Animal Reproduction Science最新文献

{"title":"Seminal plasma MicroRNA dynamics in stallion semen due to progressive motility and conception success","authors":"Hüseyin Özkan ,&nbsp;Kemal Tuna Olğaç ,&nbsp;Hasan Hüseyin Keçeli ,&nbsp;Murat Onur Yazlık ,&nbsp;Ufuk Kaya ,&nbsp;Mehmet Borga Tırpan ,&nbsp;Ergun Akçay","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107876","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107876","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to investigate the expression patterns of miR-34b, miR-122, let-7a in seminal plasma of stallions in relation to progressive motility and conception success, and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers. Fifteen adult stallions were enrolled in study. One ml of seminal plasma was kept at −80 °C, 2 ml of fresh semen was sampled from each stallion for sperm analysis, and the rest were used for artificial insemination only for one mare. Two groups were formed as high progressive motility (HPM; n:8) and low progressive motility (LPM; n:7), based on progressive motility. Besides, two groups were formed as positive (n:8) and negative (n:7) pregnancy groups according to 14th day pregnancy results. Motility and progressive motility values determined by computer-assisted semen analyzer. Flow cytometry was used to evaluate the viability, HMMP, PMAI, non-capacitated sperm rate and LPO parameters. MicroRNAs were evaluated with qPCR. Prediction of targets, protein-protein interactions and functional enrichment analyses were also performed. Total (82.13 ± 3.04; p &lt; 0.01) and progressive (45.88 ± 6.03; p &lt; 0.001) motilities, and non-capacitated sperm rates (45.76 ± 3.92; p &lt; 0.05) were greater in HPM. Compared to LPM, miR-34b (p &lt; 0.05) and miR-122 (p &lt; 0.05) were upregulated in HPM approximately 11- and 6-fold, respectively. miR-34b and total motility were positively correlated (0.674; p &lt; 0.01). Target gene analysis revealed a network of 102 genes and 421 edges. Moreover, significant interaction networks involving 19 proteins were determined. Performed enrichment analysis showed selected miRNAs significantly regulate crucial pathways. Regulatory differences of miR-34b and miR-122 in seminal plasma might serve to determine the characteristics of stallion semen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107876"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167060","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fibroblast growth factor 7 (FGF7) and its receptor FGFR2IIIb during the peri-implantation period of dromedary camels: A comparative analysis between left and right uterine horns","authors":"Saeed Al-Ramadan ,&nbsp;Mohammed Moqbel ,&nbsp;Abdulraman Alhaider ,&nbsp;Theeb Almarri ,&nbsp;Osamah Alturki ,&nbsp;Faten Alrashaid ,&nbsp;Khalid Al Khodair ,&nbsp;Abdelhay Ali ,&nbsp;Abdelrahman Elseory ,&nbsp;Marwa Babiker ,&nbsp;Thnaian Althnaian","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107861","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107861","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The peri-implantation period in dromedary camels is a critical phase in pregnancy establishment, yet molecular mechanisms governing uterine receptivity and embryo-maternal interactions remain poorly understood. This study investigates the expression and localization of Fibroblast Growth Factor 7 (FGF7) and its receptor FGFR2IIIb in the left (LUH) and right (RUH) uterine horns of pregnant dromedary camels. We examined endometrial, and conceptus tissues collected on Days 8, 10, and 12 post-ovulation (PO). Results revealed that FGF7 mRNA expression in the LUH progressively increased from Day 8, peaking on Day 12, whereas no significant changes were observed in the RUH. Immunohistochemical analysis confirmed higher FGF7 protein intensity in LUH, particularly on Day 12, with predominant localization in the glandular epithelium and blood vessels. However, FGFR2IIIb mRNA and protein expression remained stable on Days 8 and 10 but significantly increased on Day 12 in both uterine horns, with higher levels in the LUH. In conceptuses, FGF7 mRNA was not detected at any pregnancy stages, yet its protein was present on Day 12. Conversely, FGFR2IIIb mRNA and protein expressions were undetectable on Day 8 but showed gradual upregulation from Day 10, peaking on Day 12. In conclusion, the preferential upregulation of FGF7 and its receptor FGFR2IIIb in the LUH may have a crucial role in the higher implantation success in this uterine horn. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular regulation in both uterine horns during early pregnancy in dromedary camels and may aid in developing strategies to enhance reproductive efficiency in this species.