Improving fertilization rate in ICSI cycles by adding myoinositol to the semen preparation procedures: a prospective, bicentric, randomized trial on sibling oocytes.

Purpose: To evaluate whether the in vitro incubation of spermatozoa with myoinositol may improve the fertilization rate in ICSI cycles.

Methods: This is a prospective, bicentric, randomized study on 500 MII sibling oocytes injected in 78 ICSI cycles performed between March and October 2013. Randomization of the oocytes into two groups was performed at the time of the denudation.

TRIS-lecithin extender supplemented with antioxidant catalase for chilling of canine semen.

The aims were to evaluate the suitability of a non-commercial TRIS-lecithin (LC) extender and the effect of different concentrations of catalase (CAT) on motility, capacitation status (Chlortetracycline-assay) and zona pellucida (ZP) binding capacity of canine spermatozoa stored at +5 degrees C for 4 days. The sperm-rich fractions of the ejaculates of four stud dogs were divided into four aliquots. After centrifugation, sperm pellets were diluted (200 x 10(6) sperm/ml) in TRIS buffer, citric acid, fructose, antibiotics, supplemented with 20% egg yolk (TRIS-EY) or 0.

Effect of different cryopreservation protocols on cytoskeleton and gap junction mediated communication integrity in feline germinal vesicle stage oocytes.

Oocyte cryopreservation in carnivores can significantly improve assisted reproductive technologies in animal breeding and preservation programs for endangered species. However, the cooling process severely affects the integrity and the survival of the oocyte after thawing and may irreversibly compromise its subsequent developmental capability. In the present study, two different methods of oocyte cryopreservation, slow freezing and vitrification, were evaluated in order to assess which of them proved more suitable for preserving the functional coupling with cumulus cells as well as nuclear and cytoplasmic competence after warming of immature feline oocytes.

Embryo production in dogs: from in vitro fertilization to cloning.

Increased availability of canine embryos would be desirable to develop research and to apply assisted reproductive technologies in the treatment of infertility and in the improvement of reproductive performances in valuable Canids, both domestic and non-domestic. Embryo production through in vitro fertilization and nuclear transfer has been technically achieved in the dog, and the transfer of cloned embryos has recently resulted in the birth of puppies. However, the efficiency of these technologies is still very limited.

Culture strategies for maturation of carnivore oocytes.

In vitro maturation (IVM) of carnivore oocytes is still under investigation. It is well known that oocytes must accomplish nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation to acquire developmental competence. However, little is known about mechanisms regulating these events in carnivore oocytes.

Effect of gonadotropins during in vitro maturation of feline oocytes on oocyte-cumulus cells functional coupling and intracellular concentration of glutathione.

Information about the mechanisms of meiotic arrest and resumption of meiosis in feline oocytes is still limited. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the presence of gonadotropins during IVM, on meiotic progression in relation to the status of gap junction mediated communications between oocyte and cumulus cells, to the cAMP intracellular content, and to the intra-oocyte concentration of glutathione (GSH) in feline oocytes. Our results indicated that about 50% of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) showed functionally open communications at the time of collection, while the remainder were partially or totally closed.

Identification of bovine doppel protein in testis, ovary and ejaculated spermatozoa.

Doppel (Dpl) protein is a recently identified prion-like protein. Although Dpl might be expressed in the brain after prion gene deletion, in both human and mice Dpl is normally expressed only in testis and spermatozoa, where it appears to be involved in male fertility. Little information is available so far about the expression pattern of Dpl in bovines, thus, hampering possible research on the role of this protein in bovine infertility.

Factors involved in vivo and in vitro maturation of canine oocytes.

The domestic dog could be a valuable model for studying and developing assisted reproduction in taxonomically related endangered Canids. However, the efficiency of in vitro oocyte maturation is very low in this species compared to that of other mammalian species and this limits the development of reproductive biotechnologies, such as in vitro embryo production, cryopreservation, or nucleus transfer. In canine species the female gamete has unique characteristics: the oocyte is exposed to high concentration of progesterone in the follicular environment, it is ovulated in the dictyate state, and resumes and completes meiosis in the oviduct.

Meiosis resumption of canine oocytes cultured in the isolated oviduct.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of culture in isolated oviducts relative to meiotic maturation, the time required to resume meiosis and the viability of the canine oocytes. For this purpose, cumulus-oocyte complexes and isthmus-ampullar tracts of the oviducts were collected from bitches undergoing ovariohysterectomies and destined to two experiments of culture. In experiment 1, the oocytes were cultured for 24 or 30 h: (1) in 100 micro l drops under oil; (2) on the mucosal epithelium of the open oviducts; (3) in the ligated oviducts.