Disease relevance of Rete Testis

• Relapses were observed in six patients (6.0%) on surveillance and in seven patients (3.3%) treated with carboplatin (0.8% of tumors larger than 4 cm, 9.1% of those involving the rete testis, and 6.0% of patients with both risk criteria) [1].
• Adenocarcinoma of the rete testis. Diethylstilbestrol-induced lesions of the mouse rete testis [2].
• Evidence of interepithelial seminoma spread into the rete testis by immunostaining of paraffin sections with antibodies against cytokeratin and vimentin [3].

High impact information on Rete Testis

• We obtained comparable findings with proteins secreted by the mouse cell line TM4, which is of presumptive Sertoli cell origin, and with proteins present in ram rete testis fluid [4].
• In males, oestrogen is present in low concentrations in blood, but can be extraordinarily high in semen, and as high as 250 pg ml(-1) in rete testis fluids, which is higher than serum oestradiol in the female [5].
• No ABP was detectable in up to 200 mul of monkey rete testis fluid obtained by direct micropuncture, though ABP is detectable in as little as 5 mul of rat rete testis fluid [6].
• Lesions of the rete testis in mice exposed prenatally to diethylstilbestrol [7].
• Purification and characterization of a cell-aggregating factor (clusterin), the major glycoprotein in ram rete testis fluid [8].

Biological context of Rete Testis

• Despite the low concentration of cystatin C in rete testis fluid, equilibrium dissociation constants (Ki) for the interaction between cystatin C and lysosomal cathepsins indicate that this molecule could be involved in the local regulation of testicular cysteine proteinase activity which may be necessary for spermatogenesis and spermiogenesis [9].
• Differences in the two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis pattern of clusterin-like proteins have been reported in rete testis fluid from Booroola rams carrying the fecundity gene FecB, when compared with that from non-carrier rams [10].
• Clusterin, a glycoprotein that elicits cell aggregation, has previously been isolated from ram rete testis fluid, and has been partially characterized [11].
• Studies of the androgen binding protein in the rete testis fluid of the ram and its relation to sexual season [12].
• Clusterin, a glycoprotein originally isolated from ram rete testis fluid, is a dimer composed of monomers with non-identical NH2-terminal amino acid sequences [13].

Anatomical context of Rete Testis

• Combined administration of DES (0.1 micro g) plus GnRHa or flutamide induced significantly greater distension/overgrowth of the rete testis and efferent ducts (ED) and a reduction in epithelial cell height of the ED than did DES (0.1 micro g) administered alone [14].
• This hypothesis is contrary to the long standing 'Tuck' hypothesis which suggested that the source of luminal fluid in the seminiferous tubule originated from secretions of Sertoli cells as well as from distal testicular structures, e.g. the rete testis [15].
• In the marmoset, but not the rat, AQP-1 was also expressed in the epithelium of the rete testis [16].
• Since rete testis fluid entering and cauda epididymal fluid leaving the epididymis contained at least fourfold more oxytocin than testicular venous plasma, it was concluded that regional differences in epithelial concentration of oxytocin may have been masked by oxytocin contained in the luminal fluid [17].
• In control testes, the expression of alpha-inhibin and cytokeratin was limited to a Sertoli cell component and rete testis, respectively [18].

Associations of Rete Testis with chemical compounds

• The structure and function of the efferent ductules are taken into account as these tubules are responsible for the reabsorption of almost 90% of the luminal rete testis fluid [19].
• The facilitated diffusion of testosterone into the rete testis of the ram [proceedings] [20].
• Hypophysectomized rats maintained with 2 mg pregnenolone have low plasma testosterone levels, but rete testis levels are normal [21].
• Effects of gonadotropins on androgen levels in rete testis fluid of the ram [22].
• Cystic transformation and calcium oxalate deposits in rete testis and efferent ducts in dialysis patients [23].

Gene context of Rete Testis

• BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Efferent ductules reabsorb more than 90% of the rete testis fluid, a process that involves ion transporters and AQP (aquaporin) water channels [24].
• Rete testis expressed FasL in 2 out of 2 cases with rete present and Fas in 1 out of 1 case [25].
• Estrogen receptor alpha has a functional role in the mouse rete testis and efferent ductules [26].
• These two subunits show marked similarity with the corresponding subunits of ram clusterin isolated from rete testis fluid [13].
• Co-expression of cytokeratin and vimentin filaments in rete testis and epididymis. An immunohistochemical study [27].

Analytical, diagnostic and therapeutic context of Rete Testis

• CP-2 is not detected by immunocytochemistry in any other tissues of the reproductive tract, though immunoblot analysis demonstrates the presence of CP-2 in rete testis and epididymal fluids [28].
• Western blot analysis demonstrated that Crisp-1 protein concentrations were reduced from control levels by perfusion with artificial caput fluid containing no testicular factors and were not increased by perfusion with fluids containing rete testis fluid proteins [29].
• Protamine was specifically demonstrated in boar spermatozoa collected from the rete testis, caput, corpus and cauda epididymidis and the ejaculate by immunoelectron microscopy, using anti-boar or anti-ram protamine antisera and an indirect post-embedding immunogold technique [30].
• Thorotrast was injected into the lumen of the hamster and rat rete testis and 30 minutes later the proximal portion of the excurrent duct system of the testis was prepared for electron microscopy [31].
• In 33 testes from a random selection of rats a 10% suspension of India ink in normal saline was introduced through the rete testis into the emergent ductuli efferentes [32].

References