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107861"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Liquid storage of boar semen: Current approaches to reducing sperm damage using antioxidants and nanotechnology","authors":"Bhabesh Mili ,&nbsp;Tukheswar Chutia ,&nbsp;Lukumoni Buragohain ,&nbsp;A. Palanisammi ,&nbsp;Arumugam Kumaresan","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107871","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107871","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Due to the high sensitivity of boar sperm to cryodamage, AI with liquid-stored semen is a widely adopted practice in the pig industry. Despite its widespread use, liquid storage at low temperatures adversely affects semen quality, leading to a progressive decline in reproductive performance over time. This deterioration is primarily attributed to cold shock and oxidative stress (OS), which results from the excessive generation of ROS that overwhelms the inherent antioxidant defenses of seminal plasma. Consequently, sperm motility, viability, plasma membrane and acrosome integrity, mitochondrial function, and DNA stability are compromised, which ultimately triggers apoptosis. As a result, fertility rates and litter sizes following AI with liquid-stored semen decline significantly, particularly after 3 days of preservation. This review provides an in-depth exploration of the fundamentals of liquid-state semen storage and elucidates the underlying mechanisms responsible for sperm damage during this process. It also further discusses various factors influencing the quality of liquid-stored boar semen and presents effective mitigation strategies with a focus on the incorporation of additives, antioxidants, and macromolecules into semen extenders. Lastly, this review summarizes recent advancements in the application of nanotechnology to enhance the liquid-state storage of boar semen and explores emerging strategies aimed at improving the quality of stored germplasm.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107871"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144167058","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In vitro culture of canine preantral follicles after slow freezing","authors":"Bence Somoskői ,&nbsp;Dóra Török ,&nbsp;Giovanni M. Lacalandra ,&nbsp;Lilla Bordás ,&nbsp;Sándor Cseh","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107860","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107860","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The objective of this study was to analyse the effect of slow freezing on the morphology and viability of canine isolated preantral follicles. Ovaries were collected from ovariohysterectomy bitches being in different ages. Preantral follicles were isolated from ovarian cortex using collagenase-based digestive solution and randomly divided into two groups: fresh control and slow frozen. Fresh and frozen/thawed preantral follicles were cultured individually in 100 µl drops of culture medium for 10 days at 38.5 °C with 6.5 % CO₂, and half of the medium was changed and samples from culture media were collected on Day 2, Day 5 and Day 10 for hormonal analysis. Post-thaw live cell rate, normal morphology rate, area change, and estradiol and progesterone production were examined. Frozen/thawed follicles have lower number of live cells than that of fresh ones (94.69 % ( ± 6.97) vs 98.58 % (± 1.71), respectively [p &lt; 0.05]). Normal morphology rate was different only on Day2 (91.2 % in fresh and 50 % in frozen/thawed, p &lt; 0.05) and showed decreasing tendency in both groups. Differences in follicular growth were found on Day5 and 10, when fresh follicles showed lower area than that of frozen/thawed ones (5.84 vs12.62 mm² [p &lt; 0.005] and 6.47 vs 10.75 mm² [p &lt; 0.05], respectively). Regarding the hormonal production, estradiol and progesterone concentrations were lower in frozen/thawed samples than that of fresh follicles throughout the culture period. In conclusion, our data suggest that slow freezing can provide canine follicular survival, however, the quality and viability of the follicles are reduced.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107860"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116425","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of water pH and temperature on breeding and embryo development of Indian spiny loach (Lepidocephalichthys thermalis)","authors":"A. Velmurugan ,&nbsp;P. Chidambaram ,&nbsp;P. Velmurugan ,&nbsp;S. Gokul ,&nbsp;R. Somu Sunder Lingam","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107859","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107859","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Indian spiny loach (<em>Lepidocephalichthys thermalis</em>), a member of the Cobitidae family and small indigenous species (SIS), is an emerging candidate species for diversification in the Indian aquaculture sector due to its ecological adaptability and culture potential. However, the captive breeding and seed production protocols for commercial seed