What question did this study set out to answer?

To establish the timing of sexual maturity and quantify daily sperm production alongside epididymal sperm reserves during pubertal and adult developmental stages in Wistar rats.

September 1, 1978ReproductionOpen Access

Daily sperm production and epididymal sperm reserves of pubertal and adult rats

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Authors

GRG. W. RobbThe University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center RAR. P. AmannColorado State University GKG. J. KillianAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service

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Implication

Physiological study reveals full sexual maturity occurs at 100 days in Wistar rats, indicating initial puberty precedes complete reproductive maturity.

Key Points

To establish the timing of sexual maturity and quantify daily sperm production alongside epididymal sperm reserves during pubertal and adult developmental stages in Wistar rats.
Assessed male Wistar rats at serial developmental timepoints starting from 50 days of age through adulthood at 100 days of age.
Measured total testicular weight, daily sperm production per gram of testicular parenchyma, and total sperm reserves localized to the epididymal head, body, and tail.
Puberty initiated at 50 days of age upon the first detection of spermatozoa in the epididymal tail, with sperm production per gram of testis increasing until 75 days and testicular weight increasing until 100 days.
Epididymal tail sperm reserves did not reach maximum capacity until 100 days of age, demonstrating that Wistar rats do not achieve full sexual maturity until 100 days.
Sexually mature rats had testes weighing 3.7 g, produced 86 x 10(6) spermatozoa daily (24 x 10(6) spermatozoa/g testicular parenchyma), and held 295 x 10(6) spermatozoa in the epididymal head plus body and 440 x 10(6) spermatozoa in the tail.

Cite This Study

Robb et al. (1978) studied this question.

synapsesocial.com/papers/69de9de7210a0977fce94f23 https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0540103

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Implication

Physiological study reveals full sexual maturity occurs at 100 days in Wistar rats, indicating initial puberty precedes complete reproductive maturity.

Daily sperm production and epididymal sperm reserves of pubertal and adult rats

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

Daily sperm production and epididymal sperm reserves of pubertal and adult rats

Discussion

Member takes

Implication

Key Points

Cite This Study

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