60 PREDICTING FROZEN BOAR SPERM FERTILITY USING NOVEL AND CONVENTIONAL ANALYSES

2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 123
Author(s):  
B. W. Daigneault ◽  
K. A. McNamara ◽  
P. H. Purdy ◽  
S. L. Rodriguez-Zas ◽  
R. L. Krisher ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Binding Assay ◽  
Laboratory Evaluation ◽  
Stepwise Logistic Regression ◽  
Blastocyst Development ◽  
Sperm Analysis ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Boar Sperm ◽  
Live Sperm

Cryopreserved boar sperm is seldom used for AI because fertility is reduced. Despite many potential advantages of frozen-thawed sperm for AI, lack of reliable fertility estimation of frozen ejaculates before AI limits the application of frozen sperm. Conventional post-thaw evaluation of sperm does not accurately estimate fertility. Identifying sperm traits that predict fertility would help select ejaculates that produce adequate litter sizes. Our objective was to identify traits of cryopreserved sperm that are related to boar fertility for AI through the use of novel and traditional laboratory analyses. Semen from 14 boars of several breeds was cooled to 15°C for shipping before freezing. Post-thaw motility was evaluated using a microscope and confirmed with computer-automated sperm analysis. Sperm viability and acrosome integrity were measured at 0, 30, and 60 min post-thaw. In addition to traditional analyses, each sperm sample was tested by IVF to record fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst development. A sperm-oviduct binding assay was used to compare the number of sperm bound to epithelial aggregates harvested from the isthmus. Additionally, a competitive zona binding assay using 2 distinct fluorophores for boar identification was used to count the number of sperm from each boar bound to the zona. Frozen sperm from the same ejaculates subjected to laboratory analyses were used to determine actual boar fertility. Fertility was measured by AI of mature gilts using 4.0 × 109 total sperm from one boar at 24 h and a second boar at 36 h after the onset of oestrus, and AI order was reversed in consecutive replicates. Fertility was expressed as the percentage of the litter sired by each boar. Reproductive tracts were harvested at 32 days after AI, and fetal paternity was identified using microsatellite markers. The actual boar fertility was regressed against the mean of each laboratory evaluation by boar, and the assays that best predicted fertility were identified using stepwise logistic regression. The model generated was highly predictive of fertility (P < 0.001, r2 = 0.87) and included 5 traits: acrosome compromised sperm (0 and 30 min), percent live sperm (0 min), percent total motility (30 min), and the number of zona bound sperm. An additional model in which fertility was assessed by the number of piglets sired by boar also predicted fertility (P < 0.05, r2 = 0.57) and shared many of the same traits. These models were highly accurate when used to predict actual fertility of cryopreserved boar sperm. This approach may be used to screen ejaculates before AI and advance the use of frozen boar sperm by the swine industry.Research was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2010-85112-20620 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

scholarly journals 372 The timing of pregnancy losses in beef cattle

2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (Supplement_4) ◽  
pp. 123-124
Author(s):  
Ky G Pohler
Keyword(s):  
Embryonic Development ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Fetal Development ◽  
Pregnancy Loss ◽  
Early Embryonic Development ◽  
Fertilization Rates ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Agriculture And Food

Abstract Pregnancy loss in beef cattle causes both management and economic challenges to a producer. Recent studies have been conducted to quantify reproductive failures that occur during fertilization, early embryonic development, and late embryonic/early fetal development periods of gestation in beef cattle. Minimizing reproductive inefficiency, specifically embryonic mortality (EM), is vital. Although fertilization rates are reportedly high in beef cattle, significant developmental failure occurs within the first 7 days of gestation. Approximately 28.4% of embryos will not develop past day 7 of gestation with most embryonic losses occurring before day 4. By the conclusion of the first month of gestation, 47.9% of cows submitted to a single insemination at day 0 will not be pregnant. Overall, late embryonic/fetal development between days 32 to 60 and 100 is 5.8% with a range of 3.2 to 42.7%. This talk will highlight some of the work our group is focusing on to determine timing and detection of pregnancy loss during these pivotal periods of pregnancy loss and potential management aspects to mitigate reproductive inefficiency. This was supported by Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Competitive Grant no. 2017-67015-26457 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

scholarly journals Raspberry Consumption Decreases the Expression of Interleukin-6 in the Liver of Angiotensin II-Infused Rats

