Localisation of oestrogen receptors (ERalpha and ERbeta) in the human and rat epididymides

Abstract

The aim of the study was to compare the localisation of oestrogen receptors α and β (ER α and ER β) in the human and rat epididymides. In the human epididymis the immunoexpression for ER α was detected in the nuclei of the caput epithelial cells, while positive reaction for ER α was observed in the nuclei of the cauda epithelial cells. In the rat epididymis, immunoexpression for ER α showed nuclei of the caput and cauda epithelial cells. However, the reaction was stronger in cells of the caput epididymis. A positive reaction for ER β was observed in the nuclei of smooth muscle cells of the epididymal duct and in the nuclei of interstitial tissue cells of the rat caput and cauda epididymis. We have demonstrated that localisation of ER α and ER β is cell-, region- and species-dependent.