ReviewHuman reproduction update
New insights into epididymal biology and function.
Review in Human reproduction update. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 242 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
242 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 647 citations in OpenAlex.
- Immunoregulatory mechanisms between epithelial clear cells and mononuclear phagocytes in the epididymis.Andrology · 2024Pooled it
- Denosumab stimulates spermatogenesis in infertile men with preserved Sertoli cell capacity.Cell reports. Medicine · 2024Trial
- Evaluating the time interval between oocyte retrieval and micro testicular sperm extraction: a single-center retrospective cohort study.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2026Article
- Effects of Trazodone on Testicular Morphology, Sperm Parameters and Contractility of the Distal Cauda Epididymal Duct in Rats.Basic & clinical pharmacology & toxicology · 2026Article
- Restoring the FOXO1 geroprotective pathway via seno-resistant mesenchymal progenitor cells alleviates primate epididymal aging.Protein & cell · 2026Article
- Exposure to Chlorpyrifos Influences Epididymal Development in Pubescent Rats.Environmental toxicology · 2026Article
- Postnatal Cell Type- and Segment-Specific Localization of EGFR and Its Ligands (EGF, TGF-α, and AREG) in the Rat Epididymis.Anatomia, histologia, embryologia · 2026Article
- Molecular Profiling of Extracellular Vesicles Isolated from Boar Reproductive Fluids.Journal of extracellular vesicles · 2026Article
- NFAT5: A Metabolic Time Capsule Encoding the History of Paternal Metabolic Oxidative Stress Within the Male Reproductive Tract.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Immunological dynamics of the epididymis: from experimental insights to clinical translation.Reproduction & fertility · 2026Review
- Temperatures around conception affect metabolic health in adulthood.Communications medicine · 2026Article
- Epididymal sperm maturation in mouse species with differing levels of sperm competition†.Biology of reproduction · 2026Article
- Common Environmental Hazards and Male Infertility: Effects on Epididymal Immune Microenvironment.Toxics · 2026Review
- Advances in Research on Models of Oligoasthenozoospermia.Reproductive sciences (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) · 2026Review
- Epididymal transcriptional networks underlying sperm motility differences in Chinese indigenous chicken breeds.BMC genomics · 2026Article
- Effect of autophagy-related (Atg) protein 5 on mouse epididymal sperm maturation.Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics · 2026Article
- Extracellular Vesicles, Nutrient Balance, and Redox Metabolism During Epididymal Sperm Maturation: A Perspective on the Complexity of Intercellular Interplay.Advances in anatomy, embryology, and cell biology · 2026Review
- Sperm subpopulations differing in mitochondrial abundance show divergent nuclear allele frequencies.PloS one · 2026Article
- Article
- Mechanisms of seminal plasma synthesis and actions on sperm function for advancing reproductive technologies.The Journal of reproduction and development · 2026Review
182 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
1 author at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe epididymis performs an important role in the maturation of spermatozoa including their acquisition of progressive motility and fertilizing ability. However, the molecular mechanisms that govern these maturational events are still poorly defined. This review focuses on recent progress in our understanding of epididymal function including its development, role of the luminal microenvironment in sperm maturation, regulation and novel mechanisms the epididymis utilizes to carry out some of its functions.
methodsA systematic search of Pubmed was carried out using the search term 'epididymis'. Articles that were published in the English language until the end of August 2008 and that focused on the specific topics described above were included. Additional papers cited in the primary reference were also included.
resultsWhile the majority of these findings were the result of studies in animal models, recent studies in the human epididymis are also presented including gene profiling studies to examine regionalized expression in normal epididymides as well as in those from vasectomized patients.
conclusionsSignificant progress has been made in our understanding of epididymal function providing new insights that ultimately could improve human health. The data also indicate that the human epididymis plays an important role in sperm maturation but has unique properties compared with animal models.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.