Punicalagin increases follicular activation, development and activity of superoxide dismutase 1, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase 1 in cultured bovine ovarian tissues.

Context The overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during in vitro culture of ovarian tissues impairs follicular development and survival. Aims To evaluate the effects of punicalagin on the development and survival of primordial follicles, stromal cell and collagen fibres, as well as on the levels of mRNA for nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2 ), superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1 ), catalase (CAT ), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1 ) and perirredoxin 6 (PRDX6 ), and activity of antioxidant enzymes in cultured bovine ovarian tissues. Methods Bovine ovarian cortical tissues were cultured for 6days in α-MEM+ alone or with 1.

Croton grewioides essential oil and anethole reduce oxidative stress and improve growth of bovine primordial follicles during culture of ovarian tissue.

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the effects of Croton grewioides essential oil (CGEO) and anethole on follicle survival, growth, and oxidative stress in cultured bovine ovarian tissues.

Methods: Ovarian tissues were cultured for 6 days in a medium supplemented with different concentrations (1, 10, 100, or 1000 µg mL-1) of CGEO or anethole and then, follicular survival and growth, collagen content, and stromal cell density in ovarian tissues cultured in vitro were evaluated by histology. The mRNA levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1), peroxirredoxin 6 (PRDX6), and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (NRF2) were evaluated by real-time PCR.

Supraphysiological doses of nandrolone decanoate disrupts spermatogenesis but did not interfere on embryo rate.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of 10 mg/kg/week of nandrolone decanoate (DECA - Deca Durabolin®) on body composition, hormonal levels, spermatic parameters, redox status, and morphometric parameters of testicle and epididymis; furthermore, the fertility capacity of Wistar rats was measured thought in vitro fertilization (IVF). The animals (n = 16) were divided into two groups: control group (CTRL, n = 8), which received only vehicle composed by peanut oil and 10% of the benzoic alcohol and nandrolone decanoate group (DECA, n = 8), which received intramuscular injections of DECA for 8 weeks, both groups were treated for 8 weeks. The results demonstrate significative decrease in visceral fat, testosterone levels, and thiol content on epididymis, reduction on normal sperm parameters, and deleterious effect on testicles and epididymis tissue morphology showing reduction of germ height and luminal diameter on the DECA group.

Melatonin acts through different mechanisms to control oxidative stress and primordial follicle activation and survival during in vitro culture of bovine ovarian tissue.

This study aims to evaluate the effects of melatonin and its mechanisms of action on preantral follicle activation and survival, stromal cell density and collagen distribution in extracellular matrix (ECM). The involvement of melatonin receptors and mTORC1 pathway in these procedures were also investigated. To this end, ovarian fragments were cultured for six days in α-MEM alone or supplemented with 1000 pM melatonin, 1000 pM melatonin with 1000 pM luzindole (inhibitor of melatonin receptors), or 1000 pM melatonin with 0.

ABO blood group and link to COVID-19: A comprehensive review of the reported associations and their possible underlying mechanisms.

ABO blood group is long known to be an influencing factor for the susceptibility to infectious diseases, and many studies have been describing associations between ABO blood types and COVID-19 infection and severity, with conflicting findings. This narrative review aims to summarize the literature regarding associations between the ABO blood group and COVID-19. Blood type O is mostly associated with lower rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection, while blood type A is frequently described as a risk factor.

Acute effect of high-intensity interval training exercise on redox status in the ovaries of rats fed a high-fat diet.

This study demonstrates the effect of a single high-intensity interval training (HIIT) session on the redox status of rat ovaries with excess adiposity. Forty Wistar female rats (mean (±s.e.

5-Fluorouracil disrupts ovarian preantral follicles in young C57BL6J mice.

Purpose: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU), an anti-cancer drug, has been used for hepatoblastoma (HB) chemotherapy in children, who may have impaired  ovarian follicle pool reserve with lasting effects to reproduction. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate 5-FU effects on survival, growth, and morphology of ovarian preantral follicles from C57BL6J young mice.

Methods: Experiments were carried-out both in vivo and in vitro.

Ultra-diluted impairs ovine oocyte viability and maturation after culture.

This study investigated the effect of on the oocyte meiosis resumption and viability rates, progesterone production and mitochondrial activity after maturation of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) in sheep. Sheep ovaries were collected at a local slaughterhouse and COCs were recovered by slicing technique. The selected COCs were maturated in TCM199 (Control treatment), or control medium supplemented with 0.

Incorporation of Nitroprusside on Silica Nanoparticles-A Strategy for Safer Use of This NO Donor in Therapy.

Silica-based nanoparticles have been developed as powerful platforms for drug delivery and might also prevent undesired side effects of drugs. Here, a fast method to synthesize positively charged mesoporous silica nanoparticles (ζ = 20 ± 0.5 mV, surface area = 678 m g, and 2.

