ArticleAnatomia, histologia, embryologia2026
Postnatal Cell Type- and Segment-Specific Localization of EGFR and Its Ligands (EGF, TGF-α, and AREG) in the Rat Epididymis.
Article in Anatomia, histologia, embryologia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The epididymis is a specialized male reproductive organ that undergoes marked postnatal differentiation and segmental specialization to support sperm maturation, transport and storage. Previous studies have demonstrated the presence of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the epididymis; however, their comparative postnatal localization, together with that of transforming growth factor-α (TGF-α) and amphiregulin (AREG), across specific epididymal segments and epithelial cell types has not been systematically characterized in the rat. This study investigated the postnatal histomorphological development and cell type- and segment-associated localization of EGFR, EGF, TGF-α and AREG in the epididymis of Wistar albino rats. Epididymal tissues were collected from neonatal (PND5), infantile (PND20), postpubertal (PND50) and adult (PND70) rats (n = 6 per group). Histomorphological development was evaluated using Crossmon's modified trichrome, periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and toluidine blue staining, whereas immunolocalization was assessed semiquantitatively by immunohistochemistry. Histological examination revealed progressive epithelial differentiation and segment-specific morphological maturation during postnatal development. EGFR immunoreactivity was detected in basal cells, clear cells and periductal smooth muscle cells, with prominent staining in clear cells of the cauda epididymis in postpubertal and adult rats. Immunoreactivity for EGF and TGF-α was restricted to principal, apical and basal cells of the caput epididymis and was detected only during the postpubertal and adult stages. AREG immunoreactivity was observed in basal and clear cells as well as in periductal smooth muscle cells, without statistically significant developmental or segmental differences. Semiquantitative analysis demonstrated significant increases in EGF and TGF-α immunoreactivity in the caput epididymis during the postpubertal and adult stages (adjusted p = 0.043 for both), and immunoreactivity in the caput was significantly higher than that in the corpus and cauda segments (adjusted p = 0.01 for both). No statistically significant differences were detected in EGFR or AREG immunoreactivity. These findings reveal distinct postnatal cell type- and segment-associated localization patterns of EGFR and its ligands. The localization of EGFR and AREG in basal and clear cells, together with the caput-restricted distribution of EGF and TGF-α, provides a descriptive framework for future studies investigating their possible involvement in epididymal epithelial maturation and regional specialization.
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.