Immunisation against inhibin enhances follicular development, oocyte maturation and superovulatory response in water buffaloes

2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (6) ◽  
pp. 788 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. Li ◽  
G. S. Qin ◽  
Y. M. Wei ◽  
F. H. Lu ◽  
Q. S. Huang ◽  
...  

This study was carried out to test the feasibility of enhancing embryo production in vivo and in vitro by immunoneutralisation against inhibin or follistatin. In Experiment 1, multi-parity buffaloes were assigned into three groups: High group (n = 8), which received one primary (2 mg) and two booster (1 mg) vaccinations (28-day intervals) with a recombinant inhibin α subunit in 1 mL of white oil adjuvant; Low group (n = 8), which received half that dose; and Control group (n = 7), which received only adjuvant. Immunisation against inhibin stimulated development of ovarian follicles. Following superovulation and artificial insemination, inhibin-immunised buffaloes had more developing follicles than the Control buffaloes. The average number of embryos and unfertilised ova (4.5 ± 0.6, n = 6) in the High group was higher (P < 0.05) than in the Control group (2.8 ± 0.6, n = 5) and was intermediate (4.1 ± 0.7, n = 7) in the Low group. The pooled number of transferable embryos of the High and Low groups (3.2 ± 0.5, n = 13) was also higher (P < 0.05) than that (1.6 ± 0.7, n = 5) of the controls. The immunised groups also had higher plasma concentrations of activin, oestradiol and progesterone. In Experiment 2, the addition of anti-inhibin or anti-follistatin antibodies into buffalo oocyte IVM maturation medium significantly improved oocyte maturation and cleavage rates following parthenogenic activation. Treatment with anti-follistatin antibody also doubled the blastocyst yield from activated embryos. These results demonstrated that immunisation against inhibin stimulated follicular development, enhanced oocyte quality and maturation competence, yielded more and better embryos both in vivo and in vitro.

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora Tsiligianni ◽  
Irene Valasi ◽  
Sándor Cseh ◽  
Emmanuel Vainas ◽  
Vera Faigl ◽  
...  

Follicular development and oocyte quality were assessed by laparoscopic observation and in vitro fertilisation, respectively, in melatonin-treated (Group M) and control (Group C) anoestrous Chios ewes (n = 10 in each group). Fourteen days after melatonin insertion, all ewes had laparoscopic evaluation of the follicular population followed by oocyte pick-up (OPU); on day 22 intravaginal progestagen sponges were inserted for 14 days. Two days after sponge removal the follicular population was re-evaluated and a second follicular aspiration was performed. Collected oocytes from the second OPU underwent in vitro maturation, fertilisation and culture. The number of large follicles was higher in Group M than in the control ewes during the first OPU and tended to be so (P = 0.06) at the second. Morphologically, oocytes collected from controls were of better quality than those from Group M; however, more oocytes collected from melatonintreated animals fertilised and developed in vitro . These results indicate that melatonin is a potent regulator of follicular development and oocyte competence during the anoestrous period of the ewe.


2020 ◽  
pp. 155335062097800
Author(s):  
Ian A. Makey ◽  
Nitin A. Das ◽  
Samuel Jacob ◽  
Magdy M. El-Sayed Ahmed ◽  
Colleen M. Makey ◽  
...  

Background. Retained hemothorax (RH) is a common problem in cardiothoracic and trauma surgery. We aimed to determine the optimum agitation technique to enhance thrombus dissolution and drainage and to apply the technique to a porcine-retained hemothorax. Methods. Three agitation techniques were tested: flush irrigation, ultrasound, and vibration. We used the techniques in a benchtop model with tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) and pig hemothorax with tPA. We used the most promising technique vibration in a pig hemothorax without tPA. Statistics. We used 2-sample t tests for each comparison and Cohen d tests to calculate effect size (ES). Results. In the benchtop model, mean drainages in the agitation group and control group and the ES were flush irrigation, 42%, 28%, and 2.91 ( P = .10); ultrasound, 35%, 27%, and .76 ( P = .30); and vibration, 28%, 19%, and 1.14 ( P = .04). In the pig hemothorax with tPA, mean drainages and the ES of each agitation technique compared with control (58%) were flush irrigation, 80% and 1.14 ( P = .37); ultrasound, 80% and 2.11 ( P = .17); and vibration, 95% and 3.98 ( P = .06). In the pig hemothorax model without tPA, mean drainages of the vibration technique and control group were 50% and 43% (ES = .29; P = .65). Discussion. In vitro studies suggested flush irrigation had the greatest effect, whereas only vibration was significantly different vs the respective controls. In vivo with tPA, vibration showed promising but not statistically significant results. Results of in vivo experiments without tPA were negative. Conclusion. Agitation techniques, in combination with tPA, may enhance drainage of hemothorax.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (13) ◽  
pp. 2757
Author(s):  
Xia Hao ◽  
Amandine Anastácio ◽  
Kenny A. Rodriguez-Wallberg

