182 EFFECT OF OVULATION-INDUCING FACTOR ON DEVELOPMENT AND VASCULAR PERFUSION OF THE OVULATORY FOLLICLE AND CORPUS LUTEUM IN LLAMAS

The aim of the study was to determine if purified ovulation-inducing factor (OIF) from llama seminal plasma evokes changes in tissue vascular area of the preovulatory follicle and CL. Mature non-lactating, non-pregnant, female llamas (n = 20) were monitored by transrectal ultrasonography using a 7.5-MHz linear-array transducer (MyLab 5, Canadian Veterinary Imaging) to determine ovarian follicular status. Llamas with a growing follicle (for 3 consecutive days) ≥8 mm were assigned randomly to 2 groups (n = 10/group) and given an i.m. dose of (1) 50 µg of gonadorelin acetate or (2) 1 mg of purified OIF from llama seminal plasma. Llamas were examined daily by transrectal ultrasonography using B-mode and power Doppler mode from Day 0 (day of treatment) to Day 16 to detect ovulation and CL development, and to calculate the area of blood-flow signal in the preovulatory follicle at 12 h after treatment and in the CL on Days 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16. Power Doppler images were recorded, edited, and analysed using the ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA). Data were compared between groups by Student t-test, chi-square, and ANOVA for repeated measures. No differences were detected between GnRH and OIF groups, respectively, in the diameter of the preovulatory follicle at the time of treatment (9.7 ± 0.3 v. 9.9 ± 0.4 mm), ovulation rate (10/10 v. 10/10), interval from treatment to ovulation (32.0 ± 0.6 v. 30.4 ± 1.8 h), maximum CL diameter (13.05 ± 0.4 v. 13.5 ± 0.3 mm), or the day on which the CL reached the maximum diameter (8.7 ± 0.3 v. 8.2 ± 0.2). The preovulatory follicle from llamas treated with purified OIF had a greater (P ≤ 0.0001) blood-flow signal area after treatment than that of the GnRH group. Similarly, the luteal tissue of llamas treated with purified OIF had a greater (P ≤ 0.001) blood-flow signal area than that of the GnRH group on Days 4, 6, 12, and 16 after treatment. We conclude that OIF purified from llama seminal plasma increases the vascular perfusion of the preovulatory follicle and the subsequent CL, consistent with the hypothesis that OIF is luteotrophic. Research funded by Chilean National Science and Technology Research Council (Fondecyt Regular 1120518), the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, and the Alpaca Research Foundation.

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124 RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PREOVULATORY FOLLICLE AND CORPUS LUTEUM BLOOD FLOW IN MARES

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv24n1ab124 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 174

Author(s):

A. Wischral ◽

K. T. Haag ◽

G. R. Fonseca ◽

M. O. Gastal ◽

S. S. King ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Doppler Ultrasonography ◽

New Technologies ◽

Power Doppler ◽

Corpora Lutea ◽

Power Doppler Ultrasonography ◽

Preovulatory Follicle ◽

Vascular Perfusion ◽

Follicle Diameter ◽

Student’S T

Colour- and power-Doppler ultrasonography have recently been used as potential new technologies to assess the degree of vascular perfusion of the ovary and follicles for research and clinical studies of ovarian and follicle hemodynamics and to predict fertility in horses, cattle and humans. In the present study, the following hypotheses were tested: (1) preovulatory follicle (POF) diameter (≥30 mm), but not blood flow, is repeatable between cycles within the same mare; (2) POF diameter and blood flow are good indicators of follicle status; (3) double POF have similar blood flow; and (4) highly vascularized POF produce corpora lutea (CL) with greater blood flow. Non-lactating mares (n = 13; 5 to 21 years old) of mixed breeds were used from March to May in the Northern Hemisphere. Follicle diameter and vascularity of the follicle wall before the first and second ovulations of the season and vascularity of the first CL were measured daily using transrectal colour-Doppler ultrasonography. The vascularity of the follicle wall and CL was based on the display of the blood-flow signals visualised in a slow, continuous-motion evaluation. Statistical analyses were performed by the SAS MIXED procedure, ANOVA and Student's t-tests and Spearman's correlation. A total of 26 periovulatory periods were evaluated. Unexpectedly, there were 84.6% (11/13) and 61.5% (8/13) double dominant POF and 30.8% (4/13) and 46.2% (6/13) double ovulations in the first and second periovulatory periods, respectively. The POF diameters were highly correlated (r = 0.68; P < 0.0001) between the first and second periovulatory periods. The diameter of the POF 5 days before the first ovulation was larger (P < 0.004) than before the second ovulation of the year. However, the POF vascularity did not differ between those periods. For 4 days before ovulation (Day 0), the diameter and blood flow of the POF were greater (P < 0.05) than for those follicles that underwent atresia in single- and double-ovulatory mares. The POF diameter and blood flow were positively correlated in ovulatory (r = 0.51; P < 0.0001) and in atretic (r = 0.32; P < 0.02) follicles. In double-ovulatory mares, POF diameter and blood flow increased (P < 0.0006) for 5 days before ovulation, with no difference between the 2 follicles in the same cycle for each parameter. The POF blood flow was positively correlated (r = 0.32; P < 0.0009) with CL vascularity during the first periovulatory period (Day –7 to +6) of the season. Furthermore, a positive correlation (r = 0.58; P < 0.01) was observed between the maximum vascularity of the POF and its subsequent CL. In conclusion, although preliminary, our results demonstrated that (a) POF vascularity is not repeatable within individuals; (b) potential atretic POF have low blood flow; (c) double POF have similar vascularity; and (d) greater blood flow to the POF is associated with higher CL vascularity.

