scholarly journals Microtubule assembly crucial to bovine embryonic development in assisted reproductive technologies

2016 ◽  
Vol 87 (9) ◽  
pp. 1076-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shinichi Hochi
Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 728
Author(s):  
Eguzkine Ochoa

Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) are the treatment of choice for some infertile couples and even though these procedures are generally considered safe, children conceived by ART have shown higher reported risks of some perinatal and postnatal complications such as low birth weight, preterm birth, and childhood cancer. In addition, the frequency of some congenital imprinting disorders, like Beckwith–Wiedemann Syndrome and Silver–Russell Syndrome, is higher than expected in the general population after ART. Experimental evidence from animal studies suggests that ART can induce stress in the embryo and influence gene expression and DNA methylation. Human epigenome studies have generally revealed an enrichment of alterations in imprinted regions in children conceived by ART, but no global methylation alterations. ART procedures occur simultaneously with the establishment and maintenance of imprinting during embryonic development, so this may underlie the apparent sensitivity of imprinted regions to ART. The impact in adulthood of imprinting alterations that occurred during early embryonic development is still unclear, but some experimental evidence in mice showed higher risk to obesity and cardiovascular disease after the restriction of some imprinted genes in early embryonic development. This supports the hypothesis that imprinting alterations in early development might induce epigenetic programming of metabolism and affect long-term health. Given the growing use of ART, it is important to determine the impact of ART in genomic imprinting and long-term health.


2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 259
Author(s):  
E. Memili

Bull fertility, the ability of the spermatozoon to fertilize and activate the egg as well as support early embryonic development, is crucial for efficient production of cattle. With the major advances in fundamental science of reproduction, such as genomics, and in biotechnology, such as assisted reproductive technologies, bull influence on herd production has been accentuated. In addition to providing half of the genome for the zygote, sperm also contribute proteins, transcripts, and epigenetic traits that play important roles in sperm physiology, fertilization, and early embryonic development. Recently, using sperm from Holstein bulls with different in vivo fertility data, we have demonstrated that sperm Protamine 1 protein and a panel of microRNA are associated with bull fertility. In addition, molecular and cellular biology experiments on the analyses of sperm nuclear proteins showed that bull sperm have significant levels of histones that are also associated with bull fertility. This presentation will convey the results of most relevant research on discovery of sperm biomolecular markers associated with semen quality and bull fertility. Because of the available field data in bull fertility and the physiological similarities between bovine and other mammals, research results stemming from the systems biology of bull fertility are applicable to other species as well.


2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jan Nevoral ◽  
Jean-Francois Bodart ◽  
Jaroslav Petr

Creation of both gametes, sperm and oocyte, and their fusion during fertilization are essential step for beginning of life. Although molecular mechanisms regulating gametogenesis, fertilization, and early embryonic development are still subjected to intensive study, a lot of phenomena remain unclear. Based on our best knowledge and own results, we consider gasotransmitters to be essential for various signalisation in oocytes and embryos. In accordance with nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) physiological necessity, their involvement during oocyte maturation and regulative role in fertilization followed by embryonic development have been described. During these processes, NO- and H2S-derived posttranslational modifications represent the main mode of their regulative effect. While NO represent the most understood gasotransmitter and H2S is still intensively studied gasotransmitter, appreciation of carbon monoxide (CO) role in reproduction is still missing. Overall understanding of gasotransmitters including their interaction is promising for reproductive medicine and assisted reproductive technologies (ART), because these approaches contend with failure ofin vitroassisted reproduction.


Somatechnics ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 88-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kalindi Vora

This paper provides an analysis of how cultural notions of the body and kinship conveyed through Western medical technologies and practices in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) bring together India's colonial history and its economic development through outsourcing, globalisation and instrumentalised notions of the reproductive body in transnational commercial surrogacy. Essential to this industry is the concept of the disembodied uterus that has arisen in scientific and medical practice, which allows for the logic of the ‘gestational carrier’ as a functional role in ART practices, and therefore in transnational medical fertility travel to India. Highlighting the instrumentalisation of the uterus as an alienable component of a body and subject – and therefore of women's bodies in surrogacy – helps elucidate some of the material and political stakes that accompany the growth of the fertility travel industry in India, where histories of privilege and difference converge. I conclude that the metaphors we use to structure our understanding of bodies and body parts impact how we imagine appropriate roles for people and their bodies in ways that are still deeply entangled with imperial histories of science, and these histories shape the contemporary disparities found in access to medical and legal protections among participants in transnational surrogacy arrangements.


GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 6-8
Author(s):  
Andrey Y Romanov ◽  
Anastasiya G Syrkasheva ◽  
Nataliya V Dolgushina ◽  
Elena A Kalinina

The paper analyzes the literature data on the use of the growth hormone (GH) in ovarian stimulation in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Routine use of GH in ovarian stimulation in patients with a normal GH level does not increase pregnancy and childbirth rates in ART. Also, no benefits of using GH have been identified for patients with polycystic ovary syndrome, despite the increase in insulin and IGF-1 blood levels. The main research focus is to study the use of GH in patients with poor ovarian response. According to the meta-analysis conducted by X.-L. Li et al. (2017), GH in ovarian stimulation of poor ovarian responders increases the number of received oocytes, mature oocytes number, reduces the embryo transfer cancellation rate and does not affect the fertilization rate. The pregnancy and live birth rates are significantly higher in the group of GH use - by 1.65 (95% CI 1.23-2.22) and 1.73 (95% CI 1.25-2.40) times, respectively. Thus, it is advisable to use GH in ovarian stimulation in poor ovarian responders, since it allows to increases live birth rate in ART. However, further studies should determine the optimal GH dose and assesse it`s safety in ART programs.


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