Fertility preservation through ovarian stimulation, aiming at cryopreserving mature oocytes or embryos, is sometimes unsuccessful. This clinical situation deserves novel approaches to overcome infertility following cancer treatment in patients facing highly gonadotoxic treatment. In this controlled experimental study, we investigated the feasibility of in-vitro culturing secondary follicles isolated from superovulated ovaries of mice recently treated with gonadotropins. The follicle yields of superovulated ovaries were 45.9% less than in unstimulated controls. Follicles from superovulated ovaries showed faster growth pace during the initial 7 days of culture and secreted more 17β-estradiol by the end of culture vs controls. Parameters reflecting the outcome of follicular development and oocyte maturation competence in vitro were similar between superovulated and control groups, with a similar follicle size at the end of culture and around 70% survival. Nearly half of cultured follicles met the criteria for in-vitro maturation in both groups and approximately 60% of those achieved a mature MII oocyte, similarly in both groups. Over 60% of obtained MII oocytes displayed normal-looking spindle and chromosome configurations, without significant differences between the groups. Using a validated follicle culture system, we demonstrated the feasibility of secondary follicle isolation, in-vitro culture and oocyte maturation with normal spindle and chromosome configurations obtained from superovulated mice ovaries.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
K. Imai ◽  
S. Sugimura ◽  
M. Ohtake ◽  
Y. Aikawa ◽  
Y. Inaba ◽  
...  

We previously reported that follicular wave synchronization and follicular growth treatment (FGT) before ovum pick-up (OPU) were effective in improving oocyte competence, which was associated with an increase in related embryos obtained by somatic cell nuclear transfer (Sugimura et al. 2012 Cell. Reprogram. 14, 29–37). However, oxygen consumption in oocytes remained unknown. The present study was designed to examine the differences in oxygen consumption between bovine oocytes obtained by OPU with or without FGT after in vitro maturation. Holstein dry cows (n = 8) were reared under the same feeding and environmental conditions. Two OPU sessions were conducted in each cow to collect immature oocytes, as described by Sugimura et al. (2012). The first OPU session (OPU group) was performed in cows on arbitrary days of the oestrous cycle, using a 7.5-MHz linear transducer with the needle connected to an ultrasound scanner. Follicles larger than 8 mm in diameter were then aspirated and a controlled internal drug release device (CIDR) was inserted on Day 5 (the day of the first OPU session = Day 0). Then 30 Armour units (AU) of FSH (Antrin, Kyoritsu Seiyaku, Tokyo, Japan) was administrated to cows twice a day from Day 7 to 10 in decreasing doses (6, 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 2, 2 AU day–1). Cloprostenol (prostaglandin F2α; 0.75 mg) was administered in the morning of Day 9. The second OPU session (FGT-OPU group) was performed 48 h after prostaglandin F2α administration (Day 11), and only follicles larger than 5 mm in diameter were aspirated. The CIDR was removed from the cows just before OPU. Collected cumulus–oocyte complexes in the OPU and FGT-OPU groups were matured in vitro as described by Imai et al. [2006 J. Reprod. Dev. 52(Suppl.), S19–S29]. To collect in vivo-matured oocytes (control group), the CIDR was inserted into the cows on arbitrary days of the oestrous cycle (= Day 0), and oestradiol benzoate (0.8 mg) was administered on Day 1. The cows received the FGT treatment (as described above) from Day 6 to 10; however, the CIDR was removed in the evening of Day 8. Buserelin (gonadotropin-releasing hormone; 200 µg) was then administrated in the morning of Day 10, and OPU was performed at 24 h after gonadotropin-releasing hormone administration (Day 11). Oxygen consumption of matured oocytes was measured noninvasively with a scanning electron microscopy system (HV-405SP; Hokuto Denko Co., Tokyo, Japan). Data were analysed by ANOVA followed by a Tukey-Kramer test. There was no difference in the mean oxygen consumption between the FGT-OPU group (0.34 ± 0.02 × 10–14 mol–1, mean ± SEM) and control group (0.40 ± 0.01 × 10–14 mol–1). However, oxygen consumption in the FGT-OPU and control groups was significantly lower (P < 0.01) than that in the OPU group (0.50 ± 0.02 × 10–14 mol–1). These results revealed significantly lower oxygen consumption in OPU-derived in vitro-matured bovine oocytes after FGT treatment compared with those obtained without FGT treatment. Oxygen consumption of oocytes obtained from FGT-OPU was similar to that of in vivo-matured oocytes, which may reflect their cytoplasmic maturation status with high developmental competence.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 202 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lange-Consiglio ◽  
C. Perrini ◽  
P. Esposti ◽  
F. Cremonesi

