Morphological, histological and molecular investigations on canine uterine tissue after ovariectomy.

In the present study, we investigated the course of atrophy in canine uterine tissue and the expression of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) within 6 months after ovariectomy (OE). In nine primipar bitches of different breeds, bilateral OE and removal of one horn was performed. Six months after surgery, the remaining uterine tissue was removed.

Effects of environmental temperature and season on hair coat characteristics, physiologic and reproductive parameters in Shetland pony stallions.

We hypothesized that housing of stallions in a thermoneutral temperature zone during autumn and winter does not only influence metabolism and hair shedding but also improves the characteristics of raw and processed semen. Fertile Shetland pony stallions were followed from October to June. This time coincided with the seasons autumn, winter and spring.

Emission Enhancement and Intermittency in Polycrystalline Organolead Halide Perovskite Films.

Inorganic-organic halide organometal perovskites have demonstrated very promising performance for opto-electronic applications, such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, lasers, single-photon sources, etc. However, the little knowledge on the underlying photophysics, especially on a microscopic scale, hampers the further improvement of devices based on this material. In this communication, correlated conventional photoluminescence (PL) characterization and wide-field PL imaging as a function of time are employed to investigate the spatially- and temporally-resolved PL in CH₃NH₃PbI3-xClx perovskite films.

Effects of a long-day light programme on the motility and membrane integrity of cooled-stored and cyropreserved semen in Shetland pony stallions.

Increasing day length in spring stimulates reproductive functions in horses. In this study, we have analysed the effect of artificial long days on the quality of cooled-stored and cryopreserved semen in Shetland stallions. Stallions of the treatment group (AL, n = 8) were exposed to 16 h light and 8h darkness from 15th December to 20th March while control stallions (CON, n = 7) were kept under natural photoperiod.

A long-day light program accelerates seasonal coat changes but is without effect on semen and metabolic parameters in Shetland pony stallions.

Horses are seasonal breeders, and robust breeds may exhibit a winter hypometabolism when kept under semiferal conditions. In this study, we analyzed the effects of artificial long days on rectal temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, hematology, coat changes, semen parameters, and plasma testosterone concentrations in Shetland stallions stabled overnight and assigned to a control group (CON, n = 9) kept under natural photoperiod, and a treatment group exposed to a long-day light program from 15 December to 20 March (AL, n = 9). During the 8-month study, rectal temperature, heart rate, and heart rate variability at no time differed between groups.

Quality and fertility of cooled-shipped stallion semen at the time of insemination.

Stallion semen processing is far from standardized and differs substantially between AI centers. Suboptimal pregnancy rates in equine AI may primarily result from breeding with low quality semen not adequately processed for shipment. It was the aim of the study to evaluate quality and fertility of cooled-shipped equine semen provided for breeding of client mares by commercial semen collection centers in Europe.

Significance of aquaporins and sodium potassium ATPase subunits for expansion of the early equine conceptus.

Expansion of the equine conceptus can be divided into blastocoel and yolk sac phases. The endodermal layer transforming the blastocoel into the yolk sac is completed around day 8 of pregnancy. From that time, the size of the spherical conceptus increases tremendously due mainly to the accumulation of fluid rather than cell multiplication.

Effect of a dietary antioxidant supplementation on semen quality in pony stallions.

Lipid peroxidation contributes to the damage of the sperm plasma membrane. In different species, dietary supplementation with antioxidants has been shown to improve semen quality. Therefore, we tested effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidants and l-carnitin on semen quality in Shetland pony stallions (n=6).

LH and IGF-1 release during oestrus and early luteal phase in lactating and non-lactating horse mares.

The aim of the present study was to determine effects of lactation on basal LH and IGF-1 concentrations and on the LH response to a GnRH-analogue at different stages of the oestrous cycle in mares. A total of 17 cyclic Haflinger mares were included in the study. Experiments were performed on lactating mares in first postpartum oestrus, the subsequent early luteal phase, and second postpartum oestrus.

Acute insulin-induced hypoglycaemia does not alter IGF-1 and LH release in cyclic mares.

Lactation in the mare is associated with changes in the release of metabolic as well as reproductive hormones. Plasma glucose concentration is constantly reduced in lactating compared with non-lactating mares. Several metabolic signals have been proposed to link nutrition and somatic metabolism with reproductive function.

Effect of clenbuterol on the clearance of particles of charcoal (4 to 90 microm) from the uteri of mares.

The failure of clearance mechanisms in the mare's uterus results in persistent inflammation and is considered a major cause of subfertility. Eighteen mares, of which three were susceptible to endometritis and four had been ovariectomised, underwent charcoal clearance testing to evaluate their clearance mechanisms. This consisted of installing 500 mg of charcoal (particle size 4 to 90 microm) added to 50 ml of phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) into the uterus.