A Comparative Analysis of the Antioxidant Profiles Generated by the RoXsta System for Diverse Biological Fluids Highlights the Powerful Protective Role of Human Seminal Plasma.

(1) Background: The RoXsta system has been developed as a rapid, effective means of profiling different types of antioxidant activity. The purpose of this study was to examine its performance utilizing a diverse array of biological fluids including semen, blood plasma, serum, urine, saliva, follicular fluid and plant extracts. (2) Methods: The RoXsta system was used to assess the ability of different fluids to suppress free radical formation as well as scavenge a variety of toxic oxygen metabolites including free radicals and both hydrogen and organic peroxides.

The assessment of oxidative stress in human semen: chaos and confusion in pursuit of diagnostic precision.

The importance of oxidative stress in the aetiology of male infertility has occasioned numerous clinical trials designed to assess the potential of antioxidants for treating this condition. These trials have not returned definitive results, probably because they have never selected participants on the basis of oxidative stress. Clearly, if a moderate to severe state of oxidative stress does not exist in semen, antioxidants can hardly be expected to improve fertility.

Towards the Development of Novel, Point-of-Care Assays for Monitoring Different Forms of Antioxidant Activity: The RoXsta System.

(1) Background: This study set out to develop a series of simple, novel, rapid methods for assessing different forms of antioxidant activity. (2) Methods: An ABTS platform was used to engineer: (i) an electrochemical post-activation assay to assess free radical scavenging activity; (ii) an electrochemical pre-activation strategy to assesses the suppression of free radical formation; (iii) a horseradish peroxidase-mediated oxidation system to monitor hydrogen peroxide scavenging activity and (iv) a cumene peroxide-hematin system to determine the ability of samples to scavenge the mixture of organic peroxides and peroxyl and alkoxyl radicals generated in the presence of these reagents. Each assay was assessed against a panel of candidate antioxidant compounds to determine their relative activities and specificities.

Optimizing equine sperm quality: an alternative to single layer centrifugation for sperm isolation.

Abstract: In vitro semen purification techniques have been developed that seek to mimic the in vivo selection process in order to generate the highest possible chance of oocyte fertilization following artificial insemination. Numerous methods have been developed to isolate functional spermatozoa for artificial insemination, yet only one method, single-layer centrifugation using commercial preparations like EquiPure, has been widely employed. In this study, we have introduced a novel approach for isolating spermatozoa and compared their quality to those isolated using EquiPure.

Mapping the lipidomic secretome of the early equine embryo.

The lipidomic secretions of embryos provide a unique opportunity to examine the cellular processes of the early conceptus. In this study we profiled lipids released by the early equine conceptus, using high-resolution mass spectrometry to detect individual lipid species. This study examined the lipidomic profile in embryo-conditioned media from -produced, 8-9 day-old equine embryos ( = 3) cultured for 36 h, analyzed over 3 timepoints.

Paternal age, de novo mutations, and offspring health? New directions for an ageing problem.

This Directions article examines the mechanisms by which a father's age impacts the health and wellbeing of his children. Such impacts are significant and include adverse birth outcomes, dominant genetic conditions, neuropsychiatric disorders, and a variety of congenital developmental defects. As well as age, a wide variety of environmental and lifestyle factors are also known to impact offspring health via changes mediated by the male germ line.

Investigations into the role of platelet-activating factor in the peri-conception period of the mare.

In Brief: In many mammals, the lipid platelet-activating factor (PAF) has important functions in female reproduction and fertility. This study shows that PAF is present in the reproductive tissues of mares and is involved in processes related to ovulation and early pregnancy.

Abstract: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) has been implicated in a number of reproductive processes ranging from ovulation to embryo motility but has not been widely explored in the mare.

The effects of oxidative stress and intracellular calcium on mitochondrial permeability transition pore formation in equine spermatozoa.

The in vitro storage of stallion spermatozoa for use in artificial insemination leads to oxidative stress and imbalances in calcium homeostasis that trigger the formation of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP), resulting in premature cell death. However, little is understood about the dynamics and the role of mPTP formation in mammalian spermatozoa. Here, we identify an important role for mPTP in stallion sperm Ca homeostasis.

Governance of advanced materials: Shaping a safe and sustainable future.

The past few decades of managing the uncertain risks associated with nanomaterials have provided valuable insights (knowledge gaps, tools, methods, etc.) that are equally important to promote safe and sustainable development and use of advanced materials. Based on these insights, the current paper proposes several actions to optimize the risk and sustainability governance of advanced materials.

What is driving the global decline of human fertility? Need for a multidisciplinary approach to the underlying mechanisms.

An intense period of human population expansion over the past 250 years is about to cease. Total fertility rates are falling dramatically all over the world such that highly industrialized nations, including China and the tiger economies of SE Asia, will see their populations decline significantly in the coming decades. The socioeconomic, geopolitical and environmental ramifications of this change are considerable and invite a multidisciplinary consideration of the underlying mechanisms.

Population decline: where demography, social science, and biology intersect.

In Brief: Over the past half century, the world has witnessed an unprecedented decline in human fertility rates. This analysis reviews the various socioeconomic, cultural, and biological factors involved in driving this change and considers whether low fertility rates are a temporary or permanent feature of our future demographic profile.

