Tyrosine phosphorylated proteins have been localized and identified in male reproductive tissues such as testis and capacitated/ acrosome reacted sperm except epididymis. The changes of such proteins are associated with decreased sperm quality of valproic acid treatment. This study aimed to investigate the presence and alterations of protein phosphorylation in epididymal epithelium and fluid of rats treated VPA. Sixteen adult male rats were divided into control and VPA-treated groups (n=8/ each). Treated rats were injected with VPA (500 mg/ kgBW, intraperitoneally) for 10 consecutive days. At the end of experiment, the monoclonal anti- phosphotyrosine (clone 4G10) was used for immunohistochemistry to probe tyrosine phosphorylated proteins and also to examine the expression of such proteins using immuno-Western blotting in epididymal tissue and fluid. The result showed that positive reactivity of phosphorylated proteins was clearly observed in cytoplasmic principle cells, nuclei of apical & basal cells and sperm mass surrounded with epididymal fluids. The profiles of phosphorylated proteins in epididymal fluid were 182, 127, 80, 70, 57, 45, 34, and 31 kDas, respectively. Interestingly, VPA affected the changes of phosphorylated proteins and β actin in head, body, and tail epididymal fluids. We conclude that tyrosine phosphorylated proteins were detected in epididymal epithelium and fluid. The expressions of those proteins and actin were altered under VPA treating.
KEY WORDS: Localization; Beta actin; Tyrosine phosphorylated proteins; Epididymal fluid; Rats.
