PROTEINS IN FLUID FROM THE PROXIMAL VAS-DEFERENS OF NORMAL FERTILE AND VASECTOMIZED MEN

Fluids were collected from the proximal vas deferens of 18 normal fert ile men and 32 vasectomized men during vasectomy or vasovasostomy, res pectively, and the protein concentration and pattern of proteins were then analysed by sodium dodecylsulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophor esis (SDS-PAGE). In normal fertile men and vasectomized men there were no significant differences in total protein concentrations between fl uids from the left and right vas deferens. The total protein concentra tion of proximal vas fluid hom vasectomized men (82.8 +/- 7.5 mg/ml, m ean +/- SEM) was significantly higher than in normal fertile men (36.8 +/- 4.5 mg/ml). In vasectomized men there was no significant correlat ion between the total protein concentration in vas fluid and the durat ion of vasectomy. The patterns of protein bands in proximal vas fluid differed from those in seminal plasma. There was no relationship betwe en the pattern of protein bands in vas fluid and the duration of vasec tomy. Five major groups of proteins from proximal vas fluid were ident ified and no new major proteins were found in proximal vas fluid after vasectomy. The percentage of 80K and 67K protein bands in vasectomize d men was higher than that in normal fertile men. It is suggested that , after vasectomy, the physiological environment of the proximal vas d eferens may be changed. One of these changes may be the higher total p rotein concentration (especially the 80K and 67K proteins) in vas flui d.