production of loach fish remain unexplored. Therefore, the present experiment was aimed at studying the effects of water pH and temperature manipulation on the natural spawning and embryonic development of <em>L. thermalis</em>. The study carried out two different experiments and in the first experiment, fish was released in three different pH regimes such as 6.0–6.5 (T1), 7.0–7.5 (T2), and 8.0–8.5 (T3) for a period of 60 days. A total of 9 experimental troughs (water holding capacity – 48 L) were used to stock the loach fish (average length - 5.77 ± 0.11 cm, average weight - 0.78 ± 0.06 g) at 1:2 sex ratio (female: male). Out of these three pH treatments, significantly higher (P &lt; 0.05) spawning rate (1047.0 ± 71.33 eggs/g of female), fertilization rate (86.66 ± 6.42 %) and hatching rate (79.86 ± 5.57 %) were obtained in T2 treatment group which indicated better breeding performance of fish in that group. Further, the loach fish embryonic development was also recorded in T2 treatment group bred fish. In the thermal stimulation experiment, loach fish was kept at a constant water temperature of 26 °C and the fish were exposed to four different water temperatures such as T1 (25 °C), T2 (24 °C), T3 (23 °C) and T4 (22 °C) on 15th and 30th days. During this trial, no sign of breeding activity was recorded in different treatment exposed fish. However, the histological analysis of oocytes documented five different oocyte maturity stages such as chromatin nucleus stage (CNS), perinucleus stage (PS), vitellogenic stage (VS), ripening egg (RE), and hydrated oocytes (HYO) during the thermal stimulation experiment. Further, the study found significantly higher (63.24 ± 4.26 %) and lower (27.05 ± 2.14 %) final gamete maturation rates in T4 and T2 groups exposed fish, respectively. Based on the above results, it can be concluded that the pH of 7.0–7.5 is more suitable for successful captive spawning of loach fish. On the other side, temperature manipulation (sudden reduction of water temperature from 26 °C to 22 °C) had significantly improved the final gamete maturation of <em>L. thermalis</em> fish under captivity. These findings provide valuable insights for its inclusion in India’s aquaculture diversification strategies through captive seed production and also provide a promising solution for this species conservation at wild conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107859"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144116427","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of mitoquinone and caffeic acid on spermatological parameters and OGG1/ROMO1 gene expression of post-thawed ram semen","authors":"Mehmet Melih Yılmaz ,&nbsp;Sena Ardicli ,&nbsp;Tugaycan Cimen ,&nbsp;Burcu Ustuner","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107858","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107858","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aim of this study was to determine the freezability of ram semen with extenders containing mitoquinone or caffeic acid. Collected ram semen samples were pooled and divided into seven equal aliquots. Each aliquot was diluted with Tris-based extender according to control and antioxidant groups (Control, Mitoquinone (MitoQ) 100 nM, 150 nM, 200 nM; Caffeic Acid (CA) 50 µM, 100 µM, 150 µM). The post-thaw spermatological, antioxidant parameters and <em>OGG1/ROMO1</em> gene expression and methylation were evaluated. It was determined that the CASA post-thaw motility of MitoQ200, CA100 and CA150 antioxidant groups were statistically higher than the control group (P &lt; 0.05). The post-thaw plasma membrane integrity of MitoQ groups was compared with CA groups, CA100 group, which had the lowest plasma membrane integrity among the antioxidant groups. The post-thaw acrosome membrane damage of all the antioxidant groups were statistically lower than control group, except CA50 and CA100 groups (P &lt; 0.05). For the post-thaw mitochondrial membrane potential, all groups except the CA50 group were determined to be superior to the control group (P &lt; 0.05). No statistical difference was observed among all groups including control group in terms of post-thaw DNA fragmentation, MDA and TAC values. MitoQ significantly altered the expression of the <em>OGG1</em> genes, an effect mediated through DNA methylation (P &lt; 0.05). Furthermore, caffeic acid altered the <em>ROMO1</em> gene expression (P &lt; 0.05). Based on the spermatological parameters and gene expression and methylation levels obtained in the current study, it was determined that mitoquinone 200 nM and caffeic acid 150 µM doses had a positive effect on the freezability of ram semen.