scholarly journals Placental development during early pregnancy in sheep: effects of embryo origin on vascularization

Reproduction ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 147 (5) ◽  
pp. 639-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna T Grazul-Bilska ◽  
Mary Lynn Johnson ◽  
Pawel P Borowicz ◽  
Jerzy J Bilski ◽  
Taylor Cymbaluk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Vascular Development ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Angiogenic Factors ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Neuropilin 1

Utero-placental growth and vascular development are critical for pregnancy establishment that may be altered by various factors including assisted reproductive technologies (ART), nutrition, or others, leading to compromised pregnancy. We hypothesized that placental vascularization and expression of angiogenic factors are altered early in pregnancies after transfer of embryos created using selected ART methods. Pregnancies were achieved through natural mating (NAT), or transfer of embryos from NAT (NAT-ET), or IVF orin vitroactivation (IVA). Placental tissues were collected on day 22 of pregnancy. In maternal caruncles (CAR), vascular cell proliferation was less (P<0.05) for IVA than other groups. Compared with NAT, density of blood vessels was less (P<0.05) for IVF and IVA in fetal membranes (FM) and for NAT-ET, IVF, and IVA in CAR. In FM, mRNA expression was decreased (P<0.01–0.08) in NAT-ET, IVF, and IVA compared with NAT for vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptorFLT1, placental growth factor (PGF), neuropilin 1 (NP1) andNP2, angiopoietin 1 (ANGPT1) andANGPT2, endothelial nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3), hypoxia-inducible factor 1A (HIF1A), fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), and its receptorFGFR2. In CAR, mRNA expression was decreased (P<0.01–0.05) in NAT-ET, IVF, and IVA compared with NAT forVEGF,FLT1,PGF,ANGPT1, andTEK. Decreased mRNA expression for 12 of 14 angiogenic factors across FM and CAR in NAT-ET, IVF, and IVA pregnancies was associated with reduced placental vascular development, which would lead to poor placental function and compromised fetal and placental growth and development.

scholarly journals Placental development during early pregnancy in sheep: vascular growth and expression of angiogenic factors in maternal placenta

Reproduction ◽  
2010 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna T Grazul-Bilska ◽  
Pawel P Borowicz ◽  
Mary Lynn Johnson ◽  
Megan A Minten ◽  
Jerzy J Bilski ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Early Pregnancy ◽  
Vascular Development ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Angiogenic Factors ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Proliferating Cells ◽  
Placental Angiogenesis ◽  
Tissue Area

Placental vascular development (angiogenesis) is critical for placental function and thus for normal embryonic/fetal growth and development. Specific environmental factors or use of assisted reproductive techniques may result in poor placental angiogenesis, which may contribute to embryonic losses and/or fetal growth retardation. Uterine tissues were collected on days 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26, 28, and 30 after mating and on day 10 after estrus (nonpregnant controls) to determine vascular development and expression of several factors involved in the regulation of angiogenesis in the endometrium. Compared with controls, several measurements of endometrial vascularity increased (P<0.001) including vascular labeling index (LI; proportion of proliferating cells), the tissue area occupied by capillaries, area per capillary (capillary size), total capillary circumference per unit of tissue area, and expression of factor VIII (marker of endothelial cells), but capillary number decreased (P<0.001). Compared with controls, mRNA for placental growth factor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors, angiopoietins (ANGPT) 1 and 2, ANGPT receptorTEK, endothelial nitric oxide synthase, and hypoxia-inducible factor 1α increased (P<0.05) during early pregnancy. Vascular LI was positively correlated (P<0.05) with several measurements of vascularity and with mRNA expression of angiogenic factors. These data indicate that endometrial angiogenesis, manifested by increased vascularity and increased expression of several factors involved in the regulation of angiogenesis, is initiated very early in pregnancy. This more complete description of early placental angiogenesis may provide the foundation for determining whether placental vascular development is altered in compromised pregnancies.

