Effect of access to natural shade on scrotal thermoregulatory capacity, integrity of the testicular parenchyma and sperm morphology of Nelore (Bos indicus) and Canchim (Bos taurus x Bos indicus) bulls.

The objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of using naturally shaded pastures on scrotal thermoregulatory capacity, testicular echotexture, and sperm morphology of Nelore (Bos indicus) and Canchim (5/8 Bos taurus x 3/8 Bos indicus) bulls in a tropical climate region. Sixty-four adult Nelore and Canchim bulls were used, equally allocated in Full Sun (FS, n = 32) or Crop-Livestock-Forestry (CLF, n = 32) pasture systems. During five consecutive climate seasons, the bulls underwent monthly breeding soundness evaluations and the biometeorological variables in the systems were continuously monitored.

Thawing of cryopreserved sperm from domestic animals: Impact of temperature, time, and addition of molecules to thawing/insemination medium.

In recent decades, there has been a growing interest in optimizing the protocols intended to sperm cryopreservation in domestic animals. These protocols include initial cooling, freezing, and thawing. While different attempts have been devised to improve sperm cryopreservation, the efficiency of this reproductive biotechnology is still far from being optimal.

A longer period of epididymal sperm interaction with extender components during cryopreservation improves sperm quality, decreases the size of sperm distal cytoplasmic droplets, and changes the number of nanoparticles in the extender.

While cryopreservation of cauda epididymal sperm (SpCau) allows the preservation of post-mortem bulls' gametes, the process triggers sperm damage. Although improving post-thaw sperm quality, using egg yolk extenders (EY) raises biosafety concerns which forces the use of EY-free extenders (EYFE). Since EYFE are less efficient in preserving post-thaw sperm quality, a strategy for ejaculated sperm (SpEj) frozen with EYFE is to add an Equilibrium Time (ET) step period to the cryopreservation process.

Spread and persistence of antimicrobial resistance genes in wastewater from human and animal sources in São Paulo, Brazil.

The spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through multiple reservoirs is a global concern. Wastewater is a critical AMR dissemination source, so this study aimed to assess the persistence of resistance genetic markers in wastewater using a culture-independent approach. Raw and treated wastewater samples (n = 121) from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), a human hospital, a veterinary hospital, and a pig farm were monthly collected and concentrated by filtration.

Slow Freezing of Preserved Boar Sperm: Comparison of Conventional and Automated Techniques on Post-Thaw Functional Quality by a New Combination of Sperm Function Tests.

The slow freezing of boar sperm is the only way to preserve genetic material for extended periods; this can be achieved with exposure to liquid nitrogen vapors (conventional) or by using automated freezing equipment. The aim was to compare the effect of both techniques on post-thaw functionality. Boar sperm devoid of seminal plasma and resuspended in lactose-egg yolk-glycerol medium were cryopreserved.

Porcine Germ Cells Phenotype during Embryonic and Adult Development.

Primordial germ cells (PGCs) are the precursors of gametes. Due to their importance for the formation and reproduction of an organism, understanding the mechanisms and pathways of PGCs and the differences between males and females is essential. However, there is little research in domestic animals, e.

Initial Characterization of 3D Culture of Yolk Sac Tissue.

The role of the yolk sac (YS) in miscarriage is not yet clear, largely due to ethical reasons that make in vivo studies difficult to conduct. However, 3D cultures could provide a solution to this problem by enabling cells to be arranged in a way that more closely mimics the structure of the YS as it exists in vivo. In this study, three domestic species (porcine, canine, and bovine) were chosen as models to standardize 3D culture techniques for the YS.

Effects of supplemental antioxidants on in vitro fertility measures for cryopreserved boar spermatozoa.

This work aims to evaluate how supplementing a commercial freezing media with butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), or reduced glutathione (GSH), or their combination affected in-vitro measures of boar sperm after cryopreservation. One ejaculate was collected from 30 high-fertility boars in a weekly collection rotation. Samples were diluted 1:1 in an extender and cooled before overnight shipping at 17 °C to the freezing lab.

Impact of cryopreservation protocols (one- and two-step) on boar semen quality at 5 °C and post-thawing.

The two-step protocol (2 S) is currently used for boar semen cryopreservation. In this method, the cryoprotectant penetrant agents (CPAs) are added at 5 °C to reduce the toxicity of CPAs. An alternative is the one-step protocol (1 S), which is easier, cheaper, and reduces the necessity of equipment, but could increase the toxicity of CPAs.

