{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,21]],"date-time":"2026-09-21T18:52:34Z","timestamp":1790016754191,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":68,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2005,10,31]],"date-time":"2005-10-31T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1130716800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Molecular Reproduction Devel"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2006,2]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title><jats:p>Estrogens play an important role in the male reproductive tract, and this is especially so for the efferent ductules, where \u03b1\u2010estrogen receptors (ER\u03b1) have been localized. Mice deficient in ER\u03b1 (\u03b1ERKO mice) are infertile, and the effect appears to be due in part to retention of water at the level of the efferent ductules. In the present study, we examined the consequences of ER\u03b1 deletion on the distribution of certain aquaporins (AQPs), water protein channels, in the efferent ductules and on sperm numbers and motility. In addition, the effects of feeding mice a regular lab chow diet, which contains phytoestrogens, known to affect male reproductive tract functions, and a casein diet, which lacks phytoestrogens, were also assessed. Light microscope immunolocalizations of AQP\u20101 and AQP\u20109 revealed dramatic reduction and patchier staining in \u03b1ERKO mice with distal areas of the efferent ductules being more affected than proximal areas. No other changes in immunolocalizations were noted as a consequence of diet. Computer\u2010assisted sperm analyses demonstrated a 62% reduction in cauda epididymal sperm\/ml in \u03b1ERKO mice fed lab chow, whereas 87% fewer sperm\/ml were observed in \u03b1ERKO mice fed casein, suggesting an enhanced role for sperm production and concentration in a diet containing phytoestrogens. All sperm motility parameters were altered to some degree in \u03b1ERKO mice fed lab chow. Alterations in sperm motility parameters were also detected, but were less dramatic in \u03b1ERKO mice fed casein. These data suggest that the decrease in AQP expression in the efferent ductules of \u03b1ERKO mice contributes in part to water retention in this tissue, eventually leading to backflow of water into the testis, with subsequent decreases in sperm concentration and motility. The data also suggest that phytoestrogens, which are present in regular lab chow, can influence the male reproductive tract with and without the presence of ER\u03b1, promoting efferent ductule and epididymal functions when ER\u03b1 is expressed, but inhibiting these same functions when ER\u03b1 is missing. Taken together the data underscore the importance of estrogens and ER\u03b1 in maintaining sperm maturation and preventing male infertility. Mol. Reprod. Dev. \u00a9 2005 Wiley\u2010Liss, Inc.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/mrd.20390","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2005,10,31]],"date-time":"2005-10-31T22:16:35Z","timestamp":1130796995000},"page":"226-237","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":51,"title":["Expression of aquaporins in the efferent ductules, sperm counts, and sperm motility in estrogen receptor\u2010\u03b1 deficient mice fed lab chow versus casein"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"73","author":[{"given":"Ricardo","family":"Ruz","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mary","family":"Gregory","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Charles E.","family":"Smith","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Daniel G.","family":"Cyr","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Dennis B.","family":"Lubahn","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rex A.","family":"Hess","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Louis","family":"Hermo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2005,10,31]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_1_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1939-4640.1999.tb02536.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1939-4640.2002.tb02243.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_4_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.biochem.68.1.425"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"F328","DOI":"10.1152\/ajprenal.1998.275.3.F328","article-title":"Cellular mechanisms of aquaporin trafficking","volume":"44","author":"Brown D","year":"1998","journal-title":"Am J Physiol Renal Physiol"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1046\/j.1365-2605.1999.00172.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1477-7827-1-57"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/endo-128-6-2874"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4899-0952-7_6"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4615-0679-9_10"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1071\/RD00128"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/S0955-0674(98)80055-0"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"107","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03655571","article-title":"Aquaporins","volume":"54","author":"Echevarria M","year":"1998","journal-title":"J Physiol Biochem"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/endo.137.11.8895349"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1006\/bbrc.2000.3505"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1677\/joe.0.1530485"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/en.139.9.3935"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1095\/biolreprod20.2.269"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1006\/taap.1996.8069"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_20_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1210\/endo-99-6-1618"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_21_1","first-page":"59","article-title":"Estrogen receptors, estradiol, and diethylstilbestrol in early development: The mouse as a model for the study of estrogen receptors and estrogen sensitivity in embryonic development of male and female reproductive tracts","volume":"14","author":"Greco TL","year":"1993","journal-title":"Endocr Rev"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_22_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1006\/bbrc.2001.5661"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4615-0679-9_5"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/j.1939-4640.2004.tb02820.x"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1530\/ror.0.0050084"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4615-0679-9_4"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/1477-7827-1-52"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_28_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1038\/37352"},{"key":"e_1_2_1_29_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"HessRA BunickD LubahnDB ZhouQ BoumaJ.2000.Morphologic changes in efferent ductules and epididymis in estrogen receptor\u2010alpha knockout mice. 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