Occurrence of ampulla in the ductus deferens of the Indian garden lizard Calotes versicolor daudin

Abstract

During the breeding season, the terminal end of the ductus deferens of Calotes versicolor appears swollen and is comparable to the ampulla of the mammalian ductus deferens. Its anatomy was studied from paraffin sections. It differentiates along its length into five zones. The first has thick smooth muscle and pesudostratified epithelium; the second has luminal trabeculae with an epithelium showing evidence of secretory activity; the third has the epithelial mucosa abutting against the smooth muscle in the form of pocketlike indentations; the fourth has crypts between epithelial folds; and the fifth zone is a sphincter. The anatomy of this ampullary region is indicative of secretory as well as spermatophagous roles. It undergoes seasonal change and appears to be androgen-dependent. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Histological variation along and ultrastructural organization of the epithelium of the ductus epididymidis of the fan‐throated lizard Sitana ponticeriana Cuvier

“…According to Jones (1998), although there is growing knowledge of the sperm ducts in mammals, our knowledge of the ducts in other vertebrates is poor. This study, along with those of Akbarsha and Meeran (1995), Gist et al . (2001), Desantis et al .…”

“…The major differences between mammals and several reptiles lie in the epididymal secretion of glycoproteins as granules, with a soluble coat and a dense core (Depeiges and Dufaure 1977; Dufaure and Saint‐Girons 1984; Manimekalai and Akbarsha 1992; Akbarsha and Manimekalai 1999; Desantis et al . 2002; this study) and the highly spacious ductus deferens which, unlike in the mammals, can store sperm (Akbarsha and Meeran 1995; Gist et al . 2001; Sever et al .…”

Secretory and basal cells of the epithelium of the tubular glands in the male Mullerian gland of the caecilian Uraeotyphlus narayani (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)

“…This mechanism has been reported in the epididymal epithelium of several reptiles (Depeiges and Dufaure, 1977;Dufaure and Saint Girons, 1984;Manimekalai and Akbarsha, 1992;Akbarsha and Manimekalai, 1999) and in the mammalian prostate gland (Cohen, 2001;Gesase and Satoh, 2003). In reptiles, in the absence of male accessory reproductive glands comparable to those in mammals, other than ampulla ductus deferentis (Akbarsha and Meeran, 1995), the epididymis contributes most of the proteins of the seminal plasma Dufaure, 1980, 1981). The evolutionary significance of the parallel situation prevailing in the male Mullerian gland of caecilians and the epididymis of reptiles, the first successful vertebrate colonizers of land, is worth investigating.…”

Hormones and the Sex Ducts and Sex Accessory Structures of Reptiles

“…In the rattlesnake (Crotalis durissus), the entire ductus deferens functions in sperm storage (Almeida-Santos, Laporta-Ferreira, Antoniazzi, & Jared, 2004). In the lizard Calotes versicolor, the ampulla is differentiated into storage (ductal) and secretory portions, the latter containing epithelial secretory cells that vary with reproductive condition (Akbarsha & Meeran, 1995). In the black swamp snake Seminatrix pygaea, the epithelium of the ampulla remains undifferentiated as in the ductus deferens, but is highly folded and truncated and sperm are stored in the lumen throughout the year (Sever, 2004).…”