In-vitro culture of hamster epididymal epithelium and induction of sperm motility

Epithelium from the proximal corpus region of the epididymis of adult hamsters was cultured in modified RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with growth factors and androgens at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 in air. Prepared plaques of epithelium formed spheres of tissue with epithelial cells outermost. At the light and electron microscope level, these epithelial balls displayed morphology consistent with continued secretory and absorptive function. After 3-5 days, cultured cells either plated out over the bottom of plastic wells or formed vesicles which expanded as their interior became fluid filled. Spermatozoa recovered from the caput epididymidis were co-cultured with epithelium. After 8 and 24 h, a proportion of spermatozoa (30%) exhibited slow but persistent flagellum beats with slow progressive motility. Spermatozoa in control incubations were immotile. This change in motility pattern would suggest that some sperm maturation processes had occurred in vitro.