Mitochondria-targeted therapy rescues development and quality of embryos derived from oocytes matured under oxidative stress conditions: a bovine in vitro model.

Study Question: Can we use a mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant (Mitoquinone) during in vitro embryo culture to rescue developmental competence of oocytes matured under lipotoxic conditions, exhibiting mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress?

Summary Answer: Supplementation of embryo culture media with Mitoquinone reduced oxidative stress and prevented mitochondrial uncoupling in embryos derived from metabolically compromised oocytes in vitro, leading to higher blastocyst rates and lower blastomeric apoptosis.

What Is Known Already: Maternal metabolic disorders, such as obesity and type-II diabetes are associated with hyperlipidemia and elevated free fatty acid (FFA) concentrations in the ovarian follicular fluid (FF). Oocyte maturation under these lipotoxic conditions results in increased oxidative stress levels, mitochondrial dysfunction, reduced developmental competence and disappointing IVF results.

Kinetic chain influences on upper and lower trapezius muscle activation during eight variations of a scapular retraction exercise in overhead athletes.

Objectives: To describe and compare the activation levels of the upper and lower trapezius muscle and study the influence of trunk and lower extremity position or movement during eight variations of a scapular retraction exercise.

Design: Descriptive study. Exercise performance was standardized and individualized based on height, age and body weight.