General and Comparative Endocrinology
Volume 153, Issues 1-3, August-September 2007, Pages 320- of the 23rd Conference of European Comparative Endocrinologists: Part 2
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doi:10.1016/j.ygcen.2007.02.003 
Copyright © 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Short Communication
Endocannabinoid control of sperm motility: The role of epididymus
Giulia Riccia, Giovanna Cacciolab, Lucia Altuccic, Rosaria Meccariellod, Riccardo Pierantonib, 
, 
, Silvia Fasanob and Gilda Cobellisb
aDipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sez. “F. Bottazzi”, Laboratorio di Istologia II Università di Napoli, 80138 Napoli, Italy
bDipartimento di Medicina Sperimentale, Sez. “F. Bottazzi”, II Università di Napoli, 80138 Napoli, Italy
cDipartimento di Patologia Generale, II Università di Napoli, 80138 Napoli, Italy
dDipartimento di Studi delle Istituzioni e dei Sistemi Territoriali, Università Parthenope di Napoli, Italy
Received 16 September 2006; revised 30 January 2007; accepted 2 February 2007. Available online 12 February 2007.
Abstract
Endocannabinoids are endogenous ligands for plasma membrane receptors (CB1 and CB2), belonging to the superfamily of G-protein-coupled receptors. They mimic some of the effects played by D9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active principle isolated from Cannabis sativa. N-arachidonoylethanolamine (anandamide, AEA) is the main endocannabinoid described to date in the testis and in human seminal plasma. However, the activity of AEA in controlling male reproduction is still poorly understood. In this study we report on physiological activity of endocannabinoids in the male reproductive tract. Using wild type (WT) and CB1 knock out mice (CB1KO) we show that endocannabinoids act in the epididymus. Here, through CB1, they inhibit sperm motility measured as the percentage of motile spermatozoa (SPZ). In particular, while in WT mice, as expected, the percentage of motile SPZ (measured in caput and cauda of epididymus) was significantly lower in the caput as compared with the cauda, in CB1KO mice a strong increase of motile SPZ in the caput was measured.
Keywords: Type-1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1); Sperm motility; CB1 knock out mouse; Endocannabinoid; Anandamide (AEA)