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107858"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144124735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diagnostic value of endoscopically guided transcervical catheterization for cytological and bacteriological sampling in canine endometritis and normal uterus","authors":"Sol Arioni ,&nbsp;Analía Arizmendi ,&nbsp;María Czernigow ,&nbsp;Ana Blasco ,&nbsp;Néstor O. Stanchi ,&nbsp;Cristina Gobello ,&nbsp;Paula G. Blanco","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107857","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107857","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The aims of this study were: 1) To evaluate the diagnostic value of endometrial cytological samples obtained by endoscopically guided transcervical catheterization (TCC) in canine endometritis and normal uterus; 2) To determine the sensitivity and specificity of TCC for the identification of uterine bacterial growth; 3) To compare vaginal and uterine bacteriological findings. Before elected ovariohysterectomy, vaginal and TCC bacteriological and cytological samples were obtained in ten post-pubertal bitches. After surgery, direct uterine bacteriological sampling and full-thickness biopsy were also carried out. The agreement between endometrial cytology and full-thickness biopsy and between bacteriological results were assessed using Cohen’s kappa (κ) coefficient. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for cytology and bacteriology cultures. The agreement between the TCC cytology and histopathology was k = 0.62, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05. Sensitivity of TCC cytology was 66 % and specificity was 100 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.01. The agreement between TCC and direct uterine bacteriological sampling was k = 0.60, <em>P</em> = 0.05. Sensitivity of TCC bacteriological samples was 100 % and specificity was 75 %, <em>P</em> &lt; 0.05. Conversely, the agreement between vaginal and TCC or direct uterine bacterial analyses were k = 0.05, <em>P</em> &gt; 0.1 and k = 0.1, <em>P</em> &gt; 0.1, respectively. This study highlights the diagnostic value of endoscopically guided TCC for cytological and bacteriological sampling in normal bitches and those suffering from endometritis. The poor agreement between vaginal and uterine bacteriological results confirms the presence of different microbiota between these organs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 107857"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069687","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mitoquinone mesylate promotes oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development by regulating oxidative stress in Tibetan sheep","authors":"Bozhen Ji ,&nbsp;Chengtu Zhang ,&nbsp;Ruolin Zhao ,&nbsp;Yifan Pan ,&nbsp;Hong Wu ,&nbsp;Yongzhong Chen ,&nbsp;Ying Wu ,&nbsp;Ru Meng ,&nbsp;Yingbing Zhang ,&nbsp;Yujie Tang ,&nbsp;Jianmin Su","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107856","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107856","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>In vitro</em> maturation (IVM) is a very important technology for the modernization of animal husbandry. Previous studies have demonstrated that the mitochondria-targeting antioxidant mitoquinone mesylate (MitoQ) was known for its protective role in a variety of tissues and cells; however, its function in Tibetan sheep oocytes is not fully understood. This study used a Tibetan sheep model to evaluate the effects of oocytes exposed to MitoQ on maturation and subsequent embryonic development. During IVM, cumulus-oocyte-complexes were exposed to 0–400 nM MitoQ to evaluate the viability of cumulus cells expansion and oocyte maturation, and determine the optimal concentration of 100 nM. Here, we discovered that 100 nM MitoQ addition to the medium improved the Tibetan sheep oocyte maturation rate (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) and cumulus cells expansion rate (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05). In addition, immunostaining showed that decreased ROS levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01), increased GSH levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). MitoQ-treated oocytes showed enhanced mitochondrial activity (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and mitochondrial membrane potential (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05). MitoQ increased Ca^2 + levels (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01) and attenuated early apoptosis (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.01). No differences were observed for cleavage rate (<em>P</em> &gt; 0.05), and improved number of blastocyst cells and the blastocyst rate (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05) after <em>in vitro</em> fertilization. Moreover, various genes associated with oocyte oxidative stress (GCLC, SOD1) in mature oocytes were beneficially regulated in the MitoQ-treated oocytes. In conclusion, MitoQ can enhance the oocyte maturation rate, improve subsequent embryonic development in Tibetan sheep.