Maternal stress and the early embryonic microenvironment: investigating long-term cortisol effects on bovine oviductal epithelial cells using air-liquid interface culture.

The oviduct epithelium is the initial maternal contact site for embryos after fertilization, offering the microenvironment before implantation. This early gestation period is particularly sensitive to stress, which can cause reduced fertility and reproductive disorders in mammals. Nevertheless, the local impact of elevated stress hormones on the oviduct epithelium has received limited attention to date, except for a few reports on polyovulatory species like mice and pigs.

Regulation of Porcine Oviduct Epithelium Functions via Progesterone and Estradiol Is Influenced by Cortisol.

Preimplantation maternal stress, characterized by elevated glucocorticoids (GCs), has been linked to reproductive failures caused by impaired oviduct functionality, which is known to be predominantly regulated by the sex steroids, progesterone (P4) and (17)estradiol (E2). Although steroid receptors share analogous structures and binding preferences, the interaction between GCs and E2/P4 in the oviduct has attracted little attention. Using an air-liquid interface culture model, porcine oviduct epithelial cells were stimulated with single (cortisol, E2, P4) or hormone mixtures (cortisol/E2, cortisol/P4) for 12 hours and 72 hours.

Does Maternal Stress Affect the Early Embryonic Microenvironment? Impact of Long-Term Cortisol Stimulation on the Oviduct Epithelium.

Maternal stress before or during the sensitive preimplantation phase is associated with reproduction failure. Upon real or perceived threat, glucocorticoids (classic stress hormones) as cortisol are synthesized. The earliest "microenvironment" of the embryo consists of the oviduct epithelium and the oviductal fluid generated via the epithelial barrier.

The presence of Giardia intestinalis in donkeys, Equus asinus, in China.

Background: Giardia intestinalis is one of the most important zoonotic enteric parasites. As no information regarding prevalence and genotype of G. intestinalis in donkeys (Equus asinus) in China is available, 181 faecal samples from 48 donkeys from Jilin Province, from 104 from Shandong Province and from 29 from Liaoning Province were examined between May and December 2015.

Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in Captive Non-Human Primates in Qinling Mountains.

Non-human primates (NHPs) are confirmed as reservoirs of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis, and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. In this study, 197 fresh fecal samples from 8 NHP species in Qinling Mountains, northwestern China, were collected and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST) method.

First report of zoonotic Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi in golden takins (Budorcas taxicolor bedfordi).

Genetic study of Cryptosporidium spp., Giardia intestinalis and Enterocytozoon bieneusi at species/assemblage/genotype/subtype level facilitates understanding their mechanical transmissions and underpins their control. A total of 191 fresh faecal samples were collected from golden takins in China and examined using multilocus sequence typing (MLST).

First report of Enterocytozoon bieneusi from giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) and red pandas (Ailurus fulgens) in China.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an emerging and opportunistic enteric pathogen triggering diarrhea and enteric disease in humans and animals. Despite extensive research on this pathogen, the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi infection in precious wild animals of giant and red pandas have not been reported.

Pseudanoplocephala crawfordi is a member of genus Hymenolepis based on phylogenetic analysis using ribosomal and mitochondrial DNA sequences.

Pseudanoplocephala crawfordi is one of the important zoonotic cestodes causing economic significance and public health concern. In the present study, the phylogenetic position of P. crawfordi isolated from pigs was re-inferred using molecular markers of internal transcribed spacer ribosomal DNA (ITS rDNA) and partial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 1 (pnad1) mitochondrial DNA.

The expression dynamics of IL-17 and Th17 response relative cytokines in the trachea and spleen of chickens after infection with Cryptosporidium baileyi.

Background: Cryptosporidium baileyi is the dominant Cryptosporidium species in birds causing emerging health problems in the poultry industry, and is also a model to study the biology of Cryptosporidium spp.. IL-17 (also called IL-17A) is a hallmark pro-inflammatory cytokine of Th17 cells that plays an important role in several human autoimmune diseases and microbial infection disease of many animals, and it may play a role in Cryptosporidium infection.

Characterization of Haemaphysalis flava (Acari: Ixodidae) from Qingling subspecies of giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis) in Qinling Mountains (Central China) by morphology and molecular markers.

Tick is one of important ectoparasites capable of causing direct damage to their hosts and also acts as vectors of relevant infectious agents. In the present study, the taxa of 10 ticks, collected from Qinling giant pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca qinlingensis) in Qinling Mountains of China in April 2010, were determined using morphology and molecular markers (nucleotide ITS2 rDNA and mitochondrial 16S). Microscopic observation demonstrated that the morphological features of these ticks were similar to Haemaphysalis flava.

Genetic variability in the three mitochondrial genes among Oesophagostomum asperum isolates from different regions in Shaanxi and Hunan Provinces, China.

The present study examined sequence variations in three mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) regions, namely, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 (nad5), adenosine triphosphate subunit 6 (atp6) and cytochrome c oxidase subunit 3 (cox3), among Oesophagostomum asperum isolates from different regions in Shaanxi and Hunan provinces, China. The lengths for partial sequences of nad5 (pnad5), atp6 (patp6) and cox3 (pcox3) were 427 bp, 381 bp and 337 bp, respectively. The intra-specific sequence variations among all O.