196 EFFECTS OF DIFFERENT IN VITRO MATURATION SYSTEMS ON BOVINE EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT

2012 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 210
Author(s):  
S. M. Bernal ◽  
J. Heinzmann ◽  
D. Herrmann ◽  
A. Lucas-Hahn ◽  
B. Timmermann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Expression ◽  
In Vitro Maturation ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Expression Profiles ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Developmental Competence ◽  
Bovine Embryo ◽  
Blastocyst Quality

Bovine oocytes and embryos have been established as a valuable model for studying human early development, specifically after assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Efforts for the improvement of ART in the last years have focused on culture media and conditions. Recently, Albuz et al. (2010) reported that the culture of bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) with cyclic adenosine 3′, 5′-monophosphate (cAMP) modulators, before and during extended in vitro maturation (IVM), improved blastocyst quality and yields in mice and cattle. In this study, we investigated the influence of an extended IVM phase in combination with cAMP modulators on blastocyst yields and quality, the effects on mRNA expression profiles and epigenetic marks. We compared these results to the standard protocol (Wrenzycki et al., 2001) used in our laboratory with oocytes from different retrieval methods. Oocytes were retrieved from slaughterhouse ovaries either by slicing or follicular aspiration. The COC were either subjected directly to IVM using the standard TCM-based protocol for 24 h (TCM24-slicing and TCM24-aspiration, respectively) or oocytes that were retrieved by aspiration were treated with forskolin and IBMX for a 2-h pre-IVM period, followed by an extended IVM phase of 30 h in TCM, supplemented with cilostamide (cAMP30-aspiration). Statistical analyses were performed using 1-way ANOVA followed by the nonparametrical Kruskal–Wallis test. Maturation rates were 79.3 ± 2.6% in TCM24-aspiration, 74.2 ± 8.8% in cAMP30-aspiration and 70.4 ± 5.1% in TCM24-slicing oocytes. Matured oocytes were fertilized in vitro with semen from a bull previously proven to be suitable for IVF. Blastocyst rates from presumptive zygotes were significantly higher (P = 0.003) in the TCM24-aspiration group (32 ± 7%) compared to TCM24-slicing (23 ± 7%) and cAMP30-aspiration (22 ± 5%). Analysis revealed that cell numbers were rather similar in the 3 experimental groups (125 ± 19, 128 ± 15 and 129 ± 9), while in vivo-produced blastocysts possessed slightly more cells (134 ± 17; P ≥ 0.05). RT-qPCR analysis of mRNA expression for a panel of genes indicative of embryo quality including DNMT3a, SLC2A8, COX2 and PCK2, showed that blastocysts derived from both aspiration protocols were similar to in vivo embryos, but were different from blastocysts resulting from the ovary-slicing protocol. Specifically, the expression profile of COX2, which is involved in pregnancy outcome and in the response to growth factors, indicates an enhanced developmental competence of aspirated oocytes. However, the transcript level of EGR1 (early growth response) was significantly higher (P = 0.009) in in vivo-derived blastocysts in comparison to all in vitro treatments. The investigation of the epigenetic status of the in vitro-derived blastocysts based on bisulfite sequencing of 2 satellite repeat sequences is currently underway. Results so far indicate that the method of obtaining the oocytes (slicing vs aspiration) for in vitro production of bovine embryos is of greater influence on blastocyst quality than IVM conditions.

scholarly journals Role of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and AKT cascades in regulating hypoxia-induced angiogenic factors produced by a trophoblast-derived cell line

2010 ◽  
Vol 206 (1) ◽  
pp. 131-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisuke Fujita ◽  
Akiko Tanabe ◽  
Tatsuharu Sekijima ◽  
Hekiko Soen ◽  
Keijirou Narahara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Cell Line ◽  
Kinase Inhibitors ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor ◽  
Embryo Implantation ◽  
Hypoxia Inducible Factor ◽  
Transforming Growth Factor Β1 ◽  
Angiogenic Factors ◽  
Placental Development

