Abstract
In 1926, pioneering studies by Benoit demonstrated that the epididymis is dependent on an unknown testicular substance for maintenance of its structure and functions; the ratio of nucleus/cytoplasm in the mouse epididymis decreased after birth, as the epididymis differentiated, and increased dramatically after orchidectomy, as the epididymis dedifferentiated (Benoit, 1926). This regulatory substance was identified five years later as testosterone (Butenandt, 1931). Since then, over a thousand papers have appeared on the response of the epididymis in numerous mammals on a wide variety of endpoints, ranging from morphological to biochemical and molecular, to androgen withdrawal and replacement. In this review, we shall focus first on selected key effects of androgen withdrawal and administration on the structure and functions of the epididymis and then discuss the mechanism by which androgens mediate their actions in this tissue.
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Ezer, N., Robaire, B. (2002). Androgenic Regulation of the Structure and Functions of the Epididymis. In: Robaire, B., Hinton, B.T. (eds) The Epididymis: From Molecules to Clinical Practice. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0679-9_17
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