Immunolocalization of androgen and vitamin D receptors in the epididymis of mature ram (Ovis aries)

Yasmine Asaad Mansour; El-Sayed M M Mosallam; Shaymaa Hussein; Ebtihal M M Elleithy; Ihab M Moussa; Ayman S Mubarak; Turki M Dawoud; Roua A Alsubki; Jwaher H Alhaji; Hassan A Hemeg; Gehad A H El-Bargeesy

doi:10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.09.051

Immunolocalization of androgen and vitamin D receptors in the epididymis of mature ram (Ovis aries)

Saudi J Biol Sci. 2021 Jan;28(1):217-223. doi: 10.1016/j.sjbs.2020.09.051. Epub 2020 Oct 9.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Cytology and Histology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt.
² Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
³ Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 11221, Egypt.
⁴ Department of Clinical Laboratory Science, Chair of Medical and Molecular Genetics Research, College of Applied Medical Science, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia.
⁵ Department of Health Science, College of Applied Studies and Community Service, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
⁶ Department of Medical Technology/Microbiology, College of Applied Medical Science, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

This study illustrated the immunohistochemical distribution of androgen and vitamin D receptors of epididymis in 20 sexually mature ram (Rahmani breed) with average age ranged from (2^_4) years and average weight ranged from (50^_65kg). Androgen receptor was localized in the cytoplasm of both ciliated and non ciliated cells of efferent ductules, besides the principal cells via the entire epididymal duct. The principal cells of both corpus and proximal cauda epididymis showed the highest immunoreactivity to androgen receptors. Furthermore, vitamin D receptor was localized in the cytoplasm of all epithelium of the efferent ductules besides principal cells of all epididymal regions, however the immunoreaction was significantly higher in the efferent ductules, distal caput and distal cauda epididymis. In conclusion, these results suggest that the function of ram epididymis is regulated by both androgen and Vitamin D.

Keywords: Androgen receptor; Epididymis; Ram; Vitamin D receptor.