Exogenous paraoxonase‐1 during oocyte maturation improves bovine embryo development in vitro

Paraoxonase‐1 (PON1) is an enzyme found in serum and follicular fluid that protects cell membrane and circulating lipids against oxidative damage. The aims of this study were to measure the direct effects of recombinant PON1 (rPON1) on bovine oocyte maturation at the molecular level (gene expression) and to measure the carry‐over effects of PON1 on pre‐implantation embryo development in vitro. COCs were submitted to IVM with the addition of 0.0, 0.02, 0.04 and 0.08 mg ml^?1 of rPON1, corresponding to an average PON1 arylesterase enzyme activity of 2.2 ± 0.4, 15.5 ± 1.5, 30.2 ± 3.0 and 57.9 ± 5.0 U ml^?1, respectively. The results indicated that addition of rPON1 during IVM improved embryo development in a dose‐dependent manner as D7 embryo development was 22.2%, 29.4%, 32.2% and 37.0% for the treatment groups, respectively (p = 0.02). In conclusion, addition of PON1 enzyme during IVM exerted dose‐related positive effects on embryo development rates to blastocysts.     

Reproductive biology of pond reared Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L.

The reproductive performance of female Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus L., reared in ponds under tropical conditions was studied. The experiments used stock matured to the age of 2–4 months and a size of 30–50 g. Oocyte development proved a better indicator for the determination of the size at first maturation than the development of the gonado-somatic index. The Nile tilapia became ‘stunted' in the sense that early breeding took place, but the somatic growth of the stock still continued. This result indicates that the earlier breeding of Nile tilapia is not a real bottleneck for the expansion of this production sector. No relationship was found between the condition factor and the size at first maturation or the relative fecundity. This led to the conclusion that aggravation of the living conditions is not a major cause of earlier breeding of pond-reared O. niloticus.     

Experimental Neospora Caninum Infection in Pregnant Dairy Heifers Raises Concentrations of Pregnancy‐Associated Glycoproteins 1 and 2 in Foetal Fluids

Plasma concentrations of PAG‐1 are used for pregnancy diagnosis and as a marker of placental/foetal well‐being, while those of PAG‐2 may be an indicator of abortion risk in Neospora caninum‐infected cows. Studies have shown that N. caninum infection modifies PAG‐1 and PAG‐2 patterns in maternal blood plasma. However, no prior work has examined the effects of N. caninum infection on concentrations of PAGs in foetal fluids. In this study, PAG‐1, PAG‐2 and pH levels were determined in the amniotic and allantoic fluids of foetuses collected at 152 days of gestation from control uninfected dams and from dams experimentally infected with N. caninum on Day 110 of gestation. Foetal fluids from infected foetuses had significantly higher PAG‐2 concentrations (p = 0.026) and pH values (p = 0.02) than fluids from non‐infected foetuses. In infected foetuses, significantly higher concentrations of PAG‐1 (p < 0.001) and PAG‐2 (p < 0.001) were detected in fluid samples showing antibodies against N. caninum than those without antibodies. Moreover, pH values were significantly higher (p = 0.011) in foetal fluid samples with antibodies than in samples from non‐infected foetuses. In conclusion, this is the first report on the effect of N. caninum infection on PAG levels in foetal fluids. Our results indicate that following the experimental infection of dams with N. caninum on Day 110 of gestation, foetal fluids collected from the infected foetuses of these dams featured higher PAG‐1 and PAG‐2 levels and pH values than fluids from non‐infected controls, provided that the samples tested showed the presence of antibodies. The clinical implications of these findings are that following infection with N. caninum, most cows will experience some level of placental damage and that this injury correlates with foetal fluid PAG levels and pH.     

In Vitro Fertilization and Development of OPU Derived Goat and Sheep Oocytes

The recent upgrade in IVP technology seen in cattle can be adapted to embryo production in small ruminants to overcome limitations exhibited by surgical procedures on preserving the reproductive potential of donors and the efficiency of embryo production. The aim of the present study was to assess the current procedures used in cattle for the production of IVP embryos in goats and sheep based on laparoscopic-aided ovum pick-up (LOPU) supplied oocytes. Sexually matured goat and sheep donors were treated during the breeding season with FSH and subjected to laparoscopic-guided follicular puncture under general anaesthesia. The collected cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in medium 199 and fertilized by frozen-thawed spermatozoa using Talp medium supplemented with heparin and oestrus-sheep serum. Cleaved ova were either cultured in sheep in vitro fertilization medium plus amino acids or transferred to sheep oviducts. Blastocyst rate, hatching rate and development rate up to term were used as markers of embryo function. The results obtained for goat and sheep involving 30 and 35 donors respectively (10 and 9 LOPU sessions) were 81.2% and 85.2% of oocyte collection rate; 88.3% and 98.6% oocyte incubation rate; 85.6% and 76.0% fertilization rate; 82.4% and 93.4% of cleavage rate; 50.0% and 61.5% IVP blastocyst rate; 42.1% and 45.5% blastocyst rate in oviducts; 73.0% and 66.7% embryo survival up to term, respectively. The results are comparable to those obtained in small ruminants and in bovines suggesting that requirements for embryo production and development are similar.     

