Animal Reproduction最新文献

{"title":"Induction of puberty <i>vs.</i> induction of ovulation using steroid hormones in beef heifers: a comprehensive review.","authors":"Roberto Sartori, Rodrigo Lemos Olivieri Rodrigues Alves, Ana Luíza Müller Lopes","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0072","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0072","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review elucidates the physiological and endocrinological processes intrinsic to puberty and ovulation induction protocols in <i>Bos indicus</i> and <i>Bos taurus</i> beef heifers. Puberty is a complex physiological event involving gonadotropic and metabolic changes that lead to sexual maturity, first ovulation, and regular reproductive cycles, enabling females to reproduce. Exposure to progesterone-based hormonal protocols, with or without additional hormones, can reduce the age at first ovulation and improve sexual maturity through stimuli in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis and uterine development. However, inducing puberty differs from inducing ovulation, as it does not ensure the heifer will continue cycling or be ready to establish and maintain pregnancy after hormonal exposure. Regardless of the pharmacological basis, studies consistently report that beef heifers that had a corpus luteum (CL) prior to the timed-artificial insemination (TAI) protocol, have greater expression of estrus in response to synchronization and greater pregnancy per AI compared to heifers without a CL. The combination of P4 and E2 significantly impacts uterine development, increasing reproductive efficiency. Exposure to P4 causes a positive effect on inducing ovulation. However, studies indicate that the addition of E2 esters at the time of P4 device removal increases the ovulation rate. In general, the studies showed that fertility varied according to the type of the ovulation induction protocol used, but with inconsistent results. Although ovulation induction protocols are strategic tools to accelerate sexual maturity, a holistic view of the entire system is extremely important, combining integration with genetics and nutrition to enhance the reproductive outcomes of beef heifers. Future research is needed to understand and refine these protocols, driving the efficiency of beef cattle production systems.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240072"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-09-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404867/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279389","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Extracellular vesicles: emerging paradigms in bovine embryo-maternal communication.","authors":"Rosane Mazzarella, Yulia Nathaly Cajas, Maria Encina Gonzalez Martínez, Dimitrios Rizos","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0065","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The oviduct and uterus provide an optimal environment for early embryo development, where effective communication between the embryo and the maternal reproductive tract is crucial for establishing and maintaining pregnancy. Oviductal and uterine-derived EVs play pivotal roles in this maternal-embryonic communication and in facilitating early embryo development. However, despite the ability of in vitro culture methods to produce viable embryos, the lack of exchange between the embryo and the mother often results in lower-quality embryos than those derived in vivo. Therefore, there is a pressing need to increase our understanding of the physiological mechanisms underlying embryo interaction with the oviduct and endometrium through EVs and to develop models capable of mimicking the in vivo environment. This review aims to provide up-to-date insights into the communication between the mother and pre-implantation bovine embryo, exploring their applications and perspectives in the field.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240065"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404873/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279388","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"40 years of AETE: the contribution of scientists and practitioners to the progress of reproductive biotechnologies in Europe.","authors":"Cesare Galli, Giovanna Lazzari","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0061","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0061","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This conference celebrates the 40th anniversary of AETE. Over the past 40 years, AETE has served as a forum for scientists, practitioners, and students working in assisted animal reproduction in livestock species. AETE conferences have reflected developments in the field, from basic to applied science, as well as regulatory changes in assisted animal reproduction practices. Europe has led the way in these developments for many years, progressing from artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and cryopreservation to semen sexing, in vitro production of embryos, cloning by nuclear transfer, genomic selection, and the rescue of highly endangered species. These significant contributions were made possible by the support of funding agencies, both at the national and European levels, promoting cooperation between scientists and practitioners. Assisted reproduction, and animal breeding more generally, face opposition from various groups, including animal rights activists, vegetarians, proponents of organic farming, environmentalists, certain political parties, and increasing regulatory burdens. These challenges seriously affect funding for scientific research, the work of practitioners, and the breeding industry as a whole. It is crucial to invest time and resources in communication to remind the public, politicians, and regulators of the achievements in this field and the contributions made to the food supply chain and the care of the rural and natural environment.