Hydrogen sulfide and its potential as a possible therapeutic agent in male reproduction.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is an endogenously produced signaling molecule that belongs to the group of gasotransmitters along with nitric oxide (NO) and carbon monoxide (CO). HS plays a pivotal role in male reproductive processes. It is produced in various tissues and cells of the male reproductive system, including testicular tissue, Leydig and Sertoli cells, epididymis, seminal plasma, prostate, penile tissues, and sperm cells.

Hydrogen sulfide and its role in female reproduction.

Hydrogen sulfide (HS) is a gaseous signaling molecule produced in the body by three enzymes: cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (3-MST). HS is crucial in various physiological processes associated with female mammalian reproduction. These include estrus cycle, oocyte maturation, oocyte aging, ovulation, embryo transport and early embryo development, the development of the placenta and fetal membranes, pregnancy, and the initiation of labor.

The Effect of Carbamazepine on Performance, Carcass Value, Hematological and Biochemical Blood Parameters, and Detection of Carbamazepine and Its Metabolites in Tissues, Internal Organs, and Body Fluids in Growing Rabbits.

Antiepileptic drugs (e.g., carbamazepine; CBZ) are widely prescribed for various conditions beyond epilepsy, including neurologic and psychiatric disorders.

The Effect of Housing System and Gender on Relative Brain Weight, Body Temperature, Hematological Traits, and Bone Quality in Muscovy Ducks.

The study was conducted during the summer season (June-August 2020). Two hundred sixty-four 5-week-old sexed Muscovy ducklings were randomly divided into four equal experimental groups by housing system and by gender. Each group had three replicates (22 birds/replicate) in a randomized design experiment.

The effect of carbon monoxide on meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes.

Oxidative stress impairs the correct course of meiotic maturation, and it is known that the oocytes are exposed to increased oxidative stress during meiotic maturation in in vitro conditions. Thus, reduction of oxidative stress can lead to improved quality of cultured oocytes. The gasotransmitter carbon monoxide (CO) has a cytoprotective effect in somatic cells.

Determination of selected biochemical parameters in blood serum and egg quality of Czech and Slovak native hens depending on the housing system and hen age.

The objective of this study was to determine and evaluate the impact of the age and housing system on blood indicators (triacylglycerides, total cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, total proteins, albumin, glucose) and physical egg quality parameters (egg weight, shape index and surface area, eggshell proportion, thickness, strength, and color, albumen proportion and index, Haugh units, yolk proportion, index and yolk-to-albumen ratio) in selected native breeds of the Czech Republic (the Czech Golden Spotted hens) and Slovakia (the Oravka hens). Furthermore, the concentration of cholesterol in the yolk was determined. A total of 132 animals were used.

The neglected part of early embryonic development: maternal protein degradation.

The degradation of maternally provided molecules is a very important process during early embryogenesis. However, the vast majority of studies deals with mRNA degradation and protein degradation is only a very little explored process yet. The aim of this article was to summarize current knowledge about the protein degradation during embryogenesis of mammals.

Immunohistochemical Evidence of the Involvement of Natural Killer (CD161) Cells in Spontaneous Regression of Lewis Rat Sarcoma.

Background/aim: Spontaneous regression (SR) of tumours is a rare phenomenon not yet fully understood. The aim of this study was to investigate immune cells infiltrating progressive and SR tumours in a Lewis rat sarcoma model.

Materials And Methods: Rats were subcutaneously inoculated with rat sarcoma R5-28 (clone C4) cells.

Detection of CD9 and CD81 tetraspanins in bovine and porcine oocytes and embryos.

Tetraspanins are multifunctional molecules located in specific microdomains on the plasma membrane. Thanks to their ability to form networks with other proteins they can participate in many cellular functions. Tetraspanins are part of the interactive network in gametes; however, their precise role in fertilization is not yet clear.

Anti-apoptotic properties of carbon monoxide in porcine oocyte during aging.

If fertilization of matured oocyte does not occur, unfertilized oocyte undergoes aging, resulting in a time-dependent reduction of the oocyte's quality. The aging of porcine oocytes can lead to apoptosis. Carbon monoxide (CO), a signal molecule produced by the heme oxygenase (HO), possesses cytoprotective and anti-apoptotic effects that have been described in somatic cells.

Hydrogen sulfide donor protects porcine oocytes against aging and improves the developmental potential of aged porcine oocytes.

