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Abstract

Although a large number of studies have focussed on the structure, function, and regulation of the epididymis during postnatal development (Sun and Flickinger, 1979; Hermo et al., 1992; see chapter by Rodriguez et al., this volume) and in the adult, very few investigations have been undertaken of the effects of senescence on this tissue. In this review, we will focus first on the histological changes that take place in the epididymal epithelium during aging and second on how both gene and protein expression are modified; we will then discuss the few studies that focussed on changes that relate to spermatozoa in the epididymis during aging, and finally address different theories of aging that could explain these observations.

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Robaire, B. (2002). Aging of the Epididymis. In: Robaire, B., Hinton, B.T. (eds) The Epididymis: From Molecules to Clinical Practice. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0679-9_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-0679-9_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-5191-7

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