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 334-334
Author(s):  
Justina Kim ◽  
Maureen Meister ◽  
Rami Najjar ◽  
Jessica Dahn ◽  
Lena MT Lear ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Saline Control ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Hepatic Expression ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Markers Of Inflammation ◽  
Research Initiative ◽  
Freeze Dried

Abstract Objectives Angiotensin (Ang) II induces inflammation in a number of tissues. Inflammation contribute to the development of hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Thus, the objective of this study was to examine the effects of raspberry consumption on markers of inflammation in the liver of rats-infused with Ang II. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats (8-week-old) were fed either an AIN-93M diet alone or supplemented with 10% w/w freeze-dried raspberry powder for seven weeks. At week 4, the animals were subcutaneously implanted with osmotic minipumps, delivering 0.9% saline (control) or Ang II (270 ng/kg body weight/day). Diet and treatment were continued for three additional weeks. Hepatic expression of inflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1β were evaluated by western blot. Results were analyzed by one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test. Data were normalized to control and are expressed as means ± standard deviation. Results Ang II increased liver expression of IL-6 (1.73 ± 0.12, n = 5, vs 1.00 ± 0.17-fold, n = 5, P = 0.009) while supplementation with raspberry attenuated this effect (1.10 ± 0.14-fold, n = 5, P = 0.021). In contrast, no significant differences were observed in the expression of IL-1 β among groups. Conclusions Raspberry supplementation attenuated Ang II-induced increases in IL-6 expression in the liver. Further investigation is needed to elucidate the effects of raspberry supplementation on Ang II-induced inflammation in the liver. Funding Sources This work was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (grant no. 2019–67,017-29,257/project accession no. 1,018,642) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

scholarly journals The role of citizen science in addressing grand challenges in food and agriculture research

2018 ◽  
Vol 285 (1891) ◽  
pp. 20181977 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. F. Ryan ◽  
N. L. Adamson ◽  
A. Aktipis ◽  
L. K. Andersen ◽  
R. Austin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Urban Communities ◽  
Citizen Science ◽  
Food Systems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Food Science ◽  
Grand Challenges ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Science Projects ◽  
Agriculture And Food

The power of citizen science to contribute to both science and society is gaining increased recognition, particularly in physics and biology. Although there is a long history of public engagement in agriculture and food science, the term ‘citizen science’ has rarely been applied to these efforts. Similarly, in the emerging field of citizen science, most new citizen science projects do not focus on food or agriculture. Here, we convened thought leaders from a broad range of fields related to citizen science, agriculture, and food science to highlight key opportunities for bridging these overlapping yet disconnected communities/fields and identify ways to leverage their respective strengths. Specifically, we show that (i) citizen science projects are addressing many grand challenges facing our food systems, as outlined by the United States National Institute of Food and Agriculture, as well as broader Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations Development Programme, (ii) there exist emerging opportunities and unique challenges for citizen science in agriculture/food research, and (iii) the greatest opportunities for the development of citizen science projects in agriculture and food science will be gained by using the existing infrastructure and tools of Extension programmes and through the engagement of urban communities. Further, we argue there is no better time to foster greater collaboration between these fields given the trend of shrinking Extension programmes, the increasing need to apply innovative solutions to address rising demands on agricultural systems, and the exponential growth of the field of citizen science.

scholarly journals Exosomes derived from HEK293T cells interact in an efficient and noninvasive manner with mammalian sperm in vitro

Nanomedicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (20) ◽  
pp. 1965-1980
Author(s):  
Teresa Vilanova-Perez ◽  
Celine Jones ◽  
Stefan Balint ◽  
Rebecca Dragovic ◽  
Michael L Dustin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flow Cytometry ◽  
Mitochondrial Membrane ◽  
Membrane Integrity ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Sperm Function ◽  
Sperm Analysis ◽  
Mammalian Sperm ◽  
Boar Sperm ◽  
Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis

Aim: To investigate exosomes as a noninvasive delivery tool for mammalian sperm. Materials & Methods: Exosomes were isolated from HEK293T cells and co-incubated with boar sperm in vitro. Results: Internalized exosomes were detected within 10 min of co-incubation. Computer-assisted sperm analysis and flow cytometry demonstrated that even after 5-h of exposure to exosomes, there were no significant deleterious effects with regard to sperm motility, viability, membrane integrity and mitochondrial membrane potential (p > 0.05), thus indicating that exosomes did not interfere with basic sperm function. Conclusion: HEK293T-derived exosomes interacted with boar sperm without affecting sperm function. Exosomes represent a versatile and promising research tool for studying sperm biology and provide new options for the diagnosis and treatment of male infertility.

