Scanning and transmission electron microscopic study of the ampullary region of the dog vas deferens, with special reference to epithelial phagocytosis of spermatozoa and latex beads.

The present SEM and TEM study clearly indicated that the epithelial cells of the ampulla vasis deferentis of the dog are capable of performing phagocytosis of degraded spermatozoa and even inert latex beads as in other animals described previously and further supported our working hypothesis that epithelial phagocytosis may be a common event in the vas deferens of mammals, though its precise significance remains to be clarified.