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The epididymis, a key reproductive organ, is crucial for sperm concentration, maturation, and storage. Despite a comprehensive understanding of many of its functions, several aspects of the complex processes within the epididymis remain obscure. Dysfunction in this organ is intricately connected to the formation of the microenvironment, disruptions in sperm maturation, and the progression of male infertility. Thus, elucidating the functional mechanisms of the epididymal epithelium is imperative. Given the variety of cell types present within the epididymal epithelium, utilizing a three-dimensional (3D) in vitro model provides a holistic and practical framework for exploring the multifaceted roles of the epididymis. Organoid cell culture, involving the co-cultivation of pluripotent or adult stem cells with growth factors on artificial matrix scaffolds, effectively recreates the in vivo cell growth microenvironment, thereby offering a promising avenue for studying the epididymis. The field of epididymal organoids is relatively new, with few studies focusing on their formation and even fewer detailing the generation of organoids that exhibit epididymis-specific structures and functions. Ongoing challenges in both clinical applications and mechanistic studies underscore the importance of this research. This review summarizes the established methodologies for inducing the in vitro cultivation of epididymal cells, outlines the various approaches for the development of epididymal organoids, and explores their potential applications in the field of male reproductive biology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oocyte maturation involves both nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. Mogroside V (MV) has been shown to enhance nuclear maturation, mitochondrial content, and developmental potential of porcine oocyte during in vitro maturation (IVM). However, the impact of MV on cytoplasmic maturation and its underlying mechanisms are not understood. This study aimed to assess the effect of MV on cytoplasmic maturation. Germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes treated with MV exhibited a noticeable increase in cortical granules (CGs) formation. Additionally, MV enhanced the expression of NNAT and improved glucose uptake in mature oocytes. Further insights were gained through Smart‐seq2 analysis of RNA isolated from 100 oocytes. A total of 11,274 and 11,185 transcripts were identified in oocytes treated with and without MV, respectively. Among quantified genes, 438 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for further analysis. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis indicated that these DEGs were primarily involved in DNA repair regulation, cellular response to DNA damage, intracellular components, and organelles. Furthermore, the DEGs were significantly enriched in three KEGG pathways: fatty acid synthesis, pyruvate metabolism, and WNT signalling. To validate the results, lipid droplets (LD) and triglyceride (TG) were examined. MV led to an increase in the accumulation of LD and TG production in mature oocytes. These findings suggest that MV enhances cytoplasmic maturation by promoting lipid droplet synthesis. Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the mechanisms through which MV improves oocyte quality during IVM. The results have significant implications for research in livestock reproduction and offer guidance for future studies in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Epididymal lumen fluids provides a stable microenvironment for sperm maturation. Ca 2+ binding protein CABS1 is known to maintain structural integrity of mouse sperm flagella during epididymal transit of sperm. Besides, CABS1 was reported to contain anti-inflammatory peptide sequences and be present in both human saliva and plasma. However, little is known about the role of CABS1 in regulation of the microenvironment of epididymal lumen fluids., Methods: To further confirm the role of CABS1 in epididymis, we identified the expression of CABS1 in epididymal lumen fluids. Moreover, high performance liquid chromatography, coupled with tandem mass spectrometry technique was used to analyze the metabolic profiles and in vivo microperfusion of the cauda epididymis and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) assays was used to detect the concentration of metal ion of mouse cauda epididymal lumen fluids in CABS1 deficient and normal mice., Results: The results showed that CABS1 is present in epididymal lumen fluids, and the concentration of calcium in epididymal lumen fluids is not changed in Cabs1 -/- male mice. Among 34 differential metabolites identified in cauda epididymis, 21 were significantly upregulated while 13 were significantly downregulated in KO cauda epididymis. Pathway analysis identified pyrimidine metabolism, inositol phosphate metabolism, arachidonic acid metabolism, purine metabolism and histidine metabolism as relevant pathways in cauda epididymis., Discussion: The perturbations of mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation may be the crucial reason for the poor performance of Cabs1 -/- sperm., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Zhao, Nie, Zhou, Zeng and Sun.)

The air quality issues caused by extreme haze episodes in China have become increasingly serious in recent years. In particular, fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) has become the major component of haze with many adverse impacts and has therefore become of great concern to scientists, government, and the general public in China. This study investigates the spatiotemporal variation in PM 2.5 in 269 Chinese cities from 2015 to 2016 and its associations with socioeconomic factors to identify the possible strategies for PM 2.5 pollution mitigation. Specifically, we first quantified the spatial pattern of PM 2.5 concentrations in both 2015 and 2016, and then changes between the two years. Next, we examined the relationship between socioeconomic factors and PM 2.5 concentrations and changes. The results showed that most cities in eastern China experienced decreases in PM 2.5 concentration, although most of these cities already had high PM 2.5 pollution level. Cities with low PM 2.5 concentrations experienced increases in PM 2.5 concentrations and were mostly located in southern and southwestern China. The PM 2.5 concentration was the highest in winter, followed by in spring, autumn and summer; for changes in PM 2.5 concentrations, the highest magnitude of decrease occurred in summer, followed by the decreases in winter, autumn and spring. Cities with high PM 2.5 concentrations tended to be clustered, but the clustered characteristics were not clearly related to the changes in PM 2.5 concentrations. The relationship between PM 2.5 concentration and urban size was an inverse U-shaped curve, suggesting the existence of the Environmental Kuznets Curve for air quality in China. Population density and secondary industry share are the keys factors relating to air pollution control. In comparison to other cities, most moderately developed cities had a greater magnitude of decrease in PM 2.5 concentrations and the key factor for pollution improvement was industrial structure; however, smaller cities tended to have a greater increase in PM 2.5 concentrations and population density was the most important influencing factor. As a result, for air pollution control in China, specific regulations should be carried out according to different regions and different developmental stages based on the locations of cities., (Copyright © 2019 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)