Spermatozoa without stress

1993/08/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Osasuna

The spermatozoa acquire the fecundation capacity of the oculus when passing through the epididium that is next to the testicle. The epithelial cells of this long tube release proteins and some of them stick to the sperm.

Two French research groups have recently shown that epididism has another function: protecting sperm from cellular stress caused by oxidation.

Cellular oxidations are mainly due to breathing and weaken the membranes necessary for the sperm to be adequate. Researchers have isolated the gene from a protein released from the epithelial cell. This gene only appears in the epididium and is controlled by a hormone called testosterone.