www.pelagiaresearchlibrary.com t Available online a Pelagia Research Library European Journal of Experimental Biology, 2014, 4(5):42-45 ISSN: 2248 –9215 CODEN (USA): EJEBAU 42 Pelagia Research Library Demonstration of reticulin fibres in the epididymis of adult male wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) Victor O. Ukwenya 1* , Margaret O. Alese 1 , Olumide J. Ashaolu 2 , Kayode A. Oluyemi 3 , Gideon B. Ojo 2 and Ebenezer Ashamu 4 1 Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Nigeria 2 Department of Anatomy,College of Medicine, Bowen University, Iwo, Nigeria 3 Department of Biology/Biotechnology, College of Health Sciences, William Paterson University of New Jersey, Wayne NJ. USA 4 Department of Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Ladoke Akintola University, Ogbomoso, Oyo State, Nigeria ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT The epididymis is a tube of smooth muscle lined by a pseudostratified epithelium and the stroma is made up of connective tissue. Reticulin fibres are fine fibres that contain primarily collagen type III that are secreted by reticular cells and are traditionally thought to be present only in soft blood-forming tissues such as kidney, liver, bone marrow and organs of the lymphatic system such as thymus. This work demonstrates for the first time the presence of reticulin fibres in the epididymis of adult male Wistar rats using silver impregnation method. Results show reticulin fibres around the peritubular ductal walls and in the connective tissue stroma. The presence of reticulin fibres within the epididymal connective tissue may have effect on contractility, assisting the movement of sperms from the caput portion of the duct to the caudal part. Keywords: reticulin fibres, epididymis, Wistar rats, connective tissue, tunica vaginalis _____________________________________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION The epididymis is an organ made up of highly coiled tube that courses along the posterolateral surface of the testes and has two distinct components: i) the efferent ductules, which form an elongated coiled mass that sits on the posterior superior pole of the testis and forms the head of the epididymis[1] ii) the true epididymis, which is a single, long coiled duct into which the efferent ductules all drain, and which continues inferiorly along the posterolateral margin of the testis as the body of epididymis and enlarges as the tail of epididymis at the inferior pole of the testis[1]. During their transit in the epididymis, sperm undergo maturation processes necessary for them to acquire their functions[2]. Histologically, the duct of the epididymis is dominated by a tall, pseudostratified columnar epithelium[3]. The luminal surface bears tufts of long microvilli called stereocilia, which are not cilia and do not move [3]. Instead they provide the tall epithelial cells with a vast surface area for reabsorbing testicular fluid and for transferring nutrients and secretions to the many sperms that are stored in the lumen of the epididymis [3]. The principal cells are tall columnar epithelium and are lined with stereocilia, the long branching microvilli [4]. The basal cells are small and spherical and situated near the base of the epithelium[5].