Bovine oviductal organoids: a multi-omics approach to capture the cellular and extracellular molecular response of the oviduct to heat stress.

Background: The mammalian oviduct is a complex, fibromuscular organ known for its role in orchestrating a series of timely and dynamic changes to suitably support early embryogenesis. Climate change-induced heat stress (HS) is one of the largest single stressors compromising reproductive function in humans and farm animals via systemic changes in the redox status of the maternal environment, adversely affecting fertilization and early embryonic development. Oviductal organoids represent a unique 3-dimensional, biomimetic model to study the physiology of the oviduct and its subsequent impact on embryo development under various environmental conditions.

Production of Mare Chorionic Girdle Organoids That Secrete Equine Chorionic Gonadotropin.

The equine chorionic girdle is comprised of specialized invasive trophoblast cells that begin formation approximately 25 days after ovulation (day 0) and invade the endometrium to become endometrial cups. These specialized trophoblast cells transition from uninucleate to differentiated binucleate trophoblast cells that secrete the glycoprotein hormone equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG; formerly known as pregnant mare serum gonadotropin or PMSG). This eCG has LH-like activity in the horse but variable LH- and FSH-like activity in other species and has been utilized for these properties both in vivo and in vitro.

Generation and cryopreservation of feline oviductal organoids.

Next-generation in vitro culture model systems are needed to study the reproductive pathologies that affect domestic animals. These 3D culture models more closely mimic normal physiological function to allow a greater understanding of reproductive pathology and to trial therapeutics without the welfare concerns and the increased time and cost associated with live animal research. Recent advances with in vitro cell culture systems utilizing human and laboratory animal tissues have been reported, but implementation of these technologies in veterinary species has been slower.

Equine Oviductal Organoid Generation and Cryopreservation.

Organoids are a type of three-dimensional (3D) cell culture that more closely mimic the in vivo environment and can be maintained in the long term. To date, oviductal organoids have only been reported in laboratory mice, women, and cattle. Equine oviductal organoids were generated and cultured for 42 days (including 3 passages and freeze-thawing at passage 1).