Biometrical and Histological Studies on the Epididymis of Ram (Ovis aries) in Chars of Pabna Region

Abstract

The gross and microscopic anatomy of the ram has not been elucidated fully in Bangladesh. The objectives of this research were to study the gross anatomy including length, weight, size, shape, volume and circumference; and the microscopic structures of the epididymis of ram with the special emphasis on the biometrical comparison between left and right epididymis. For this purpose, epididymes of six adult rams were used and biometrical values were recorded. The mean values of length, weight, volume and circumference along with testis of the left epididymis in rams were 19.58+0.18 cm, 11.65+0.17 gm, 13.65+0.01 ml and 14.2740.11 cm and for right epididymis 19.53+0.15 cm, 11.4140.13 gm, 13.65+0.00 ml and 14.22+0.07 cm, respectively. The mean value of caput weight, corpus weight and cauda weight for left epididymis were 4.05+0.06 gm, 1.61+0.02 gm and 5.99+0.09 gm, for right epididymis 3.97+0.05 gm, 1.58+0.02 gm and 5.87+0.07 gm respectively. The mean value of caput length, corpus length and cauda length for left epididymis were 9.35+0.171 cm, 8.450+0.096 cm and 1.783+0.069 cm, for right epididymis 9.3540.171 cm, 8.417+0.09 cm and 1.767+40.047 cm, respectively. For microscopic studies, tissue sample were excised from the epiddidymis, fixed in 10% formalin solution and embedded in paraffin. Cross sections (6 jm thickness) were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and evaluated the histological structures of the epididymal caput, corpus and cauda. The ductus epididymis is lined with a pseudostratified stereociliated columnar epithelium surrounded by a small amount of loose connective tissue and circular smooth muscle fibers. Few sperm are found in the initial segment, but a large mass of sperm aggregates are located in the cauda.