Placental trophoblastic cells play important roles in placental development and fetal health. However, the mechanism of trophoblastic cell fusion is still not entirely clear. The level of Tspan5 in the embryo culture medium was detected using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Fusion of BeWo cells was observed by immunofluorescence. Cell fusion-related factors and EMT-related factors were identified by qRT-PCR and western blotting. Notch protein repressor DAPT was used to verify the role of Tspan5 in BeWo cells. The expression of Tspan5 was significantly increased in embryo culture medium. The fusion of BeWo cells was observed after treatment with forskolin (FSK). Cell fusion-related factors (i.e. β-hCG and syncytin 1/2) and Tspan5 were significantly increased after FSK treatment. In addition, FSK treatment promoted EMT-related protein expression in BeWo cells. Knockdown of Tspan5 inhibited cell fusion and EMT-related protein levels. Notch-1 and Jagged-1 protein levels were significantly upregulated, and the EMT process was activated by overexpression of Tspan5 in FSK-treated BeWo cells. Interestingly, blocking the Notch pathway by the repressor DAPT had the opposite results. These results indicated that Tspan5 could promote the EMT process by activating the Notch pathway, thereby causing cell fusion. These findings contribute to a better understanding of trophoblast cell syncytialization and embryonic development. Tspan5 may be used as a therapeutic target for normal placental development.

The aim of this study was to determine if there was an association between the presence of cytoplasmic strings (CS) and their characteristics, with blastocyst quality, development and clinical outcome in human blastocysts. This two-centre cohort study was performed between July 2017 and September 2018 and involved a total of 1152 blastocysts from 225 patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). All embryos were cultured in Embryoscope+ and were assessed for CS using time-lapse images. A single assessor examined all blastocysts and reviewed videos using the EmbyroViewer® Software. Blastocyst quality was assessed on day 5 of embryo development. The number of CS, location and duration of their activity was recorded on days 5/6. A positive association between the presence of CS in human blastocysts with blastocyst quality was identified. Blastocysts with a higher number of CS present, were of higher quality and were in the more advanced stages of development. Top quality blastocysts had CS activity present for longer, as well as having a higher number of vesicles present travelling along the CS. Blastocysts that had CS present, had a significantly higher live birth rate. This study has confirmed that a higher number of CS and vesicles in human blastocysts is associated with top quality blastocysts and is not a negative predictor of development. They had a higher number of CS present that appeared earlier in development and, although ceased activity sooner, had a longer duration of activity. Blastocysts with CS had a significant increase in live birth rate.

Smoking has dangerous and sometimes irreversible effects on various body tissues, including the reproductive system. We conducted this research to determine the in vivo effects of cigarette smoke condensate (CSC) on reproduction in mice. In this experimental in vivo study, 32 male and female NMRI mice were divided into four groups. The mice were injected with CSC (CSC-1R3F) for 28 days. The mice were mated 1 day after the last injection and observed daily for 1 week for the presence of a vaginal plug to track mating. We evaluated mating success rate, and sperm and oocyte quality, pregnancy outcome, childbearing status, and in vitro fertilization (IVF). The results showed a decrease in successful mating in female mice that received the CSC injections. CSC significantly influenced the number of offspring born to males. When the CSC was injected into male mice, there was a significant increase in the number of offspring compared with the group in which only the females received CSC injections. According to the results, there was a negative effect of CSC on morphological parameters in male and female mice. Also, successful IVF after exposure to CSC was significantly decreased in the female mice treated group. The results indicated that CSC significantly affected the number of offspring and fecundity success in females.