The in vitro maturation of canine oocyte is problematic because it is difficult to reproduce the oviducal microenvironment where the in vivo maturation occurs. Because cells are able to communicate with each other by paracrine action, oviducal cells could be in vitro cultivated to obtain the conditioned medium (CM) consisting of soluble factors and microvesicles (MV), which represent a carrier for nonsoluble molecules including microRNA. The aim of the present work was to investigate the effect of the addition of CM or MV, secreted by oviducal cells, to the canine in vitro maturation medium. To generate CM, cells from oviducts of 3 animals in late oestrus were cultured for 5 days at 38.5°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2. Supernatants were collected, pooled, centrifuged at 2500 × g, and stored at −80°C. Microvesicles were obtained by ultracentrifugation of CM at 100,000 × g for 1 h at 4°C and measured for concentration and size by a Nanosight instrument. Ovaries were obtained from 50 healthy domestic bitches (1–4 years old) of different breeds that underwent ovariectomy regardless of the oestrous cycle. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were released by slicing the ovarian cortex with a scalpel blade, and only Grade 1 cumulus-oocyte complexes (darkly granulated cytoplasm and surrounded by 3 or more compact cumulus cell layers) 110 to 120 µm in diameter were selected for culture. Maturation was performed at 38.5°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 and 5% of O2 in bi-phasic systems: 24 h in SOF with 5.0 μg mL−1 of LH followed by 48 h in SOF supplemented with 10% of oestrous bitch serum and 10% CM or 50, 75, 100, or 150 × 106 MV mL−1 labelled with PKH-26. Control was the same medium without CM or MV. Oocytes were observed under a fluorescent microscope to detect metaphase II (MII), by Hoechst staining, and the incorporation of MV. Statistical analysis was performed by chi-square test. Results show that canine oviducal cells secreted MV of 234 ± 23 nm in size, underling that these MV fall within the shedding vesicles category. The incorporation of labelled MV occurred at first in cumulus cells, at 48 h of maturation, and then, at 72 h, in oocyte cytoplasm. These MV had a positive effect on maturation rate (MII) at the concentration of 75 and 100 × 106 MV mL−1 compared with CM and control (20.34 and 21.82 v. 9.09 and 3.95%, respectively). The concentration of 150 × 106 MV mL−1 provided only 9.26% of MII. To understand the role of MV, we assessed the expression of 3 microRNA (miRNA-30b, miR-375, and miR-503) that are involved in some key pathways (WNT, MAPK, ERbB, and TGFβ) regulating follicular development and meiotic resumption. The lower rate of MII with the higher concentration of MV is possibly due to the high level of miR-375, which recent literature shows to suppress the TGFβ pathway, leading to impaired oocyte maturation. In conclusion, the oviducal MV, or specific microRNA, are involved in cellular trafficking during oocyte maturation, and their possible use in vitro could facilitate the exploitation of canine reproductive biotechnologies.


Blood ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 136 (Supplement 1) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Peter Rahl ◽  
Ivan Efremov ◽  
Billy Stuart ◽  
Keqiang Xie ◽  
Mark Roth ◽  
...  

