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Contraception épididymaire: état des recherches et perspectives

epididymal contraception: state of research and prospects

Andrologie volume 14, pages 171–185 (2004)Cite this article

Resume

Le développement de nouvelles stratégies contraceptives est un enjeu économique important. L'épididyme, siège de la maturation post-testiculaire des spermatozoïdes est depuis peu sous les feux de la recherche comme un organe cible pour le développement de nouvelles approches contraceptives chez les mammifères. En effet, cet organe dans lequel transitent et sont stockés les permatozoïdes (chez la plupart des mammifères) est, de par ses difféentes fonctions un organe clé, dans l'acquisition du pouvoir fécondant des gamètes mâles. Même si, l'on est encore loin d'appréhender toute la complexité des phénomènes de sécrétion et de ré-absorption qui conduisent, au remodelage des spermatozoïdes et à l'acquisition de ses aptitudes à reconna^itre et à féconder l'ovule, des avancées importantes ont été réalisées quant à la physiologie de l'épididyme des mammifères. Après un bref rappel des activités de l'épithélium épididymaire, un aperçu sera donné des voies de recherches actuellement privilégiées pour l'éventuel développemet de futures stratégies contraceptives post-testiculaires. Les cas d'infertilité rencontrés dans la récent génération de différents modèles de souris transgéniques seront particulièrement mis en exergue.

Abstract

The development of new contraceptive strategies is a major economic challenge. The epididymis, the site of post-testicular maturation of spermatozoa, has recently become the subject of research as a target organ for the development of new contraceptive approaches in mammals. The epididymis, which transports and stores spermatozoa (in most mammals), is a key organ, due to its various funtions, in the acquisition of the fertilizing property of male gametes. Although the complex phenomena of secretion and reabsorption leading to remodelling of spermatozoa and acquisition of their capacity to recognize and fertilize the ovum are far from being fully elucidated, major progress has been made concerning the physiology of the mammalian epididymis. After a brief review of the activities of epididymal epithelium, the authors discuss the main lines of research for the development of future post-testicular contraceptive strategies with particular emphasis on the cases of infertility encountered in recent generations of various models of transgenic mice.

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  1. CNRS UMR 6547 GEEM, Epididyme & Maturation des Gamètes, Université Blaise Pascal, Clermont 2, 24, avenue des Landais, 63177, Aubière Cedex, France

    Joël R. Drevet

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Communication au XXo Congrès de la Société d'Andrologie de Langue Française, Orléans, 11–13 décembre 2003.

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Drevet, J.R. Contraception épididymaire: état des recherches et perspectives. Androl. 14, 171–185 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034792

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