The aim was to study whether a limited exposure of embryos outside the incubator has an effect on embryo development, blastocyst quality and euploid outcomes. This retrospective study was performed at ART Fertility Clinics, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) between March 2018 and April 2020 and included 796 mature sibling oocytes that were split randomly between two incubators after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI): an EmbryoScope™ (ES) incubator and a benchtop incubator, G185 K-SYSTEMS (KS). The fertilization, cleavage, embryo/blastocyst qualities, useable blastocyst and euploid rates were assessed to evaluate the incubator performance. In total, 503 (63.2%) mature oocytes were cultured in the EmbryoScope and 293 (36.8%) in the K-SYSTEMS. No differences were observed in fertilization rate (79.3% vs 78.8%, P = 0.932), cleavage rate (98.5% vs 99.1%, P = 0.676) and embryo quality on Day 3 (P = 0.543) between both incubators, respectively. Embryos cultured in the EmbryoScope, had a significantly higher chance of being biopsied (64.8% vs 49.6%, P < 0.001). Moreover, a significantly higher blastocyst biopsy rate was observed on Day 5 in the EmbryoScope (67.8% vs 57.0%, P = 0.037), with a highly significant increased euploid rate (63.5% vs 37.4%, P = 0.001) and improved blastocyst quality (P = 0.008). We found that exposure of embryos outside the incubator may negatively affect the in vitro blastocyst development and euploid rate on Day 5.

Maintaining genomic stability is crucial for normal development. At earlier stages of preimplantation development, as the embryonic genome activation is not fully completed, the embryos may be more prone to abnormalities. Aneuploidies are one of the most common genetic causes of implantation failure or first-trimester miscarriages. Apoptosis is a crucial mechanism to eliminate damaged or abnormal cells from the organism to enable healthy growth. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the relationship between the expression levels of genes involved in apoptosis in human aneuploid and euploid blastocysts. In total, 32 human embryos obtained from 21 patients were used for this study. Trophectoderm biopsies were performed and next-generation screening was carried out for aneuploidy screening. Total RNA was extracted from each blastocyst separately and cDNA was synthesized. Gene expression levels were evaluated using RT-PCR. The statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the gene expression level variations in the euploid and aneuploid embryos, respectively. The expression level of the BAX gene was significantly different between the aneuploid and euploid samples. BAX expression levels were found to be 1.5-fold lower in aneuploid cells. However, the expression levels of BAK and MAD2L1 genes were similar in each group. This study aimed to investigate the possible role of genes involved in apoptosis and aneuploidy mechanisms. The findings of this investigation revealed that the BAX gene was expressed significantly differently between aneuploid and euploid embryos. Therefore, it is possible that the genes involved in the apoptotic pathway have a role in the aneuploidy mechanism.

The objective of the current study was to investigate the influence of synergism of the dry powder of Alpinia galanga rhizomes (AGR) and/or zinc sulfate in the diet on semen quality and reproductive traits of California rabbit bucks. The study was conducted in two stages. First stage: appreciation of semen characteristics, 36 California rabbit bucks (aged 5 months) with average body weights of 2980 g were divided randomly into six treatments (six individuals each). The treatment groups were: first group, control fed basal diet (C); second group, fed basal diet plus 1 g AGR/kg dry matter (DM) (AGR1); third group, fed basal diet plus 2 g AGR/kg DM (AGR2); fourth group, fed basal diet plus 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (Zn); fifth group, fed basal diet plus 1 g AGR/kg DM and 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (AGR1 + Zn); sixth group, fed basal diet plus 2 g AGR/kg DM and 200 mg Zn/litre drinking water (AGR2 + Zn). Second stage: the previous bucks were used to determine the efficiency of semen on reproductive fertility traits, 48 mature does (aged 6 months, nulliparous) with an average body weight of 3050 ± 20.7 g were divided randomly into six treatments and inseminated with previous groups of treated bucks. The results of the first stage, recorded high activity on gonadotropins hormones: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), free testosterone (FT), progesterone (P4) and oestrogen (E217β) concentrations for AGR1 + Zn and AGR2 + Zn compared with the control group. Groups AGR1, AGR2, AGR1 + Zn and AGR2 + Zn had significantly lowered concentrations of triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein, and malondialdehyde (MDA), whereas high-density lipoprotein and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) were increased significantly compared with the control group. The group supplemented with AGR with or without Zn had significantly improved ejaculate volume, advanced motility, sperm concentration, and cell integrity. Fertility rate and litter size were improved in all groups compared with the control. It was concluded that supplementing diets with Alpinia galanga and Zn significantly increased sperm percentage, motility and reproductive hormones (testosterone, FSH, LH, E217β, P4). This suggested that this plant when used may be favourable for improved sperm quality and fertility parameters.