Porcine oocytes that have matured in in vitro conditions undergo the process of aging during prolonged cultivation, which is manifested by spontaneous parthenogenetic activation, lysis or fragmentation of aged oocytes. This study focused on the role of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) in the process of porcine oocyte aging. H2S is a gaseous signaling molecule and is produced endogenously by the enzymes cystathionine-β-synthase (CBS), cystathionine-γ-lyase (CSE) and 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase (MPST).

Calcineurin expression and localisation during porcine oocyte growth and meiotic maturation.

The processes of oocyte growth, acquisition of meiotic competence and meiotic maturation are regulated by a large number of molecules. One of them could be calcineurin consisting of catalytic subunit A (Aα, Aβ, Aγ isoforms) and regulatory subunit B (B1, B2 isoforms). Calcineurin is involved in the meiotic maturation of oocytes in invertebrates or in lower vertebrates.

Nitric oxide synthase isoforms and the effect of their inhibition on meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes.

In this paper we assessed: (i) the change in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) isoforms' expression and intracellular localization and in NOS mRNA in porcine oocytes during meiotic maturation; (ii) the effect of NOS inhibition by N(omega)-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) and aminoguanidine (AG) on meiotic maturation of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) as well as denuded oocytes (DO); and (iii) nitric oxide (NO) formation in COC. All three NOS isoforms (eNOS, iNOS and nNOS) and NOS mRNA (eNOS mRNA, iNOS mRNA and nNOS mRNA) were found in both porcine oocytes and their cumulus cells except for nNOS mRNA, which was not detected in the cumulus cells. NOS isoforms differed in their intracellular localization in the oocyte: while iNOS protein was dispersed in the oocyte cytoplasm, nNOS was localized in the oocyte cytoplasm and in germinal vesicles (GV) and eNOS was present in dots in the cytoplasm, GV and was associated with meiotic spindles.

The roles of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) in aged pig oocytes.

After reaching metaphase II, in vitro matured oocytes undergo the complex processes referred to as oocyte aging. Under our culture conditions, some aged oocytes remained at the stage of metaphase II, some underwent spontaneous parthenogenetic activation and others underwent cellular death, either through apoptosis (fragmentation) or lysis. We investigated the effect of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) and p38 Mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) inhibition on pig oocyte aging and the activity of JNK and p38 MAPK during the aging period.

Effect of protein kinase C inhibitors on porcine oocyte activation.

The effect of protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors on porcine oocyte activation by calcium ionophore A23187 was studied. Calcium ionophore applied in a 50 microM concentration for 10 min induced activation in 74% of oocytes matured in vitro. When the ionophore-treated oocytes were exposed to the effect of bisindolylmaleimide I, which inhibits calcium-dependent PKC isotypes (PKC-alpha, -beta(I), -beta(II), -gamma,) and calcium-independent PKC isotypes (PKC-delta, -epsilon), the portion of activated oocytes decreased (at a concentration of 100 nM, 2% of the oocytes were activated).

Expression of heat shock protein70 in pig oocytes: heat shock response during oocyte growth.

The heat shock response of growing and fully-grown pig oocytes was analyzed in vitro by determining heat shock protein70 (HSP70) synthesis under both normal conditions (39 degrees C; 0 and 6h) and after heat shock (43 degrees C; 1, 4 and 6h). The expression of HSP70 in oocytes was detected by immunoblotting analysis. Growing oocytes measuring 80-99 microm synthesized a high number of HSP70 without heat shock effect, and these were capable of increasing the synthesis of HSP70 after heat shock to a maximum after 1h.

Activation of pig oocytes using nitric oxide donors.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in intracellular signaling, but its role during the activation of mammalian oocytes is little understood. In our study, in vitro matured pig oocytes were cultured with NO-donors-S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) or sodium nitropruside (SNP). These treatments were able to induce parthenogenetic activation of pig oocytes matured in vitro.

Effect of proteasome inhibitor MG132 on in vitro maturation of pig oocytes.

The present study aimed to demonstrate the dependence of meiotic maturation in pig oocytes on the activity of the protease complex proteasome. The proteasome inhibitor MG132 blocked the exit of maturing pig oocytes from metaphase I stage. Seventy-five per cent of the oocytes were blocked at metaphase I when they were cultured with 10 microM MG132.