Reproduction Abstracts

Many studies demonstrating that the environment a pregnant female experiences can have profound and sometimes persistent effects on offspring development use extreme experimental perturbations which do not reflect the range of environments a pregnant female is actually likely to experience. We have assessed offspring reproductive development following treatments designed to reflect husbandry and management conditions that pregnant sheep or pigs encounter. Female offspring of s...

This study determined whether variation (representative of normal UK farm conditions) in pregnant ewe management is sufficient to alter the programing of the male reproductive axis. Between days 85 and 138 of pregnancy, twin-bearing ewes were managed to either mimic ‘poor husbandry’ (PH) with a high stocking density, reduced feeding space and repeated social mixing or according to ‘best practice’ (BP) with a lower stocking density, longer feed troughs, and ...

Research conducted in recent years has led to great advances in our understanding of the participation of cGMP in meiosis. It is clear that increased intra-oocyte concentrations of cGMP inhibit meiosis in mouse models. Like cAMP, cGMP may also have a meiotic stimulatory function, possibly via cGMP/PKG. Abattoir derived gilt porcine ovaries were collected, antral follicles aspirated and oocytes collected and cultured in TCM-199+3 mg/ml BSA. Natriuretic peptide receptor 2 (N...

Organisms use protein hormones even when smaller molecules can trigger identical transduction paths. Why? Could residual peptides from hormone proteolysis extend the mechanisms of action of these hormones? Protein hormones are endocytosed by target cells and digested by cathepsins (A, B, C, D, F, H, L, O, X) acting sequentially as endosomes/lysosomes move centripetally. In silico prediction of multiple cathepsin action on each of 92 hormones usually leaves 3–24 r...

Introduction: Menstruation is an inflammatory process characterised by tissue breakdown, bleeding and recruitment of leukocytes. Resolution of this inflammation at menses is critical both to limiting tissue damage and to efficient repair. Apoptosis and clearance of apoptotic cells are necessary for this process, and are thought to involve neutrophils.Our aims were to (i) delineate neutrophil numbers and identify apoptosis in peri-menstrual endometrium an...

Introduction: Mineral oil is widely used to culture embryos in biomedicine, agriculture, and embryo/stem cell research, yet is poorly defined with significant batch variation causing detrimental effects. The highly hydrophobic nature of this petroleum product attracts polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and other potentially harmful compounds. Industry requirements for screening oil utilize methods that lack the sensitivity necessary to avoid oil that is overtly embryotoxic...

Introduction: Prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) is mainly known to be involved in luteolysis. However, our recent studies indicate that PGF2α synthesis and its receptor (PTGFR) expression are up-regulated in the porcine endometrium during embryo implantation. Aims of present study were: i) to immunolocalize PTGFR protein in uterus; ii) to elucidate the involvement of PGF2α-PTGFR signaling in angiogenesis in the porcine endometrium.Methods: Se...

Introduction: The primary treatment of infertility is assisted reproductive technology (ART). However, removal of an oocyte from its natural environment and exposure to in vitro conditions diminishes oocyte quality during the process of ART. In our preliminary studies we have shown that oocytes express cytoprotective ATP-sensitive K+ (KATP) channels. Therefore, the aim of our study was to elucidate whether activation of these channels protects hu...

The endometrium plays a central role in fertility and pregnancy. It undergoes changes in function and histological morphology over the oestrus cycle, driven by dynamic changes in progesterone and oestrogen. To understand the changes resulting from elevated oestrogen levels around oestrus, we profiled the transcriptome of the bovine uterus. Endometrial tissue was collected from synchronized beef heifers in six cohorts: i) 12 h after controlled intravaginal progesterone-releasin...

There is a lack of information about effects of the diet fat source on goat reproduction. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the fat source effect on in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes. Eighteen goats were divided into three groups, on diets (40% concentrate/60% corn silage) with 4% (dry matter) of ether extract from different fat sources [soy oil (SG) and linseed (LG), Megalac® (MG)]. The does passed thru an adaptation period (15 days) and...