Localization of Insulin‐Like Growth Factor‐I (IGF‐I) and IGF‐I Receptor (IGF‐IR) in Equine Testes

The insulin‐like growth factor‐I (IGF‐I) is a key regulator of reproductive functions. IGF‐I actions are primarily mediated by IGF‐IR. The main objective of this research was to evaluate the presence of IGF‐I and IGF‐I Receptor (IGF‐IR) in stallion testicular tissue. The hypotheses of this study were (i) IGF‐I and IGF‐IR are present in stallion testicular cells including Leydig, Sertoli, and developing germ cells, and (ii) the immunolabelling of IGF‐I and IGF‐IR varies with age. Testicular tissues from groups of 4 stallions in different developmental ages were used. Rabbit anti‐human polyclonal antibodies against IGF‐I and IGF‐IR were used as primary antibodies for immunohistochemistry and Western blot. At the pre‐pubertal and pubertal stages, IGF‐I immunolabelling was present in spermatogonia and Leydig cells. At post‐pubertal, adult and aged stages, immunolabelling of IGF‐I was observed in spermatogenic cells (spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid, and spermatozoa) and Leydig cells. Immunolabelling of IGF‐IR was observed in spermatogonia and Leydig cells at the pre‐pubertal stage. The immunolabelling becomes stronger as the age of animals advance through the post‐pubertal stage. Strong immunolabelling of IGF‐IR was observed in spermatogonia and Leydig cells at post‐puberty, adult and aged stallions; and faint labelling was seen in spermatocytes at these ages. Immunolabelling of IGF‐I and IGF‐IR was not observed in Sertoli cells. In conclusion, IGF‐I is localized in equine spermatogenic and Leydig cells, and IGF‐IR is present in spermatogonia, spermatocytes and Leydig cells, suggesting that the IGF‐I may be involved in equine spermatogenesis and Leydig cell function as a paracrine/autocrine factor.     

Vacuum Squeezing of Solids: Macroscopic Quantum States Driven by Light Pulses

Femtosecond laser pulses and coherent two-phonon Raman scattering were used to excite KTaO3 into a squeezed state, nearly periodic in time, in which the variance of the atomic displacements dips below the standard quantum limit for half of a cycle. This nonclassical state involves a continuum of transverse acoustic modes that leads to oscillations in the refractive index associated with the frequency of a van Hove singularity in the phonon density of states.     

Abrupt climate events 500,000 to 340,000 years ago: evidence from subpolar north atlantic sediments

Subpolar North Atlantic proxy records document millennial-scale climate variations 500,000 to 340,000 years ago. The cycles have an approximately constant pacing that is similar to that documented for the last glacial cycle. These findings suggest that such climate variations are inherent to the late Pleistocene, regardless of glacial state. Sea surface temperature during the warm peak of Marine Isotope Stage 11 (MIS 11) varied by 0.5 degrees to 1 degrees C, less than the 4 degrees to 4.5 degrees C estimated during times of ice growth and the 3 degrees C estimated for glacial maxima. Coherent deep ocean circulation changes were associated with glacial oscillations in sea surface temperature.     

NEAR's flyby of 253 mathilde: images of a C asteroid

On 27 June 1997, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous (NEAR) spacecraft flew within 1212 kilometers of asteroid 253 Mathilde. Mathilde is an irregular, heavily cratered body measuring 66 kilometers by 48 kilometers by 46 kilometers. The asteroid's surface is dark (estimated albedo between 0.035 and 0.050) and similar in color to some CM carbonaceous chondrites. No albedo or color variations were detected. The volume derived from the images and the mass from Doppler tracking of the spacecraft yield a mean density of 1.3 +/- 0.2 grams per cubic centimeter, about half that of CM chondrites, indicating a porous interior structure.     

Lectin histochemical pattern on the normal and cystic ovaries of sows

The lectin histochemical pattern (LHP) was characterized and compared in normal and cystic ovaries of sows. Six biotinylated lectins (PNA, SBA, WGA, RCA‐1, DBA and UEA‐1) were used on tissue sections. In the normal ovaries, the reaction to UEA‐1 and SBA was mild to moderate in mesothelial and endothelial cells. RCA‐1 staining was mild to moderate in theca interna of growing follicles, corpora luteum and mesothelium. In addition, this lectin presented strong reaction in endothelial cells, granulosa cells of atretic follicles, zona pellucida of growing follicles and plasma. DBA showed strong intensity in mesothelial and endothelial cells. There was mild to moderate reactivity to WGA in granulosa cells, corpus luteum and theca interna of follicles in development, and moderate in zona pellucida, in granulosa cells of atretic follicles and mesothelium. PNA staining was mild to moderate in oocytes and in the adventitia and media of medullary arteries. Changes in the LHP of the cystic ovaries were noted; however, there were no differences in these findings between the follicular and luteinized cysts. UEA‐1 reactivity in the cystic ovaries was moderately reduced in the mesothelial and endothelial cells, whereas there was mild reduction in the DBA staining in the granulosa cells. Reaction to RCA‐1 and WGA in the cysts also was decreased in theca interna, zona pellucida and granulosa cells of atretic follicles. Furthermore, endothelium and theca interna in the cystic ovaries presented mild reduction of marcation to SBA, whereas there was decreased reactivity to PNA in the oocytes and adventitia and media layers of the medullary arteries. The results of the current study show that cysts modify the LHP in swine ovaries. These changes of glycoconjugates in many ovarian structures could modify diverse process and may be one of the reasons for decreased fertility in sows.