Seasonality of Aquaporin 5 Immunoreactivity in the Dromedary Camel’s Ductus Epididymis

Intrinsic membrane proteins designated aquaporins promote the selective movement of water or other small, uncharged molecules down the osmotic gradient. The objective of this research was to use a light microscope to investigate the seasonal variations in the immunoreactivity of Aquaporin 5 (AQP-5) in the ductus epididymis of the local breed of Saudi dromedary camel. Samples were obtained from the head, body, and tail (caput, corpus, and cauda) of the ductus epididymis and processed using general histology and immunohistochemical methods. General histology and immunohistochemistry techniques were used to process samples taken from the head, body, and tail of the ductus epididymis. AQP-5 antibodies exhibited distinct and variable responses on the caput, corpus, and cauda of the ductus epididymis of the Saudi Arabian camels in both rutting and non-rutting seasons. The distribution of AQP-5 was strongly expressed in the non-rutting seasons. At the beginning of the rutting season, AQP-5 showed a strong response. However, in the rutting season in January, the excretion showed mild to moderate response in the caput, corpus, and cauda ductus epididymis. According to the present results, AQP-5 activity in Saudi dromedary male camels may play an essential role in fertility during rutting and non-rutting seasons at different levels.