In vitro exposure to butylparaben impairs the integrity and size of ovarian follicles in a bovine model.

There is a growing regulatory and scientific interest in the studies of environmental substances that are capable of interfering with the reproductive system. Among them, parabens stand out due to their widespread use and frequent detection as contaminants in human tissues and biological fluids. Therefore, we evaluated the toxic effects of butylparaben on the viability and follicular staging of bovine ovarian follicles in vitro.

Oxidative activity of corpus luteum and ovarian parenchyma in heifers.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the oxidative stress in ovaries and corpus luteum (CL) of females and the oxidant effect of CL in ovarian tissues in regions near, intermediate, or distant from it. Ovaries (n=12) of Nelore heifers (n=6) were collected from a slaughterhouse and fragmented. Experiment 1, each ovary was obtained from three fragments, resulting in 18 fragments of ovaries with CL (OV+CL) and another 18 fragments of ovaries without CL (OV-CL).

Spatial distribution of preantral follicles in ovarian parenchyma of bovine species.

The goal of this study was to determine the distribution of preantral follicles in bovine ovaries. Follicular distribution in the ovaries ( = 12) was evaluated in the region of the greater curvature of the ovary (GCO) and the region close to the ovarian pedicle (OP) of heifers of the Nelore breed. Two fragments were obtained from each region of the ovary (GCO and OP).

MicroRNA Profiling Using a PCR-Based Method.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNA molecules involved in the post-transcriptional regulation of specific mRNA targets, thus possibly controlling many biological processes. The miRNA profiling analysis can contribute to understanding several signaling pathways, as biomarkers for molecular diagnostic, as well as potential to be used as therapeutic targets. The miRNAs expression can be analyzed by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR), microarrays, and RNA sequencing.

Evaluation of three classification methods of antral follicle count and fertility to the timed artificial insemination in cattle.

The controversial data about antral follicle count (AFC) may be partially explained by the different criteria used to determine what is high, intermediate and low AFC. This study evaluated different classification methods for AFC groups, relating them to the conception rate, dominant follicle size and body condition score (BCS) in cows submitted to timed artificial insemination (TAI). Nelore cows (; n = 935), received a reproductive program consisting of TAI and natural breeding.