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240061"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404877/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279387","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pressing needs and recent advances to enhance production of embryos in vitro in cattle.","authors":"Peter James Hansen","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0036","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Embryo transfer in cattle is an increasingly important technique for cattle production. Full attainment of the benefits of the technology will depend on overcoming hurdles to optimal performance using embryos produced in vitro. Given its importance, embryo technology research should become a global research priority for animal reproduction science. Among the goals of that research should be developing methods to increase the proportion of oocytes becoming embryos through optimization of in vitro oocyte maturation and in vitro fertilization, producing an embryo competent to establish and maintain pregnancy after transfer, and increasing recipient fertility through selection, management and pharmacological manipulation. The embryo produced in vitro is susceptible to epigenetic reprogramming and methods should be found to minimize deleterious epigenetic change while altering the developmental program of the resultant calf to increase its health and productivity. There are widening opportunities to rethink the technological basis for much of the current practices for production and transfer of embryos because of explosive advances in fields of bioengineering such as microfluidics, three-dimensional printing of cell culture materials, organoid culture, live-cell imaging, and cryopreservation.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240036"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404885/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279391","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"40 'wild' years: the current reality and future potential of assisted reproductive technologies in wildlife species.","authors":"Gabriela Mastromonaco","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0049","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0049","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Over the past 40 years, assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) have grown significantly in scale and innovation, from the bovine embryo industry's shift from in vivo derived to in vitro produced embryos and the development of somatic cell-based approaches for embryo production. Domestic animal models have been instrumental in the development of ARTs for wildlife species in support of the One Plan Approach to species conservation that integrates in situ and ex situ population management strategies. While ARTs are not the sole solution to the biodiversity crisis, they can offer opportunities to maintain, and even improve, the genetic composition of the captive and wild gene pools over time. This review focuses on the application of sperm and embryo technologies (artificial insemination and multiple ovulation/in vitro produced embryo transfer, respectively) in wildlife species, highlighting impactful cases in which significant progress or innovation has transpired. One of the key messages following decades of efforts in this field is the importance of collaboration between researchers and practitioners from zoological, academic, governmental, and private sectors.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240049"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404876/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279386","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Labeled extracellular vesicles can be found in the blood plasma shortly after intrauterine infusion in bovine.","authors":"Mariani Farias Fiorenza, Alessandra Bridi, Gislaine Dos Santos, Paola Maria Rosa, Luana Alves, Juliana Germano Ferst, Priscila Assis Ferraz, Guilherme Pugliesi, Ky Pohler, Felipe Perecin, Flávio Vieira Meirelles, Juliano Coelho da Silveira","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0064","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0064","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explored the migration of follicular fluid (FF)-derived extracellular vesicles (EVs) of the uterine environment to the bloodstream and their interaction with neutrophils <i>in vivo</i> and <i>in vitro</i>. For the <i>in vivo</i> experiment, six Nellore heifers (<i>Bos indicus</i>) received an intrauterine infusion seven days after ovulation with 1X PBS only (sham group; n=1), 1X PBS stained with lipophilic dye PKH26 (control group; n=2), or FF-derived EVs stained with PKH26 (treated group; n=3). Plasma was collected at 0, 10, 30, 60-, 180-, 360-, 720-, and 1440-min post-infusion to obtained EVs for analysis by nano flow cytometry. Labeled EVs were present in the bloodstream at 30- and 60-min post-infusion in the treatment group. Additionally, plasma derived-EVs from all groups were positive for Calcein-AM, Alix, Syntenin, and Calnexin, which confirm the presence of EVs. The second experiment utilized the plasma-derived EVs from the heifers from 30 and 60 min timepoints to evaluate if neutrophils can uptake EVs <i>in vitro</i>. As results, it was possible to observe the presence of labeled EVs in neutrophils treated with plasma derived-EVs from the treatment group. In summary, our results suggest that labeled EVs can migrate from the uterine environment rapidly and interact with circulating immune cells in bovine.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240064"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11404864/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142279390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Embryo transfer: past, present, future - a personal perspective.","authors":"Patrick Lonergan","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0068","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0068","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Embryo transfer is just one of a range of assisted reproductive technologies - often the last one in a sequence of others - that has revolutionised the cattle breeding industry. The number of in vitro-produced embryos transferred annually now surpasses the number derived by traditional superovulation by a factor of four. Although issues with cryotolerance of IVP embryos, embryo loss, and, in some cases, calf birth weight remain to be fully resolved, IVP embryos are likely here to stay as a tool for genetic improvement in dairy herds, offering increased flexibility in sire usage allowing multiple pregnancies from elite dam-bull combinations to be generated and the ability to produce more embryos per unit time than traditional superovulation. What follows is a short personal look back at the last 30 years; if you are looking for deep insights into the underlying biology regulating embryo development, this is not the place to look! Please refer to some of the excellent recent reviews and research papers cited herein.