During human pregnancy, trophoblasts play an important role in embryo implantation and placental development. Cytotrophoblast cells invade the uterine spiral arteries and differentiate into extravillous trophoblasts, resulting in the remodeling of the uterine vessels and fetoplacental vasculature. During early pregnancy, a physiologically hypoxic environment induces the production of angiogenic factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which are suggested to locally control the vascular remodeling. Endoglin, a cell-surface coreceptor for transforming growth factor-β1, is highly expressed in endothelial cells and syncytiotrophoblasts, and can be associated with endothelial nitric oxide synthase and vascular homeostasis. Several studies have recently suggested that some pregnancy-related complications, such as preeclampsia, have their origins early in pregnancy as a result of abnormalities in implantation and placental development. Although angiogenic factors are recognized as key molecules in placental development, little is known about the mechanism(s) of their regulation in trophoblasts. In this study, we elucidated the mechanisms underlying the regulation of VEGF and endoglin production under hypoxic conditions in the trophoblast-derived cell line, BeWo. We evaluated the role of the AKT–MTOR cascade and ERK kinase in the expression of VEGF and endoglin in response to hypoxia using various kinase inhibitors and small interfering RNA targeted against hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1α (listed as HIF1A in Hugo Database). Our results suggest that both the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase–AKT–MTOR–HIF-1α and ERK–HIF-1α signaling pathways are crucial for increasing VEGF and endoglin expression in response to hypoxia in BeWo cells.

scholarly journals Regulation of AMH, AMHR-II, and BMPs (2,6) Genes of Bovine Granulosa Cells Treated with Exogenous FSH and Their Association with Protein Hormones

Genes ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1038 ◽  
Author(s):  
Saqib Umer ◽  
Abdul Sammad ◽  
Huiying Zou ◽  
Adnan Khan ◽  
Bahlibi Weldegebriall Sahlu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mrna Expression ◽  
Granulosa Cells ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Medium Size ◽  
Optimum Level ◽  
Primordial Follicles ◽  
Expression Levels ◽  
Higher Doses

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) is an important reproductive marker of ovarian reserve produced by granulosa cells (GCs) of pre-antral and early-antral ovarian follicles in several species, including cattle. This hormone plays a vital role during the recruitment of primordial follicles and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)-dependent follicular growth. However, the regulatory mechanism of AMH expression in follicles is still unclear. In this study, we compared the expression of AMH, AMHR-II, BMP2, BMP6, FSHR, and LHCGR genes during follicular development. In-vitro expression study was performed with and without FSH for AMH, AMHR-II, BMP2, and BMP6 genes in bovine GCs which were isolated from 3–8 mm follicles. Association among the mRNA expression and hormone level was estimated. GCs were collected from small (3–8 mm), medium (9–12 mm) and large size (13 to 24 mm) follicles before, during onset, and after deviation, respectively. Further, mRNA expression, hormones (AMH, FSH, and LH), apoptosis of GCs, and cell viability were detected by qRT-PCR, ELISA, flow cytometry, and spectrophotometry. AMH, AMHR-II, BMP2, and FSHR genes were highly expressed in small and medium follicles as compared to large ones. In addition, the highest level of AMH protein (84.14 ± 5.41 ng/mL) was found in medium-size follicles. Lower doses of FSH increased the viability of bovine GCs while higher doses repressed them. In-vitro cultured GCs treated with FSH significantly increased the AMH, AMHR-II, and BMP2 expression levels at lower doses, while expression levels decreased at higher doses. We found an optimum level of FSH (25 ng/mL) which can significantly enhance AMH and BMP2 abundance (p < 0.05). In summary, AMH, AMHR-II, and BMP2 genes showed a higher expression in follicles developed in the presence of FSH. However, lower doses of FSH demonstrated a stimulatory effect on AMH and BMP2 expression, while expression started to decline at the maximum dose. In this study, we have provided a better understanding of the mechanisms regulating AMH, AMHR II, and BMP2 signaling in GCs during folliculogenesis, which would improve the outcomes of conventional assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), such as superovulation and oestrus synchronization in bovines.