Shade availability on pasture does not affect semen characteristics of Brahman bulls ().

Testicular degeneration by heat is the leading cause of infertility in bulls. Beef cattle are generally farmed under hot and humid conditions, and consequently, the thermotolerance of each breed must be considered in their natural environment. This study aimed to evaluate the reproductive characteristics of Brahman bulls maintained in the grazing system, with or without shadow availability.

Effect of cow's milk with different PUFA n-6: n-3 ratios on performance, serum lipid profile, and blood parameters of grower gilts.

The concern with human health has increased the interest in producing foods enriched with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), directly or naturally, by inclusion in the animals' diet. The positive effects such as antithrombotic, anti-inflammatory, and hypolipidemic have been observed in pigs and rats, used as human models for study. The present study evaluated the effect of cow's milk with different lipid profiles on performance, serum fatty acid profile, biochemical analysis, and a complete blood count of gilts used as a human model.

Copper and zinc hydroxychloride cosupplementation improve growth performance and carcass and reduce diarrhea frequency in grower-finisher pigs.

This study investigated copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) hydroxychloride cosupplementation on the growth performance, diarrhea frequency, carcass, meat quality, and antioxidant activity in grower-finisher pigs. A total of 256 pigs were used from 70 to 154 days (d) of age, distributed in four treatments, with eight pigs in each pen and eight replications per treatment. Diets were provided to grower pigs from 70 to 112 days old and in the finisher, 112 to 154 days old.

Neural Derivates of Canine Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells-Like Cells From a Mild Cognitive Impairment Dog.

Domestic dogs are superior models for translational medicine due to greater anatomical and physiological similarities with humans than rodents, including hereditary diseases with human equivalents. Particularly with respect to neurodegenerative medicine, dogs can serve as a natural, more relevant model of human disease compared to transgenic rodents. Herein we report attempts to develop a canine-derived model for neurodegenerative diseases through the generation of induced pluripotent stem cells from a 14-year, 9-month-old female West Highland white terrier with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

Hydroxy-selenomethionine as an organic source of selenium in the diet improves boar reproductive performance in artificial insemination programs.

This study aimed to compare different selenium (Se) sources in the diet on boar's semen quality and fertility. For this, 28 boars aged 8 to 28 mo were fed with the following dietary treatments for 95 d: 0.3 mg Se/kg as sodium selenite (SS; n = 14) and 0.

Metabolomic signature of spermatozoa established during holding time is responsible for differences in boar sperm freezability†.

Holding at room temperature is the first step in most boar semen cryopreservation protocols. It is well accepted that a holding time (HT) of 24 h increases sperm cryotolerance. However, the effect of HT on ejaculates with different freezability is not entirely clear.

Maternal Supplementation with Cow's Milk Naturally Enriched with PUFA Alters the Metabolism of Sows and the Fatty Acid Profile of the Offspring.

The study aimed to evaluate the supplementation of gilts with cow's milk naturally enriched with n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) on reproductive outcomes, and the serum biochemical and FA profile of swine females and their offspring. During 316 days, 30 gilts were distributed into three groups: (1) Control, fed a basal diet + milk from cows without oil; (2) n-3, fed a basal diet + milk from cows fed a diet enriched with linseed oil; (3) n-6, fed a basal diet + milk from cows fed a diet enriched with soybean oil. The gilts receiving the diets containing PUFA had higher serum urea and very-low-density lipoprotein levels and lower serum total protein and low-density lipoprotein levels compared to the Control group.

Altrenogest during early pregnancy modulates uterine glandular epithelium and endometrial growth factor expression at the time implantation in pigs.

This study evaluated the effects of supplying altrenogest from day 6-12 of pregnancy on the endometrial glandular epithelium, corpora lutea (CL) morphology, and endometrial and CL gene expression. A total of 12 crossbred females (Landrace × Large White) were used. The females were assigned to 4 treatments according to a random design with a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with two categories (sow or gilt) and two treatments (non-treated and treated with altrenogest).

Porcine Primordial Germ Cell-Like Cells Generated from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Different Culture Conditions.