scholarly journals Effects of Astaxanthin on Miniature Pig Sperm Cryopreservation

2018 ◽  
Vol 2018 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eunjoo Lee ◽  
Daeyoung Kim
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Semen Parameters ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Miniature Pig ◽  
Oxidation Stress ◽  
Sperm Analysis ◽  
Semen Parameter ◽  
Boar Sperm ◽  
Sperm Plasma Membrane

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of astaxanthin added to freezing buffer on semen parameters, total sperm oxidation stress after postthawing of boar sperm, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) which is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sperm membrane. Varying concentrations of astaxanthin (0, 10, 50, 100, and 500 μM) were used in the freezing buffer during cryopreservation to protect the DNA of thawed miniature pig sperm. Semen parameter was measured using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) for sperm motility, and then ROS rate and oxidative stress of boar sperm were determined using fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS). Sperm motility was higher (p<0.05) in the astaxanthin group than in the control group. Sperm motility and the number of progressive motile sperm were higher (p<0.05) in the astaxanthin 500 μM group than in the control group. In ROS evaluation, the astaxanthin group had lower intracellular O2 and H2O2 in viable sperm. Yo-Pro-I/HE and PI/H2DCFDA staining as revealed using flow cytometry was lower in astaxanthin groups than in the other groups. As a result, we found that astaxanthin could protect the sperm plasma membrane from free radicals and LPO during boar sperm postthawing.

scholarly journals Raspberry Consumption Attenuates Angiotensin II-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Subfornical Organ in Male Sprague-Dawley Rats

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 298-298
Author(s):  
Jasmynne Blacks ◽  
Ferdinand Althammer ◽  
Rami Najjar ◽  
Maureen Meister ◽  
Jessica Dahn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Oxidative Stress ◽  
Subfornical Organ ◽  
Saline Control ◽  
Ang Ii ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Food Research ◽  
Food And Agriculture ◽  
Sprague Dawley Rats ◽  
Freeze Dried

Abstract Objectives To examine whether raspberry (RB) attenuates oxidative stress induced by angiotensin (Ang) II in the subfornical organ (SFO) of the brain in rats. Methods Male Sprague-Dawley rats were fed an AIN-93M diet with or without 10% w/w freeze-dried RB powder for seven weeks. At week 4, rats were implanted with subcutaneous osmotic minipumps that delivered 0.9% saline (Control) or Ang II (270 ng/kg body weight/day) for another three weeks. Brain region-specific tissue punches were collected from flash-frozen sections containing the SFO. NADPH oxidase (NOX) 2 and 4 and superoxide dismutase (SOD) 1 and 2 were measured in SFO using western blot. Results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey post hoc test. Data were normalized to control and are expressed as means ± standard deviation. Results Ang II significantly increased NOX2 expression compared to control (1.24 ± 0.1, n = 5, vs 1.00 ± 0.07-fold, n = 3, P = 0.009) while RB supplementation significantly attenuated Ang II-induced increases in NOX2 (0.91 ± 0.05-fold, n = 4; P = 0.0006). Ang II also increased NOX4 expression compared to control (2.11 ± 1.2, n = 9, vs 0.98 ± 0.4-fold, n = 6, P = 0.04), but RB supplementation did not significantly attenuate this effect (1.30 ± 0.36-fold, n = 10, P = 0.11). RB increased expression of SOD1 (1.52 ± 0.20-fold, n = 4) compared to control (1.00 ± 0.15-fold, n = 3, P = 0.009) and Ang II alone (1.08 ± 0.16-fold, n = 5, P = 0.01). On the other hand, Ang II treatment decreased SOD2 expression compared to control (0.62 ± 0.05, n = 5, vs 1.00 ± 0.09-fold, n = 3, P = 0.0001), but the RB supplementation did not prevent this effect (0.72 ± 0.07-fold, n = 4, P = 0.16). Conclusions Our findings suggest that RB supplementation decreases Ang II-induced oxidative stress in the SFO by decreasing NOX2 and increasing SOD1 expression. Future investigations are warranted to elucidate the effects of RB on oxidative stress pathways in the SFO. Funding Sources This work was supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (grant no. 2019–67,017-29,257/project accession no. 1,018,642) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document