Abstract
1. 1. Membrane potentials were measured from rat epididymal epithelial cells in vitro at 35°C using micro-electrodes. The values obtained from the caput epididymis and the cauda epididymis were respectively −21.10 ± 0.26 mV (mean ± S.E. N = 470) and −30.53 ± 0.74 mV (mean ± S.E. N = 315). 2. 2. An increase in external potassium concentration depolarized the cells in both regions, a ten-fold increase in concentration causing a depolarization of 12mV in the caput and 22 mV in the cauda. 3. 3. Removal of sodium from the bathing solution caused a significant hyperpolarization in both regions as did treatment of the cells with amiloride (10 −4M). 4. 4. Ouabain (10 −3M) and 2,4-dinitrophenol (2.5 × 10 −4M) depolarized the cells in both regions. 5. 5. Castration caused a decrease in the membrane potentials which could be reversed by replacing rats with testosterone propionate (2 mg/kg per day), indicating that membrane potentials in the cauda epididymis were dependent on the supply of circulating androgens.
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