Leukemia inhibitory factor enhances the development and subsequent blastocysts quality of yak oocytes .

Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a multipotent cytokine of the IL-6 family which plays a critical role in the maturation and development of oocytes. This study evaluated the influence of LIF on the maturation and development ability of yak oocytes, and the quality of subsequent blastocysts under culture settings. Different concentrations of LIF (0, 25, 50, and 100 ng/mL) were added during the culture of oocytes to detect the maturation rate of oocytes, levels of mitochondria, reactive oxygen species (ROS), actin, and apoptosis in oocytes, mRNA transcription levels of apoptosis and antioxidant-related genes in oocytes, and total cell number and apoptosis levels in subsequent blastocysts.

Ascorbic acid protects the toxic effects of aflatoxin B on yak oocyte maturation.

High-quality oocytes are a prerequisite for successful fertilization. Mammals feeding on aflatoxin-contaminated feed can cause reproductive toxicity, including follicular atresia, poor oocyte development and maturation, and aberrant epigenetic modifications of oocytes. In addition, the important role of ascorbic acid (AA) in reproductive biology has been confirmed, and AA is widely used as an antioxidant in cell culture.

Low oxygen concentration improves yak oocyte maturation and inhibits apoptosis through HIF-1 and VEGF.

The gas-phase environment of in vitro culture system plays an important role in the development of oocytes, and oxygen concentration is one of the important factors. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effect of different oxygen concentrations (20%, 10%, 5% or 1% O ) in yak oocyte maturation and to detect the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and cell apoptosis in yak COCs. First, the maturation rate of oocytes, cleavage rate and blastocysts rate following parthenogenetic activation in the group with 5% oxygen concentration were significantly higher (p < .

Expression of Rad51 and the histo-morphological evaluation of testis of the sterile male cattle-yak.

Meiotic recombination is key to the repair of DNA double-strand break damage, provide a link between homologs for proper chromosome segregation as well as ensure genetic diversity in organisms. Defects in recombination often lead to sterility. The ubiquitously expressed Rad51 and the meiosis-specific DMC1 are two closely related recombinases that catalyze the key strand invasion and exchange step of meiotic recombination.

Male hybrid sterility in the cattle-yak and other bovines: a review.

Hybridization is important for both animal breeders attempting to fix new phenotypic traits and researchers trying to unravel the mechanism of reproductive barriers in hybrid species and the process of speciation. In interspecies animal hybrids, gains made in terms of adaptation to environmental conditions and hybrid vigor may be offset by reduced fertility or sterility. Bovine hybrids exhibit remarkable hybrid vigor compared to their parents.

Low oxygen concentrations improve yak oocyte maturation and enhance the developmental competence of preimplantation embryos.

Mammalian oocyte maturation and early embryo development are highly sensitive to the in vitro culture environment, and oxygen concentration is one of the important factors. In the present study, we aimed to explore the effects of different oxygen concentrations (20%, 10%, 5% or 1% O) on yak oocyte maturation, in vitro fertilization (IVF), and embryo development competence, as well as its effects on the oxidative response, metabolism, and apoptosis in cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and the embryo. The results revealed that the maturation rate of oocytes, blastocysts rate and hatched blastocysts rate in the group with 5% oxygen concentration were significantly higher (P < 0.

Anti-inflammatory Effect of Astragalin and Chlorogenic Acid on -Induced Inflammation of Sheep Endometrial Epithelium Cells.

Endometritis is one of the main diseases which harm sheep husbandry. Astragalin and chlorogenic acid (CGA) are common active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with immunoprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties. In the present study, sheep endometrial epithelium cells (SEECs) were successfully purified and identified, and the inflammation model of SEECs induced by was successfully established.