Abstract: Since the early 1960s, the world has witnessed the spectacular collapse of human fertility.

Development of peptides for targeting cell ablation agents concurrently to the Sertoli and Leydig cell populations of the testes: An approach to non-surgical sterilization.

The surgical sterilization of cats and dogs has been used to prevent their unwanted breeding for decades. However, this is an expensive and invasive procedure, and often impractical in wider contexts, for example the control of feral populations. A sterilization agent that could be administered in a single injection, would not only eliminate the risks imposed by surgery but also be a much more cost-effective solution to this worldwide problem.

The Global Decline in Human Fertility: The Post-Transition Trap Hypothesis.

Over the past half a century many countries have witnessed a rapid fall in total fertility rates, particularly in the world's most advanced economies including the industrial powerhouses of Eastern Asia and Europe. Such nations have now passed through the first and second demographic transitions and are currently exhibiting fertility rates well below the replacement threshold of 2.1, with no sign of recovery.

Addition of Vitamin C Mitigates the Loss of Antioxidant Capacity, Vitality and DNA Integrity in Cryopreserved Human Semen Samples.

Cryopreservation of human spermatozoa is a necessity for males suffering from infertility who cannot produce fresh semen for insemination. However, current ART cryopreservation protocols are associated with losses of sperm motility, vitality and DNA integrity, which are thought to be linked to the induction of oxidative damage and the toxic properties of commercial cryoprotectants (CPAs). Preventing or mitigating these losses would be hugely beneficial to sperm survival during ART.

Precise control of microfluidic flow conditions is critical for harnessing the in vitro transfection capability of pDNA-loaded lipid-Eudragit nanoparticles.

Microfluidics is widely regarded as a leading technology for industrial-scale manufacture of multicomponent, gene-based nanomedicines in a reproducible manner. Yet, very few investigations detail the impact of flow conditions on the biological performance of the product, particularly biocompatibility and therapeutic efficiency. Herein, this study investigated the engineering of a novel lipid-Eudragit hybrid nanoparticle in a bifurcating microfluidics micromixer for plasmid DNA (pDNA) delivery.

Sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA) and flow cytometry-assisted TUNEL assay provide a concordant assessment of sperm DNA fragmentation as a function of age in a large cohort of approximately 10,000 patients.

Background: Sperm DNA integrity is increasingly seen as a critical characteristic determining reproductive success, both in natural reproduction and in assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Despite this awareness, sperm DNA and nuclear integrity tests are still not part of routine examinations for either infertile men or fertile men wishing to assess their reproductive capacity. This is not due to the unavailability of DNA and sperm nuclear integrity tests.

Development of a model for studying the developmental consequences of oxidative sperm DNA damage by targeting redox-cycling naphthoquinones to the Sertoli cell population.

Oxidative stress can be induced in the testes by a wide range of factors, including scrotal hyperthermia, varicocele, environmental toxicants, obesity and infection. The clinical consequences of such stress include the induction of genetic damage in the male germ line which may, in turn, have serious implications for the health and wellbeing of the progeny. In order to confirm the transgenerational impact of oxidative stress in the testes, we sought to develop an animal model in which this process could be analysed.

Consensus Guidelines for Perioperative Care for Emergency Laparotomy Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society Recommendations Part 2-Emergency Laparotomy: Intra- and Postoperative Care.

Background: This is Part 2 of the first consensus guidelines for optimal care of patients undergoing emergency laparotomy (EL) using an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) approach. This paper addresses intra- and postoperative aspects of care.

Methods: Experts in aspects of management of high-risk and emergency general surgical patients were invited to contribute by the International ERAS Society.

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS®) Society Consensus Guidelines for Emergency Laparotomy Part 3: Organizational Aspects and General Considerations for Management of the Emergency Laparotomy Patient.

Background: This is Part 3 of the first consensus guidelines for optimal care of patients undergoing emergency laparotomy using an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) approach. This paper addresses organizational aspects of care.

Methods: Experts in management of the high-risk and emergency general surgical patient were invited to contribute by the International ERAS® Society.

Predicting the Outcome of Equine Artificial Inseminations Using Chilled Semen.

This study aimed to determine whether an analysis of stallion ejaculate could accurately predict the likelihood of pregnancy resulting from artificial insemination in mares. This study involved 46 inseminations of 41 mares, using 7 standardbred stallions over a 5-week period at an Australian pacing stud. Semen quality was assessed immediately after collection and again after chilling at ~5 °C for 24 h.

Analysis of sperm separation protocols for isolating cryopreserved human spermatozoa.

Abstract: Sperm cryopreservation is a valuable tool for the long-term preservation of male fertility. Thus, determining the optimal technique for isolating spermatozoa post-thaw is vital to ensure recovery of the highest quality spermatozoa with minimal iatrogenic damage. This not only enhances the chances of successful conception but also reduces the risk of genetic damage in the embryo.

Establishment and characterization of oviductal organoids from farm and companion animals†.

Organoid technology has provided a unique opportunity to study early human development and decipher various steps involved in the pathogenesis of disease. The technology is already used in clinics to improve human patient outcomes. However, limited knowledge of the methodologies required to establish organoid culture systems in domestic animals has slowed the advancement and application of organoid technology in veterinary medicine.