Absorptive and secretory functions of the perfused rat cauda epididymidis.

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Abstract
A microperfusion technique was developed to study transport processes in the rat cauda epididymidis in vivo. Na+ and water were reabsorbed by the perfused rat cauda epididymidis at the rates of 3.000 .+-. 0.25 n-equiv cm-1 min-1 (mean .+-. SE, n = 14) and 20.7 .+-. 1.7 nl. cm-1 min-1 (mean .+-. SE, n = 14), respectively. Reabsorption of Na+ was isotonic. K+ was secreted into the ductal lumen at the rate of 0.124 .+-. 0.016 n-equiv cm-1 min-1 (mean .+-. SE, n = 14). Na+ reabsorption and water reabsorption were abolished by removing Na+ from the perfusion medium. The dependence of rate of net Na+ reabsorption on the intraluminal Na+ concentration showed saturation kinetics, with the apparent Km values of about 20 mM Na+. The dependence of water reabsorption on the intraluminal Na+ concentration also followed closely that of Na+. Application of amiloride (10-4 M) to the perfusion fluid abolished both Na+ and water reabsorption by the rat cauda epididymidis. Removal of chloride from the perfusion fluid had no effect on Na+ and water reabsorption but increased the K+ secretion rate by 3-fold. Proteins were also secreted by the rat cauda epididymidis at a rate of 11.7 .+-. 1.8 ng cm-1 min-1 (mean .+-. SE, n = 11). The secretory rate was not dependent on the intraluminal Na+ concentration. Castration in rats abolished the reabsorption of Na+ and water and secretion of K+ and proteins by the rat cauda epididymidis. These effects could be reversed by injecting testosterone propionate into castrated rats. The possible role of these transport processes in sperm maturation was discussed.