This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MILLAR, R. P. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MILLAR, R. P.

DEGRADATION OF SPERMATOZOA IN THE EPIDIDYMIS OF A SEASONALLY BREEDING MAMMAL, THE ROCK HYRAX, PROCAVIA CAPENSIS

Several authors have observed that the incidence of dead and decapitate spermatozoa in the more proximal regions of the epididymis is higher than in the cauda epididymidis and ductus deferens (see Glover, 1961; Roussel, Stallcup & Austin, 1967). These findings suggest that, if spermatozoa die during transit through the epididymis, they are removed from the lumen of the duct before they reach the cauda epididymidis. There has been considerable speculation as to how this might be achieved, and entry of spermatozoa into the epididymal epithelium has been reported (Phadke, 1964; Nicander, 1965; Crabo, Gustafsson, Nicander & Rao, 1971), while ingestion of supposedly dead spermatozoa by macrophages (`spermiophages') has also been described (Phadke & Phadke, 1961; Phadke, 1964, Roussel et al., 1967). In normal circumstances, relatively few macrophages are seen in mammalian epididymides, but then only a small proportion of the sperm population will need to be removed. In experimental