Anatomy and physiology of the male reproductive system and potential targets of toxicants

Toxicology of Reproductive and Endocrine SystemThis introductory chapter offers a basic overview of male reproduction, specifically the anatomy and physiology of the male reproductive system. Comprehension of normal anatomy and physiology is necessary to (1) fully understand the severity of toxicant-induced damage to structures and/or functions of the male reproductive system, (2) design more powerful experiments that analyze potential male reproductive toxicants, and (3) identify numerous potential targets of toxicants in the male reproductive system. This chapter begins with an overview of the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis and its interaction with additional components of the male reproductive system. This is then followed by detailed presentation of the composition of the testis and the interrelationships of the testicular cells, spermatogenesis, the excurrent ducts that carry spermatozoa out of the testis, the accessory sex glands that supply the seminal plasma of semen, the cellular communication within the testis, the reproductive tract's development, and normal male sexual behavior. The chapter's conclusion emphasizes the foundational importance of the male reproductive system to desgining, conducting, and interpreting reproductive toxicology research

Testicular germ cell apoptosis and formation of the sertoli cell barrier during the initiation of spermatogenesis in pubertal stallions

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Tribological evaluation of refined, bleached and deodorized palm stearin using four-ball tribotester with different normal loads

The effects of the mechanical factors with applied loads on the tribological performance of refined, bleached and deodorised (RBD) palm stearin (PS) were studied using a four-ball tribotester. All the RBD PS results were simultaneously compared with the additive-free paraffinic mineral oil (PMO). The experiments were carried out using different loads with a constant speed in order to gain a better understanding of the mechanical processes that occurred during the experiment. For each experiment, the temperature was increased to 75 °C and was run for 1 h. In a mechanical system, lubricant plays an important role in reducing wear and friction. PS exists as a semi-solid at room temperature after the fractionation process from oil palm. Due to the increasing rate of pollution to the environment, vegetable oil was chosen as the test lubricant with regard to its biodegradability. Other advantages of vegetable oil are that it is more easily harvestable and non-toxic compared to petroleum-based oil, which made it a suitable candidate. From the experiment, RBD PS is found to have a better friction constraint reduction compared with additive-free PMO