Resorption versus secretion in the rat epididymis

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Abstract
Micropuncture samples were taken from the rete testis, caput epididymidis and cauda epididymidis of anesthetizied adult rats and assayed for total protein, Na and K concentrations. Intraluminal sperm concentrations were determined and used to calculate the amount of fluid resorbed from the efferent duct and epididymal lumen. Large amounts of protein (30.2 mg/ml cauda volume) and Na (241.8 meq/l) and smaller amounts of K (19.4 meq/l) are resorbed from the rat epididymal lumen between the caput and corpus epididymidis. This occurs despite increases in intraluminal concentrations of protein (from 22 to 28 mg/ml) and K (from 16 to 50 meq/l). Resorption is an important aspect of epididiymal control of the intraluminal environment.