Culture conditions regulate the process of pluripotency acquisition and self-renewal. This study aimed to analyse the influence of the in vitro environment on the induction of porcine induced pluripotent stem cell (piPSCs) differentiation into primordial germ cell-like cells (pPGCLCs). piPSC culture with different supplementation strategies (LIF, bFGF, or LIF plus bFGF) promoted heterogeneous phenotypic profiles.

The use of resveratrol decreases liquid-extend boar semen fertility, even in concentrations that do not alter semen quality.

In vitro and in vivo assays were conducted to investigate the effects of trans-resveratrol (RVT) on liquid-extended boar semen during 72 h of storage at 17 °C. Thirty-six ejaculates were collected from six boars, evaluated, and extended. RVT was then added at the indicated treatment concentration (0, 0.

Oxidative and nitrosative stress in frozen-thawed pig spermatozoa. I: Protective effect of melatonin and butylhydroxytoluene on sperm function.

The addition of antioxidants to the cryopreservation medium has been shown to exert a positive effect on the quality of frozen-thawed sperm in different species. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of supplementing the freezing medium with butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) and melatonin (MEL) in frozen-thawed pig spermatozoa. With this purpose, six ejaculates coming from six separate boars were cryopreserved in traditional freezing medium (i.

Generation of neural progenitor cells from porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells.

In this study, porcine embryonic fibroblasts (pEFs) were reprogrammed into porcine-induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) using either human or mouse specific sequences for the OCT4, SOX2, c-Myc, and KLF4 transcription factors. In total, three pEFs lines were reprogrammed, cultured for at least 15 passages, and characterized regarding their pluripotency status (alkaline phosphatase expression, embryoid body formation, expression of exogenous and endogenous genes, and immunofluorescence). Two piPSC lines were further differentiated, using chemical inhibitors, into putative neural progenitor-like (NPC-like) cells with subsequent analyses of their morphology and expression of neural markers such as NESTIN and GFAP as well as immunofluorescent labeling of NESTIN, β-TUBULIN III, and VIMENTIN.

Effects of different equilibration times at 5 °C on boar sperm cryotolerance.

Equilibration time (ET) is the period during which sperm cells are in contact with cooling/freezing media components at a temperature of 5 °C, providing a proper osmotic balance between the intra- and extra-cellular milieu. The present study aimed to determine the ET (0, 2, and 4 h) that results in greater post-thaw sperm quality and functions. Based on the post-thaw sperm membrane integrity and motility ratios, 20 ejaculates collected from five boars were classified as having good (GFE, n = 5) or poor (PFE, n = 15) freezing capacity.

The Presence of Seminal Plasma during Liquid Storage of Pig Spermatozoa at 17 °C Modulates Their Ability to Elicit In Vitro Capacitation and Trigger Acrosomal Exocytosis.

Although seminal plasma is essential to maintain sperm integrity and function, it is diluted/removed prior to liquid storage and cryopreservation in most mammalian species. This study sought to evaluate, using the pig as a model, whether storing semen in the presence of seminal plasma affects the sperm ability to elicit in vitro capacitation and acrosomal exocytosis. Upon collection, seminal plasma was separated from sperm samples, which were diluted in a commercial extender, added with seminal plasma (15% or 30%), and stored at 17 °C for 48 or 72 h.

Cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin is efficient in preserving sperm quality of cryopreserved ram semen with low freezability.

Semen freezability is positive correlated with the cholesterol content in the sperm cell. Freeze-thawing mainly cause temperature chock and change on media osmolarity, which can modify plasma membrane lipids content and sperm conformation, resulting in decreased fertility. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of adding cholesterol-loaded cyclodextrin (CLC) to the cryopreservation process of ram semen with low freezability.

Antioxidant Effect of a Polyphenol-Rich Murtilla ( Turcz.) Extract and Its Effect on the Regulation of Metabolism in Refrigerated Boar Sperm.

The production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in boar spermatozoa increases in refrigeration; this can have an impact on sperm quality and fertilization capacity. We evaluated the effect of polyphenol-rich aqueous extract of murtilla ( Turcz) on boar sperm stored at 17°C in order to reduce oxidative stress and improve sperm quality in the long term. Five experiments were performed: first, characterization of the polyphenol content from five genotypes of murtilla; second, determination of the genotype with the best antioxidant effect (MT-Ex); third, the antioxidant capacity on O and lipid peroxidation; fourth, the influence of MT-Ex on motility, calcium movement, cAMP, and metabolic parameters; and fifth, analysis of long-term refrigeration.