The objective of this study was to assess the effects of pentoxifylline (PTX) and Ca2+ ionophore (CI) A12387 treatment on some biological characteristics of sperm cells in oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) patients. After processing, each sample was divided into four groups: 1, control; 2, exposed to 3.6 mM PTX; 3, exposed to 5 μm calcium ionophore (CI); and 4, exposed to both PTX and CI; 30 min at 37°C. Sperm motility was measured before and after preparation. Acrosome reaction (AR), status of sperm vacuoles, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and DNA fragmentation were assessed using PSA-FITC staining, motile sperm organelle morphology examination (MSOME), JC-1 staining and sperm chromatin dispersion (CSD) test, respectively. Treatment with PTX and CI led to increased and decreased sperm motility, respectively (P < 0.05). Furthermore, vacuole status and rates of sperm DNA fragmentation were not significantly different among groups (P > 0.05). Moreover, the data showed that the rates of AR and disrupted MMP were significantly different between groups (P < 0.05). In conclusion, in vitro application of PTX not only did not have any adverse effects on sperm cell biology characteristics, but also can rectify the harmful effect of CI.

Vitrification has been widely used for oocyte cryopreservation, but there is still a need for optimization to improve clinical outcomes. In this study, we compared the routine droplet merge protocol with modified multi-gradient equilibration vitrification for cryopreservation of mouse oocytes at metaphase II. Subsequently, the oocytes were thawed and subjected to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Oocyte survival and spindle status were evaluated by morphology and immunofluorescence staining. Moreover, the fertilization rates and blastocyst development were examined in vitro. The results showed that multi-gradient equilibration vitrification outperformed droplet merge vitrification in terms of oocyte survival, spindle morphology, blastocyst formation, and embryo quality. In contrast, droplet merge vitrification exhibited decreasing survival rates, a reduced proportion of oocytes with normal spindle morphology, and lower blastocyst rates as the number of loaded oocytes increased. Notably, when more than six oocytes were loaded, reduced oocyte survival rates, abnormal oocyte spindle morphology, and poor embryo quality were observed. These findings highlight that the vitrification of mouse metaphase II oocytes by the modified multi-gradient equilibration vitrification has the advantage of maintaining oocyte survival, spindle morphology, and subsequent embryonic development.

This study aimed at the performance evaluation of a closed flock of Marwari sheep and also to study the effect of accumulated inbreeding on the growth traits using a linear mixed model methodology. The data generated for 39 years (1981 to 2020) on Marwari sheep maintained at ICAR-Central Sheep & Wool Research Institute, Arid Region Campus (CSWRI, ARC), Bikaner, Rajasthan, India were used for analysis on growth traits. The overall least-squares means (LSM) of live weights at birth (BWT), weaning (3MWT), 6 months (6MWT), 9 months (9MWT) and 12 months (12MWT) were observed to be 3.02 ± 0.01, 14.30 ± 0.04, 20.12 ± 0.05, 23.68 ± 0.06 and 26.39 ± 0.07 kg, respectively. Overall LSM for average daily gain from birth to 3 months (ADG1), 3 to 6 months (ADG2) and 6 to 12 months (ADG3) were 125.44 ± 0.40, 67.37 ± 0.40 and 35.83 ± 0.29 g/day, respectively. Kleiber ratio (KR) from birth to 3 months (KR1), 3 to 6 months (KR2), and 6 to 12 months (KR3) were 16.78 ± 0.02, 6.58 ± 0.04 and 3.05 ± 0.02, respectively. Results revealed a 4.36, 25.83, 36.33, 31.50 and 28.99% improvement in the live weights since the inception of the improvement programme. This is also reflected by a significant effect of sire on all the growth traits. The estimate of inbreeding in the flock was 1.55%. Highly inbred animals were 5.13% (>5% Fi). The study revealed the non-significant effect of inbreeding level on all growth traits except for BWT and KR3. For BWT, inbreeding classes had variation; however, a negative effect was not seen. The inbreeding class (>5% Fi) was reduced by 0.05 units for KR3 as against its preceding class. Dam’s age at lambing and weight influenced the birth weight and subsequent weights. The study concluded that the selection programme of Marwari sheep is in the right direction; however, regular monitoring of inbreeding is necessary and factors affecting growth must be monitored to attain better growth rates in the nucleus.