Red blood cell disorders like Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and β-thalassemias are caused by mutations within the gene for the hemoglobin β (HBβ) subunit. A fetal ortholog of HBβ, hemoglobin γ (HBγ) can prevent or reduce disease-related pathophysiology in these disorders by forming nonpathogenic complexes with the required hemoglobin α-subunit. Globin expression is developmentally regulated, with a reduction in production of the fetal ortholog (γ)occurring shortly after birth and a concomitant increase in the levels of the adult ortholog (β). It has been postulated that maintaining expression of the anti-sickling γ ortholog may be of therapeutic benefit in children and adults with SCD. Indeed, individuals with the SCD mutation who also have genetic variants that maintain HBγ expression at clinically meaningful levels do not present with SCD-related symptoms. Parallel target identification efforts using CRISPR and the Fulcrum proprietary, annotated chemical probe screening set in HUDEP2 cells identified a protein complex as a key regulator of HbF expression. Structure-guided medicinal chemistry optimization led to the design of FTX-6058, a novel, potent and selective small molecule with desirable DMPK properties suitable for clinical testing. FTX-6058 treatment of differentiated primary CD34+ cells from multiple healthy donors demonstrated target engagement and potent upregulation of HBG1/2 mRNA and HbF protein. Across multiple healthy and SCD donors, FTX-6058 treatment resulted in a clinically desirable globin profile (e.g., up to 30% absolute HbF) accompanied by pancellular HbF expression, resembling the phenotype of SCD mutation carriers with hereditary persistence of fetal hemoglobin. FTX-6058 demonstrated a superior pharmacological profile relative to hydroxyurea and other small molecule compounds whose putative mechanism of action is to induce HbF. FTX-6058 treatment resulted in robust target engagement and subsequent elevation of the endogenous mouse Hbb-bh1 mRNA in wildtype CD-1 mice and, importantly, also elevation of the human HBG1 mRNA and HbF protein in the Townes SCD mouse model. Preclinical studies using a variety of in vitro and in vivo models have demonstrated the potential of FTX-6058 as a novel HbF-inducing small molecule that could be beneficial to patients with SCD and β-thalassemias. FTX-6058 was shown to be potent and selective in vitro, was well tolerated and elicited a desirable exposure-response relationship in multiple preclinical rodent models with once-a-day oral dosing and at plasma concentrations predicted to be achievable in patients. IND enabling studies for FTX-6058 have been completed. Disclosures Rahl: Fulcrum Therapeutics: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Efremov:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Stuart:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Xie:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current Employment. Roth:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Barnes:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Appiah:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current equity holder in publicly-traded company, Ended employment in the past 24 months. Peters:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current Employment. Li:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Kazmirski:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Ended employment in the past 24 months. Bruno:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current Employment. Stickland:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Ronco:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Cadavid:Fulcrum Therapeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Thompson:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Wallace:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company. Moxham:Fulcrum Therepeutics: Current Employment, Current equity holder in publicly-traded company.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 413-421 ◽  
Author(s):  
Han-Qing Liu ◽  
Ya-Wen An ◽  
A-Zhen Hu ◽  
Ming-Hua Li ◽  
Guang-Hui Cui

AbstractIn this study we investigated the antineoplastic effects of Berberine (BBR)-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) on HeLa cells and its related mechanisms. The CCK-8 assay and flow cytometry were used to evaluate the proliferation and apoptosis of cells respectively. In addition, changes in protein expression levels were assessed using western blot. BBR at dose of 10 mg/kg was injected intraperitoneally to mice with tumors and PDT treatments were performed 24 hours later. In vivo imaging systems were used to evaluate the fluorescence of BBR. In vitro, PDT significantly enhanced the effects of BBR on inducing cell apoptosis and inhibiting proliferation. The in vivo results showed that the fluorescence intensity in the PDT group was decreased compared with that in the BBR group. Tumor weights and tumor size in the PDT group were less than those in the control group; however, when BBR was applied without PDT, no significant differences were observed between the BBR and control group. The results of western blot showed that PDT enhanced the inhibitory effects of BBR on the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, that may partly explain the potential underlying mechanisms.


1985 ◽  
Vol 248 (3) ◽  
pp. C309-C319 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Siehl ◽  
B. H. Chua ◽  
N. Lautensack-Belser ◽  
H. E. Morgan

Rates of protein synthesis and degradation were measured in hearts from normal and thyroxine-injected rats that were perfused as working preparations with Krebs-Henseleit bicarbonate buffer containing 400 microU insulin/ml, 2 mM lactate, 10 mM glucose, and normal plasma concentrations of amino acids. Hearts were perfused after four daily injections (1 microgram/g body wt) of thyroxine. Protein synthesis was 24% greater in hypertrophying hearts compared with controls; ribosomal RNA content increased 25%. In addition, the proportion of total RNA in free ribosomal subunits in hypertrophying hearts was unchanged from perfused hearts of control rats and from unperfused normal hearts. These results indicated that increased protein synthetic machinery as monitored by content of ribosomes, rather than more efficient initiation or elongation of peptide chains, accounted for the faster rate of protein synthesis in hypertrophying hearts. Rates of protein degradation were the same in hearts from thyroxine-injected and control animals. When rates of ribosome production were measured in vitro at various times after a single injection of thyroxine in vivo, faster ribosome synthesis was detected within 8 h; no change in the rate of total protein synthesis occurred after a single injection of thyroxine. These studies indicated that accelerated ribosome formation was an early and quantitatively important factor in cardiac hypertrophy.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 186
Author(s):  
A. Gad ◽  
U. Besenfelder ◽  
V. Havlicek ◽  
M. Hölker ◽  
F. Rings ◽  
...  

