Presence Of Androgen-binding Protein Research Articles

The Structure and Hormone Expression of Male Accessory Reproductive Glands of the Sunda Porcupine (Hystrix Javanica)

This research was to investigate the histological structure of male accessory reproductive glands of the Sunda porcupine and verify the presence of testosterone and Androgen Binding Protein (ABP) with immunolocalization. The research used three accessory reproductive gland samples of male Sunda porcupine. Tissues were processed using paraffin method and stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin and Immunohistochemistry methods. The histological structure and distribution of testosterone and ABP were analyzed descriptively. This research showed that male accessory reproductive glands of the Sunda porcupine are seminal vesicle, prostate, and bulbourethral glands. The seminal vesicle was lined by simple columnar epithelium, prostate was lined by simple columnar epithelium or simple cuboidal epithelium, and bulbourethral gland was lined by simple cuboidal epithelium. The presence of testosterone was found in adenomere cells of seminal vesicle and prostate glands; and in interstitial tissue of bulbourethral gland. The presence of ABP was detected in the adenomere cells of the bulbourethral gland. The male accessory reproductive glands of Sunda porcupine has been identified which consist of seminal vesicle, prostate, and bulbourethral glands. The immunolocalization of testosterone was found in adenomere cells of seminal vesicle and prostate glands, and ABP was detected in bulbourethral gland. Keywords: Androgen binding protein, Bulbourethral, Hystrix javanica , Prostate, Seminal vesicle, Testosterone DOI : 10.7176/ALST/78-04 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

The presence of androgen-binding protein in the guinea-pig testis, epididymis and epididymal fluid

Androgen-binding protein (ABP) is present in the guinea-pig testis, epididymis and epididymal fluid. Guinea-pig ABP sediments as an approx. 4.6S species on sucrose gradients containing 0.01 M KCl. Electrophoresis on non-denaturing polyacrylamide gels indicated that specific androgen binding was present in epididymal cytosol, but not in plasma. Time-course studies indicated that binding equilibrium is approached in about 2.5 h; the dissociation half-time of [ 3H]5α-DHT from guinea-pig ABP is 5.64 ± 0.62 h ( n= 6) at 4°C. The relative affinities of some steroids for guinea-pig ABP in relation to 5 α-DHT = 1 are: testosterone = 0.55 ± 0.13 ( n = 4), estradiol = 0.14 ± 0.03 ( n = 4), the antiandrogen cyproterone acetate = 0.0025 ± 0.0002 ( n= 3). Guinea-pig ABP exhibited an equilibrium dissociation constant of 6.34 ± 0.52 nM ( n =3) at 4°C and there were 3.43 ± 0.78 ( n = 3) pmoles of binding sites per mg of protein when homogenates of the whole epididymis were assayed. The concentration of ABP was lowest in the caput-corpus region of the epididymis, highest in the proximal cauda, and intermediate in the distal cauda. Essentially all of the ABP present in the distal cauda was intraluminal, as evidenced by the fact that flushing of the duct eliminated most of the [ 3H]5α-DHT binding activity.

Androgen binding protein (ABP) in fluids collected from the rete testis and cauda epididymidis of sexually mature and immature rabbits and observations on morphological changes in the epididymis following ligation of the ductuli efferentes.

Fluids entering and leaving the epididymis were obtained from sexually mature and immature rabbits and examined for the presence of androgen binding protein (ABP). In mature animals and in immature animals in which fluid secretion by the testis had begun, estimated concentrations of the binding moiety in rete testis fluid were similar. In contrast, ABP concentrations in fluids from the cauda epididymidis varied considerably: in immature males the ABP concentration was much higher than that in rete testis fluid, but fell drastically to lower levels at sexual maturity. The androgen binding moiety in both fluids at both stages of development was shown to have similar specificities for steroids. The variability in ABP concentration that was observed was not a function of either the method used or of endogenous steroids present in the fluids. The histological studies suggest that the normal morphological characteristics of the proximal region of the epididymis of the maturing male rabbit are dependent upon passage of fluid of testicular origin through its lumen. Possible explanations for the differences in ABP concentration in the fluid from the cauda epididymidis of immature and adult rabbits are discussed, as are possible functions of ABP.