Impact of equine assisted reproductive technologies (standard embryo transfer or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with in vitro culture and embryo transfer) on placenta and foal morphometry and placental gene expression

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orlando A. Valenzuela ◽  
Anne Couturier-Tarrade ◽  
Young-Ho Choi ◽  
Marie-Christine Aubrière ◽  
Justin Ritthaler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
In Vitro Culture ◽  
Embryo Transfer ◽  
Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Placental Development ◽  
Quarter Horse ◽  
Equine Assisted

Assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) such as intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), in vitro embryo culture and embryo transfer (ET) may be associated with alterations in fetal and placental development. In horses, ET has been used for decades. More recently, in vitro embryo production by ICSI and in vitro culture, followed by embryo transfer (ICSI-C) has become an accepted method for clinical foal production. However, no information is available on the effects of ICSI-C or even of standard ET itself on placental and neonatal parameters in horses. We therefore evaluated placental and neonatal morphology and placental gene expression in reining- and cutting-type American Quarter Horse foals produced using different technologies. Thirty foals and placentas (naturally conceived (NC), ET and ICSI-C; 10 in each group) were examined morphometrically. The only parameter that differed significantly between groups was the length of the foal upper hindlimb, which was longer in ET and ICSI-C than in NC foals. Evaluation of placental mRNA expression for 17 genes related to growth and vascularisation showed no difference in gene expression between groups. These data indicate that within this population, use of ARTs was not associated with meaningful changes in foal or placental morphometry or in expression of the placental genes evaluated.

Thickness of endometrium: predictor of the effectiveness of IVF/ICSI programs (literature review)

GYNECOLOGY ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-116
Author(s):  
L A Bagdasaryan ◽  
I E Korneyeva
Keyword(s):  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Endometrial Thickness ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Uterine Cavity ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Genetic Characteristics ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Need To Evaluate ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the study is to systematically analyze the data available in the modern literature on the relationship between endometrial thickness and the frequency of pregnancy in the program of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and methods. The review includes data from foreign and domestic articles found in PubMed on this topic. Results. The article presents data on the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy in ART programs. The greatest number of studies is devoted to the evaluation of the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy on the day of the ovulation trigger. Data are presented on the existence of a correlation between the thickness of the endometrium measured on the day of the ovulation trigger and the frequency of clinical pregnancy, as well as data on the need to evaluate the structure of the endometrium and the state of subendometric blood flow. The importance of multilayered (three-layered) endometrium as a prognostic marker of success in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection programs in the ovum is emphasized. The conclusion. The thickness of the endometrium can not be used as an argument for canceling the cycle or abolishing embryo transfer to the uterine cavity. Further studies in this direction are needed with a study of the morphological and molecular genetic characteristics of the endometrium, which in the future will allow us to evaluate the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the probability of pregnancy.

Legal restrictions on pre-implantation genetic diagnostics in the framework of in vitro fertilization procedure: foreign experience and Russian perspective

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.A. Altinnik , S.S. Zenin , V.V. Komarova et all
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Genetic Diseases ◽  
Genetic Diagnosis ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Legal Regulation ◽  
Genetic Diagnostics ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Medical Indications

The article discusses the factors that determine the content of the legal limitations of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in the framework of the in vitro fertilization procedure, taking into account international experience and modern domestic regulatory legal regulation of the field of assisted reproductive technologies. The authors substantiates the conclusion that it is necessary to legislate a list of medical indications for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as the categories of hereditary or other genetic diseases diagnosed in the framework of this procedure.

scholarly journals Prevalence of pathogenic copy number variants among children conceived by donor oocyte

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Monfort ◽  
Carmen Orellana ◽  
Silvestre Oltra ◽  
Mónica Rosello ◽  
Alfonso Caro-Llopis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
In Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Copy Number ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Copy Number Variants ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Significant Excess ◽  
Vitro Fertilization ◽  
Donor Oocyte ◽  
Increased Risk

AbstractDevelopment of assisted reproductive technologies to address infertility has favored the birth of many children in the last years. The majority of children born with these treatments are healthy, but some concerns remain on the safety of these medical procedures. We have retrospectively analyzed both the fertilization method and the microarray results in all those children born between 2010 and 2019 with multiple congenital anomalies, developmental delay and/or autistic spectrum disorder (n = 486) referred for array study in our center. This analysis showed a significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants among those patients conceived after in vitro fertilization with donor oocyte with respect to those patients conceived by natural fertilization (p = 0.0001). On the other hand, no significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants was observed among patients born by autologous oocyte in vitro fertilization. Further studies are necessary to confirm these results and in order to identify the factors that may contribute to an increased risk of genomic rearrangements, as well as consider the screening for genomic alterations after oocyte donation in prenatal diagnosis.