Early embryonic development, the period from oocyte maturation until blastocyst formation, is the most critical period of mammalian development. It is well known that in vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture of bovine embryos is highly affected by culture conditions. However, the stage-specific effect of culture environment is poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to examine the effect of in vitro culture conditions during oocyte maturation and fertilization on the transcriptome profile of the resulting blastocysts. Bovine oocytes were matured in vitro and then either directly transferred to synchronized recipients, fertilized, and cultured in vivo (Vitro_M), or transferred after in vitro fertilization (Vitro_F), or at zygote stage (Vitro_Z) and blastocysts were collected at Day 7 by uterine flushing. For in vivo or in vitro fertilization, the same frozen-thawed commercial bull semen has been used. Complete in vitro (IVP) and in vivo produced blastocysts were used as controls. Gene expression patterns between each blastocyst group and in vivo produced blastocyst group were compared using EmbryoGENE's bovine microarray (EmbryoGENE, Québec, QC, Canada) over six replicates of each group (10 blastocyst/replicate). Microarray data were statistically analysed using the Linear Models for Microarray Data Analysis (LIMMA) package under the R program (The R Project for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). Results showed that, the longer the embryos spent under in vitro conditions, the higher was the number of differentially expressed genes (DEG, fold-change = 2 with adjusted P-value = 0.05) compared with in vivo control group. The Vitro_M group showed the lowest number of DEG (149); in contrast IVP group represented 841, DEG, respectively compared to in vivo control group. Ontological classification of DEG showed that lipid metabolism was the most significant function influenced by in vitro maturation conditions. More than 55% of DEG in the Vitro_M group were involved in the lipid metabolism process and most of them showed down-regulation compared to in vivo control group. On the other hand, Vitro_F and Vitro_Z groups showed nearly similar numbers of DEG (584 and 532, respectively) and the majority of these genes in both groups were involved in cell-death- and cell-cycle-related functions. Pathway analysis revealed that retinoic acid receptor activation pathways were the common ones in the Vitro_M and Vitro_F groups. However, different signalling pathways were commonly dominant in the Vitro_F and Vitro_Z groups. This study provides the transcriptome elasticity of bovine embryos exposed to different environments during maturation, fertilization, and culture periods of development.


2012 ◽  
Vol 111 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aviva Peleg ◽  
Yonathan Hasin

Background: Contrast media (CM) administrated during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED) and systemic vascular injury. Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) administration 24 hours post PCI decreases ED. Aims: To evaluate 1.The ability of human BNP (hBNP) infusion during PCI, to prevent ED in acute coronary syndrome's (ACS) patients post the PCI. 2. The effect of CM on human coronary microvascular endothelial cells (HCMEC).3. Explain ED by invitro study. Methods and results (in vivo): Non-ST elevation ACS patients who underwent PCI (111) were randomized into 2 groups: an hBNP group who received hBNP infusion during the procedure (n=44), and control group who received nitroglycerin (n=67). Flow mediated dilatation (FMD) (by ≥2.5%), BNP, corin, serum creatinine (sCr) and estimate Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR), before and 24 hr after operative were recorded, starting with the same baseline. The post PCI FMD and eGFR were significantly reduced in the control group (p=0.05, 0.002) but not in the hBNP group (p=0.16, 0.4). BNP, corin and sCr increased significantly in the control group (p=0.001, 0.003, 0.0002 respectively) but not in hBNP group (p=0.09, 0.07, 0.18). Methods and results (in vitro): HCMEC were treated with CM (10%) in the presence and absence of BNP. eNOS, corin and cGMP levels were measured by ELISA and the results were compared to untreated cells. In both treatments eNOS was significantly reduced (p=0.001) and corin was significantly increased (p=0.002). cGMP was not affected by CM treatment (p=0.278), but was increased significantly (p=0.001) by hBNP combination. cGMP immuno-flourescence staining of HCMEC showed distorted cellular cGMP appearance by CM treatment, that was corrected in the combination with hBNP with accentuated subsarcolemmal staining. Conclusions: CM reduces eNOS level in HCMEC. Therefore, reduced in NO-cGMP pathway's products, probably is the mechanism that induces ED in-vivo. BNP treatment reduces FMD diminution and kidney injury post PCI. A compensatory rise in corin that increases BNP as well as the hBNP administration, invivo and invitro, maintains cytosolic cGMP via NP-cGMP pathway, and compensates for NO-cGMP loss, (reduced sGC) and thus prevents ED.


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