The goal of this study was to determine the distribution of preantral follicles in bovine ovaries. Follicular distribution in the ovaries (n = 12) was evaluated in the region of the greater curvature of the ovary (GCO) and the region close to the ovarian pedicle (OP) of Bos taurus indicus heifers of the Nelore breed. Two fragments were obtained from each region of the ovary (GCO and OP). The mean weight of the ovaries was 4.04 ± 0.32 g. The mean antral follicle count (AFC) was 54.58 ± 3.55 follicles (minimum and maximum variation of 30 and 71 follicles, respectively). In total, 1123 follicles were visualized in the region of the GCO; 949 (84.5%) of them were primordial follicles and 174 (15.5%) were developing follicles. The region close to the OP contained 1454 follicles, of which 1266 (87%) were primordial follicles and 44 (12.9%) were developing follicles. The OP region showed a higher proportion of intact follicles in the primordial (P < 0.0001) and primary (P = 0.042) stages compared with the GCO region. The proportion of secondary follicles was similar in the OP and GCO regions. The ovaries of two bovine females (16%; 2/12) contained multi-oocytes follicles, which were characterized as primary follicles. Therefore, the distribution of preantral follicles in the bovine ovary was heterogeneous, with the region close to the OP containing a greater number of preantral follicles compared with the GCO region (P < 0.05).

Wagyu bulls are known to have a highly exacerbated libido, as shown by the intense sexual interest of young calves. Therefore we believe that Wagyu male animals have specialized Sertoli and Leydig cells that are directly involved with the sexual precocity in this breed as mature bulls have a small scrotal circumference. This study aimed to evaluate whether there were differences in the hormone and sperm characteristics of Wagyu bulls compared with the same characteristics of subspecies Bos indicus and Bos taurus sires. Frozen–thawed semen from Wagyu, Nellore, and Angus sires were analyzed for sperm kinetics (computer-assisted sperm analysis), plasma membrane integrity, chromatin integrity, acrosome status, mitochondrial activity, lipid peroxidation and hormone [luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone] serum concentration. The results showed that Wagyu had lower total motility and an increased number of sperm with no motility when compared with Nellore and Angus bulls. Wagyu breed did not differ from those breeds when considering plasma and acrosome membranes integrity, mitochondrial potential, chromatin resistance, sperm lipid peroxidation or hormone (LH and testosterone) concentrations. We concluded that Wagyu sires had lower total motility when compared with Nellore and Angus bulls. Wagyu breed did not differ from these breeds when considering plasma and acrosome membranes integrity, mitochondrial potential, chromatin resistance, sperm lipid peroxidation, or hormone (LH and testosterone) concentrations.

The process of oocyte retrieval represents a key phase during the cycles of in vitro fertilization (IVF). It involves controlled ovarian stimulation to retrieve the highest number of oocytes possible. According to many previous studies, the higher the number of oocytes the higher the chances of obtaining embryos for multiple transfers. In this study, in total, 1987 patients were retrospectively reviewed to investigate the correlations between the number of retrieved oocytes and the subsequent IVF outcomes. Patients were divided into three groups according to the number of retrieved oocytes (Group 1: ≤5 oocytes; Group 2: 6–15 oocytes; Group 3: ≥15 oocytes). The results showed a significant negative correlation between oocyte number and maturation rate as well as fertilization rate. However, a significant positive correlation was found between oocyte number and the blastulation rate. The implantation rate after fresh embryo transfers was higher in group 2 (6–15 oocytes) compared with group 1 (≤5 oocytes). According to our findings, we conclude that oocyte numbers between 6 and 15 oocytes can result in the highest chances of positive IVF outcomes in terms of embryo quality and fresh embryo transfers with lower risks of ovarian hyperstimulation.

Cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) is defined as DNA fragments that are released into the body fluids from apoptosis or necrosis cells, including follicular fluid (FF), which can affect the microenvironment of the oocyte associated with infertility. We aimed to investigate a relationship between apoptosis of cumulus cells (CCs) and cf-DNA levels in FF and clinical outcomes of women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Therefore, 82 FF samples were collected, and the corresponding CCs were isolated for ICSI procedures. FF cf-DNA concentration was quantified using ALU-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and CCs DNA fragmentation index (DFI) was evaluated by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT) dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) method. We found that cf-DNA and DFI levels were significantly higher in FF and CCs samples related to the age of women ≥37 years compared with the age of women < 37 years. Moreover, in older and younger women, FF cf-DNA and CCs DFI levels were significantly lower when the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) level was > 1.1 ng/ml compared with when AMH ≤ 1.1 ng/ml. In addition, patients with a low number of retrieved oocytes ≤ 6 had significantly higher levels of CCs DFI and FF cf-DNA than women with a higher number of retrieved oocytes > 6. Additionally, we observed that higher levels of cf-DNA and DFI were associated with poor oocyte maturity and poor embryo quality. Finally, cf-DNA and DFI levels were significantly lower in pregnant women than in non-pregnant ones. We conclude that DFI and cf-DNA levels in the oocyte microenvironment could have potential use in evaluating oocyte and embryo developmental competence.

Brazilian basslet Gramma brasiliensis is a fish highly appreciated by the marine ornamental industry. There is an increasing interest in the development of a breeding protocol for this species. However, descriptions of the reproductive biology, eggs and larval development are scarce. This study was the first to describe the spawning, eggs and larvae of G. brasiliensis in captivity, including mouth size information. Six spawning events produced egg masses with 27, 127, 600, 750, 850, and 950 eggs. Larger egg masses showed embryos with at least two different developmental stages. Eggs are spherical (∼1.0 mm diameter), held together by filaments entangling chorionic projections. Larvae with fewer than 12 hph (hours post-hatch) presented 3.55 mm standard-length, well developed eyes, fully absorbed yolk sac, an inflated swim bladder and mouth opened. Exogenous feeding on rotifers began within 12 hph. The average mouth width at first feeding was 0.38 mm. The first settled larva was noted by day 21. This information should help to determine appropriate diets and prey-shift time during the larviculture of the species.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a complex disorder in which the aetiology is still not explained very well. The PI3K/PTEN (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10) pathway is an important pathway that is involved in many mechanisms, including proliferation, growth and motility. PTEN plays a role in granulosa cell proliferation and regulates the differentiation process. The aim of this study was to investigate the expression levels of Pten and Pik3ca in PCOS mouse models with and without any treatment procedures. Three groups of mouse models, PCOS, a PCOS group with clomiphene citrate treatment, and a PCOS group with the combination of clomiphene citrate, metformin and pioglitazone treatment, were established. Ovarian tissues, which were obtained from these groups and a control group with no PCOS, were embedded in paraffin and RNA was extracted. cDNA was synthesized and real-time PCR was conducted to evaluate the expression levels of Pten and Pik3ca. The results of this study showed that both Pten and Pik3ca genes were expressed in the ovarian tissues from the mouse models. Although one-way analysis of variance results showed that Pten was expressed significantly differently in the samples, individual Student’s t-tests did not show any significantly different expression levels in each group. This study is important as it shows the expression patterns of two genes in PCOS mouse models with different treatment strategies, including clomiphene citrate, metformin and pioglitazone. The results of this study formed the basis of research studies and investigations into different genes within the PTEN pathway, as well as other pathways that are under investigation.