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AB0425 PRELIMINARY EVALUATION OF THE SURAL NERVE USING 24-MHZ ULTRASOUND: A NEW APPROACH TO EVALUATE SURAL NEUROPATHY OF SJOGREN’S SYNDROME PATIENTS

Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases ◽

10.1136/annrheumdis-2020-eular.4176 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 79 (Suppl 1) ◽

pp. 1512.2-1512

Author(s):

F. Liu ◽

J. Zhu ◽

S. Zhang ◽

D. LI ◽

F. Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Flow ◽

Sjögren’S Syndrome ◽

Sural Nerve ◽

Sjögren's Syndrome ◽

Sjogren’S Syndrome ◽

Sjogren's Syndrome ◽

Primary Sjögren’S Syndrome ◽

Flow Signal ◽

Blood Flow Signal ◽

Sjögren‘S Syndrome

Background:Peripheral neuropathy is one of the most frequent extraglandular manifestations of primary Sjögren’s syndrome (pSS). The diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy complications of pSS is based primarily on careful neurologic examination and electrodiagnostic tests. The value of ultrasound in peripheral nerve has been recognized. However, little clinical researches have focused specifically on cutaneous nerve of pSS.Objectives:To evaluate the morphological changes of sural nerve in patients with pSS by high-frequency ultrasound.Methods:The prospective study subjects consisted of 31 consecutive pSS patients underwent sural nerve biopsy and 30 healthy volunteers as controls. The ultrasonic presentations of the fascicle, perineurium, epineurium of sural nerve were observed, and the cross-sectional areas (CSA) of the sural nerves was measured.Results:Among the 21 sural nerves confirmed by pathology, all showed the thickening of the perineurium and epineurium (Figure 1-2), and abnormal blood flow signal in perineurium or epineurium in 14 cases (Figure 2). The mean CSAs were (1.41±0.44) mm2 for the control group, and (1.58±0.48) mm2 for the case group (P>0.05). In addition, the abnormal blood flow signal in sural nerve correlated with disease activity.Conclusion:This study indicated that high-frequency ultrasound may be a valuable tool for evaluating cutaneous nerve neuropathy of Sjogren’s syndrome patients.References:[1]Vitali C, Bombardieri S, Jonsson R, Moutsopoulos HM, Alexander EL, Carsons SE, et al. Classification criteria for Sjögren’s syndrome: a revised version of the European criteria proposed by the American-European Consensus Group. Ann Rheum Dis. 2002;61(6):554-8.[2]Terrier B, Lacroix C, Guillevin L, Hatron PY, Dhote R, Maillot F, et al. Diagnostic and prognostic relevance of neuromuscular biopsy in primary Sjögren’s syndrome-related neuropathy. Arthritis Rheum.2007;57(8):1520-9.[3]McCoy SS, Baer AN. Neurological Complications of Sjögren’s Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management. Curr Treatm Opt Rheumatol. 2017;3(4):275-88.[4]Carvajal Alegria G, Guellec D, Devauchelle-Pensec V, Saraux A. Is there specific neurological disorders of primary Sjögren’s syndrome? Joint Bone Spine. 2015;82(2):86-9.Figure 1.Transverse sonograms of the sural nerve (arrows) V: indicates lesser saphenous veinFigure 2.Longitudinal sonograms of the sural nerve (arrows) The sonogram of sural nerve showed abnormal blood flow signal. V indicates lesser saphenous vein.Acknowledgments:This work was partly supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81701712).Disclosure of Interests: :None declared

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