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Human Reproduction, Vol. 14, No. 6, 1522-1527, June 1999
© 1999 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

Androgen regulation of glycosidase secretion in epithelial cell cultures from human epididymis

E.A. Castellón1,3 and C.C. Huidobro2

1 Physiology and Biophysics Program, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Chile, PO Box 70005, Postal Code 6530499, and 2 Las Condes Clinic, Lo Fontecilla 441, Santiago, Chile

The human epididymis and its secretions actively promote sperm fertilizing capacity and provide protection for spermatozoa against harmful influences. Among epididymal secretions, glycosidases have been recently studied and associated with molecular changes on the sperm surface. In the present work, we studied the influence of different concentrations of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and cyproterone acetate on the secretion of {alpha}-glucosidase, N-acetyl-glucosaminidase, ß-glucuronidase and {alpha}-mannosidase by isolated and cultured epithelial cells from human caput, corpus and cauda epididymides. Cell cultures were obtained from aggregates of isolated tubule fragments plated on extracellular matrix-covered multi-well plates. Activities of the glycosidases were measured in conditioned culture media and were higher in the distal regions of the epididymis. Testosterone and dihydrotestosterone significantly increase the enzyme secretion in a concentration-dependent manner. This increase was higher in corpus and/or cauda than in caput epididymis. Cyproterone acetate caused a dose-dependent decrease in glycosidase secretion in cultures from all epididymal regions. It is concluded that the secretion of epididymal glycosidases is regulated by androgen, being stimulated by dihydrotestosterone and testosterone and inhibited by the androgen antagonist cyproterone acetate.

Key words: androgens/antiandrogens/cell culture/glycosidases/human epididymis

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed


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