on the basal lamina. The principal cells are constituted by a columnar epithelium extending from basal lamina to the lumen and show evident stereocilia. The apical cells are less numerous and are located among the principal cells; they are homologable to those generally described in electron microscopy as mitochondria rich cells. The epithelium is lower in the second tract than in the first one and the apical cells are less numerous or nearly absent. In the last tract the basal lamina arises into folds that protrude into the lumen. Besides there are numerous epithelial crypts that have been previously described only in the bull, in the camel and in the cat. Futhermore the microanatomical results are discussed and compared with similar histological features described in other animals.