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240068"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11340787/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142034953","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sperm hyperactivation in the uterus and oviduct: a double-edged sword for sperm and maternal innate immunity toward fertility.","authors":"Ihshan Akthar, Mohamed Samy Yousef, Alireza Mansouri, Masayuki Shimada, Akio Miyamoto","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0043","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In cattle, artificial insemination (AI) is a technique that allows breeding by depositing frozen-thawed and extended semen into the female reproductive tract. The semen contains sperm with various motility patterns including dead, progressive and hyperactivated. Sperm hyperactivation is high amplitude, asymmetrical beating of sperm tail which usually occurs in the oviduct as part of the capacitation process, but it can also be induced by cryopreservation. After insemination, sperm enter the uterine glands and trigger a pro-inflammatory response in the uterus. Hyperactivated sperm, stimulated by sperm-Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), penetrates the mucus and uterine glands more efficiently and enhances the immune response. This facilitates the clearance of excess and dead sperm from the uterus. Some sperm escape the immune response and reach the oviduct either before or after the immune response is initiated. In the oviduct, sperm bind to the epithelium and form a reservoir. This triggers an anti-inflammatory response and preserves the fertilization potential of sperm. Hyperactivation facilitates sperm detaching from the epithelium, swimming through the viscous mucus and cumulus cells, and penetrating the egg's zona pellucida. Sperm-TLR2 activation enhances Ca²⁺-influx and acrosome reaction, which enables sperm to penetrate and fertilize oocytes during in vitro fertilization. Altogether, post-AI in cattle, sperm and maternal immunity interact differentially depending upon the site of sperm hyperactivation - whether it occurs within the uterus or oviduct. Specifically, hyperactivated sperm that enter the uterus after AI or are triggered via sperm-TLR2 activation or other stimuli contribute to sperm-induced uterine inflammation. Such hyperactivated sperm may impede their capacity to ascend to the oviduct. Conversely, sperm that become hyperactivated within the oviduct modulate their interactions with the oviduct and oocytes, which is pivotal during fertilization process. Indeed, the location and timing of sperm hyperactivation partially via TLR2 activation are critical determinants of their different influence on fertility.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240043"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11340796/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142035031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Oocyte developmental potential and embryo production before puberty in cattle.","authors":"Joao Henrique Moreira Viana, Bianca Damiani Marques Silva, Rodrigo Martins de Moura, Luiz Fernando Rodrigues Féres, Ricardo Alamino Figueiredo","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0069","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0069","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>With the development of <i>in vitro</i> technologies, embryos can be produced using oocytes retrieved directly from the ovaries, i.e., regardless of ovulation. This has allowed the use of different animal categories as oocyte donors, including prepubertal cattle. The advantages of using this strategy to shorten the generation interval and accelerate genetic gain over time were soon recognized, and the first offspring generated using oocytes collected from calves were born in the early 1990s. Nevertheless, embryo production from calves and prepubertal heifers remains a challenge. The oocytes collected before puberty present low <i>in vitro</i> developmental potential, and the subsequent blastocyst rates are consistently lower than those from pubertal females. The acquisition of developmental competence by the oocytes occurs progressively throughout the prepubertal period, which can be subdivided into an early, intermediate, and late prepubertal (or peripubertal) phases, each characterized by different physiological and endocrine features. Therefore, embryo yield increases with age but will only achieve its maximum after puberty. The most common strategy to improve oocyte developmental potential before puberty is the use of gonadotrophic stimulation prior to oocyte retrieval. The results with superstimulation, however, vary among studies, depending on the source, dose, and length of FSH treatment, as well as the age and breed of the donors. The use of calves and prepubertal heifers as oocyte donors should also consider the possible impacts of the oocyte retrieval technique (LOPU or OPU) and the use of exogenous hormones on their subsequent fertility and productive life.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240069"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11340790/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142034962","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Haploid embryos and embryonic stem cells to produce offspring with predetermined parental genomes in cattle.","authors":"Lawrence Charles Smith, Luis Aguila Paredes, Rafael Vilar Sampaio, Ricardo Perecin Nociti, Jacinthe Therrien, Flavio Vieira Meirelles","doi":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0030","DOIUrl":"10.1590/1984-3143-AR2024-0030","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Selection strategies are performed post-fertilization when the random combination of paternal and maternal genomes has already occurred. It would be greatly advantageous to eliminate meiotic uncertainty by selecting genetically superior gametes before fertilization. To achieve this goal, haploid embryonic cells and embryonic stem cell lineages could be derived, genotyped, and used to substitute gametes. On the paternal side, androgenetic development can be achieved by removing the maternal chromosomes from the oocyte before or after fertilization. We have shown that once developed into an embryo, haploid cells can be removed for genotyping and, if carrying the selected genome, be used to replace sperm at fertilization. A similar strategy can be used on the maternal side by activating the oocyte parthenogenetically and using some embryonic cells for genotyping while the remaining are used to produce diploid embryos by fertilization. Placed together, both androgenetic and parthenogenetic haploid cells that have been genotyped to identify optimal genomes can be used to produce offspring with predetermined genomes. Successes and problems in developing such a breeding platform to achieve this goal are described and discussed below.</p>","PeriodicalId":7889,"journal":{"name":"Animal Reproduction","volume":"21 3","pages":"e20240030"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11340792/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142034958","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}