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"278 ","pages":"Article 107856"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144138601","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leukemia inhibitory factor supplementation during in vitro maturation enhances bovine oocyte maturation and somatic cloned embryo development","authors":"Heqiang Li ,&nbsp;Baobao Zhao ,&nbsp;Yang Li ,&nbsp;Jingya Wang ,&nbsp;Tingting Deng ,&nbsp;Qi Zhou ,&nbsp;Jieyu Wang ,&nbsp;Xinrui Lan ,&nbsp;Han Zhang ,&nbsp;Suzhu Qing ,&nbsp;Yong Zhang ,&nbsp;Yongsheng Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107855","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107855","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) plays a crucial role in animal reproduction and genetic engineering, especially in the breeding of high-yield dairy cows. However, the application of SCNT technology faces numerous challenges, particularly the low efficiency and high abortion rates during the in vitro maturation phase. These issues lead to reduced implantation rates of cloned embryos, affecting overall reproductive efficiency. Therefore, enhancing the quality of in vitro maturation media has become an essential approach to improve in vitro production efficiency. This study aimed to investigate the effects of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) on bovine oocyte maturation and cloned embryo implantation rates. We observed a significant increase in oocyte maturation rates by supplementing 25 ng/mL LIF into the maturation medium. Subsequently, we generated SCNT embryos using LIF-treated oocytes and conducted activation and culture experiments. The results indicated that LIF could enhance the differentiation capabilities of SCNT embryos and exert an anti-apoptotic effect during early embryonic development. Specifically, the supplementation of LIF not only improved the nuclear maturation rates of oocytes but also enhanced cytoplasmic maturation characteristics, such as mitochondrial membrane potential and endoplasmic reticulum distribution. Furthermore, LIF-treated oocytes exhibited higher cell numbers and lower apoptosis rates in SCNT embryos, indicating its crucial role in embryo quality control. Ultimately, we found that LIF significantly improved the implantation efficiency of cloned embryos, particularly during the early stages of pregnancy following embryo transfer. This finding provides new insights into improving the success rates of SCNT technology and lays the groundwork for future research, especially in exploring the effects of other growth factors and cytokines on oocyte maturation and embryo development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 107855"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144069754","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Breeding soundness evaluation, a tool for improving the sustainability of dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius) breeding systems in arid and semi-arid lands","authors":"D. Monaco","doi":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107854","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.anireprosci.2025.107854","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The reduced fertility of dromedary camel (DC) bulls, whether temporary or permanent, poses a significant threat to the sustainability of camel breeding systems and, consequently, to food security in arid and semi-arid regions. Therefore, it is crucial to assess dromedary camel breeding bulls to ensure they can fulfill their reproductive potential. However, standardized clinical and andrological evaluation procedures, known as breeding soundness evaluations, as well as an efficient reporting system, are currently lacking for this species. In this narrative review, the most important aspects related to bull fertility and breeding soundness evaluation have been described and adapted to the dromedary camel bull in order to provide a standardized procedure for an efficient clinical and andrological evaluation in this species, taking into account its unique characteristics. Additionally, a herd and bull examination record form, divided into four main sections, has been provided, for the first time, to ensure efficient and consistent data collection and reporting. If implemented on a large scale, the clinical evaluation procedures and data collected by the recording forms provided in this study, would help to identify factors associated with the impairment of reproductive efficiency in dromedary herds and bulls worldwide.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7880,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction Science","volume":"277 ","pages":"Article 107854"},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2025-05-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143943038","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}