scholarly journals May I have your uterus? The contribution of considering complexities preceding live uterus transplantation

2021 ◽  
pp. medhum-2020-011864
Author(s):  
Lisa Guntram
Keyword(s):  
Medical Humanities ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
In Vitro Fertilisation ◽  
Medical Innovation ◽  
Uterus Transplantation ◽  
Ethical Debate ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Different Dimensions

Uterus transplantation combined with in vitro fertilisation (IVF) (henceforth called UTx-IVF) as a treatment for infertility caused by an absence or malfunction of the uterus is advancing. About 50 transplantations have been conducted worldwide and at least 14 children have been born—9 of them by women taking part in a Swedish research project on UTx-IVF. The Swedish research protocol initially stated that the potential recipient must ‘have her own donor’ who is preferably related to the recipient. But what does it mean to ask someone for a uterus? What challenges does this question instigate? And what norms may it enact? In this article, I explore how 10 women—who have considered, and sometimes pursued, UTx-IVF—describe their experiences of searching for a donor. I aim to show how an analysis of such accounts can help us unpack some of the specific relational and gendered dimensions of UTx-IVF and by doing so enrich discussions of risks, benefits, care and support in UTx-IVF. Drawing on research in social sciences and medical humanities that has demonstrated how assisted reproductive technologies and organ donation can provoke social and familial conundrums, with respect to such topics as embodiment and identity, I present three patterns that describe different dimensions of the interviewees’ quest for a uterus donor. I discuss the negotiations that took place, how expectations unfolded and how entanglements were managed as the interviewees considered asking someone for a donation. Such an examination, I suggest, contributes to make care and support more attuned to the experiences and entanglements that UTx-IVF entails for those pursuing it. This will become increasingly important if (or when) UTx-IVF becomes part of general healthcare. To conclude, I problematise responsibilities and relational challenges in medical innovation, and in this way provide insights into how the ethical debate over UTx-IVF can broaden its scope.

Mechanism of the adverse effect of hyaluronidase used for oocyte denudation on early development of bovine embryos

Zygote ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Shiori Ashibe ◽  
Kanade Irisawa ◽  
Ken Yokawa ◽  
Yoshikazu Nagao
Keyword(s):  
Treatment Group ◽  
Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Cumulus Cells ◽  
Reproductive Technologies ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Free Calcium ◽  
Parthenogenetic Development ◽  
Early Embryos ◽  
Bovine Oocytes

Summary Hyaluronidase is widely used in animal and human assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to remove cumulus cells around oocytes. However, adverse effects of hyaluronidase treatment, such as increased rates of degeneration and parthenogenesis, have been found after treatment of human and mouse oocytes. Currently, the mechanism(s) of the detrimental effects are unclear. The present study was initiated to identify the mechanism of adverse responses to hyaluronidase treatment in bovine oocytes and early embryos. Cumulus cells were removed from cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) with or without hyaluronidase and the oocytes were subjected to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF). Significantly lower rates of blastocyst formation were obtained in the hyaluronidase treatment group after ICSI (22.4%) and IVF (21.2%) compared with the non-hyaluronidase control groups: 36.1% after ICSI and 30.4% after IVF. Next, we examined the effect of hyaluronidase on parthenogenetic development rates and on the cytoplasmic levels of free calcium ions (Ca2+), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced glutathione (GSH). No differences in parthenogenesis rates were found between treated and untreated groups. Ca2+ levels in oocytes from the hyaluronidase treatment group indicated using mean fluorescence intensity were significantly higher (68.8 ± 5.3) compared with in the control group (45.0 ± 2.5). No differences were found in the levels of ROS or GSH between the treated and untreated groups. We conclude that hyaluronidase might trigger an increase in Ca2+ levels in oocytes, resulting in a decreased potential for normal embryonic development.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document