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Zoological Research
Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences
ISSN: 2095-8137
Vol. 32, No. 6, 2011, pp. 663-669
Bioline Code: zr11096
Full paper language: Chinese
Document type: Report
Document available free of charge

Zoological Research, Vol. 32, No. 6, 2011, pp. 663-669

 en Histological and immunocytochemical study of deferens ducts in the Chinese rat snake ( Zaocys dhumnades check for this species in other resources )
LIANG, Gang; LIU, Qiao-Qiao; YU, Hu-Hu & WANG, Qiong-Xia

Abstract

To investigate the relationship between structure and function of the deferens ducts in the Chinese rat snake ( Zaocys dhumnades check for this species in other resources ), morphological changes within an annual cycle were observed by routine histological techniques. Also, the correlation of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and aromatase (Ar) expressions in the vas deferens and testis were studied immunohistochemically. To confirm that the sperm and the spherical structure existed in deferens ducts, we also used routine histological technique observed deferens ducts in the Striped-tailed rat-snake (Elaphe taeniura), Red-banded snake ( Dinodon rufozonatum check for this species in other resources ), and Tiger-spotted neck-troughed snake ( Rhabdophis tigrina lateralis check for this species in other resources ). The results showed that the deferens ducts of the Chinese Rat Snake were composed of efferent duct, epididymal duct and vas deferens. Efferent duct contained sperm from August-October, and the sperm were observed in the epididymal duct from August-the following January. Throughout the year (except July) a large number of sperm were present in the vas deferens where a previously unreported spherical structure formed by spermatids was observed, which showed no significant differences in the IOD values of AR-, ER-, PR- and Ar-immunoreactivities. Since the spermatids in the spherical structure were undergoing spermatogenesis and this phenomenon also existed in the Striped-tailed rat-snake and Red-banded snake, the term, seminiferous spherule, was named for this spherical structure This study demonstrated that the testis was the main site for snake spermiogenesis, and the seminiferous spherule in vas deferens was the other Both the epididymis and vas deferens stored sperm; however, the vas deferens was the main organ for sperm storage.

Keywords
Snakes, Deferens ducts, Histology, Spermiogenesis, Sperm storage

 
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