Fraction of Auxemma oncocalyx and Oncocalyxone A Affects the In Vitro Survival and Development of Caprine Preantral Follicles Enclosed in Ovarian Cortical Tissue.

Background: Auxemma oncocalyx and its main component oncocalyxone A (onco A) have a high level of antioxidant and antitumor activity, but there are no studies on the action of both of these drugs regarding folliculogenesis.

Material And Methods: Caprine ovarian tissue fragments were fixed (non-cultured control) or cultured for 1 or 7 days in α-MEM+ alone (cultured control) or supplemented with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO; 20% v/v), bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP-15; 100 ng/ml), doxorubicin (DXR; 0.3 g/ml), or different concentrations of A.

Connexin 37 and 43 gene and protein expression and developmental competence of isolated ovine secondary follicles cultured in vitro after vitrification of ovarian tissue.

Cryoinjuries caused by vitrification of tissues and organs lead to the loss of membrane proteins that mediate intercellular communications, such as connexins 37 (Cx37) and 43 (Cx43). Thus, the present study aimed to evaluate ovine Cx37 and Cx43 gene and protein expressions and developmental competence by in vitro-cultured secondary follicles retrieved from vitrified ovarian tissue. Ovarian fragments for the same ovary pair were distributed into six treatments: (1) fresh ovarian tissue (FOT); (2) vitrified ovarian tissue (VOT); (3) isolated follicles from fresh ovarian tissue (FIF); (4) isolated follicles from vitrified ovarian tissue; (5) isolated follicles from fresh ovarian tissue followed by in vitro culture (CFIF); (6) isolated follicles from vitrified ovarian tissue followed by in vitro culture (CVIF).

Ovine secondary follicles vitrified out the ovarian tissue grow and develop in vitro better than those vitrified into the ovarian fragments.

Cryopreservation of preantral follicles is a promising technique to preserve female fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of vitrification on the development of secondary follicles included in ovarian tissue or isolated after microdissection. An important end point included is the capacity of grown oocytes to resume meiosis.

The base medium affects ultrastructure and survival of bovine preantral follicles cultured in vitro.

The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of minimum essential medium alpha modification (α-MEM), tissue culture medium 199 (TCM-199), and McCoy's medium (McCoy's) on IVC of preantral follicles included in the bovine ovarian cortex (in situ). Bovine ovarian fragments were cultured in α-MEM, TCM-199, or McCoy supplemented ((+)) with glutamine, insulin, transferrin, selenium, ascorbic acid, BSA, penicillin, streptomycin, and HEPES buffer in 24-well plates, at 37 °C and 5% CO2 for 1 or 7 days. The morphology of follicles, normal, primordial and development (primary and secondary), as well as viability and morphometric variables of follicles and oocytes were assessed.

Vitrified sheep isolated secondary follicles are able to grow and form antrum after a short period of in vitro culture.

The risk of reintroducing malignant cells after ovarian graft into patients following post-cancer treatment is an obstacle for clinical applications (autotransplantation). In this context, in vitro follicle culture would be an alternative to transplantation in order to minimize such risks. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare the development of secondary follicles after vitrification in isolated form (without stroma) with vitrification in in situ form (within fragments of ovarian tissue).

In vitro culture of bovine preantral follicles: a review.

Preantral follicles are the majority of the ovarian follicle population and their use as a source of homogeneous oocytes for bovine reproductive biotechnologies could result in a substantial advance in this field. However, while in other species embryos and offspring have been produced, in bovine species the results have been limited to the follicular activation of small (primordial) preantral follicles and formation of early antral follicles from large (secondary) preantral follicles after in vitro culture. Therefore, this review will highlight the basic aspects of bovine folliculogenesis by focusing on preantral follicles, the methods of harvesting preantral follicles, the main results from in vitro follicular culture during the last 20 years, and the potential candidate substances (basic supplements, growth factors, and hormones) for improving the efficiency of in vitro follicle growth.

Insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) combinations can improve the in vitro development of grown oocytes enclosed in caprine preantral follicles.

Objective: Evaluate the possible role of IGF-II alone or in association with FSH on in vitro development of isolated caprine preantral follicles.

Methods: Preantral follicles (≥150 μm) were isolated from goat ovaries and cultured for 18 days in basic αMEM medium (control) or supplemented with IGF-II alone at 20 or 50 ng/ml, named IGF20 and IGF50, respectively, or in combination with recombinant FSH (FSH, IGF20F or IGF50F). During in vitro culture, the follicles were analyzed by using morphology criteria, antrum formation and growth rate as parameters.

Restoring fertility after ovarian tissue cryopreservation: a half century of research.

Tissue transplantation and in vitro ovarian follicle culture have been investigated as alternative techniques to restore fertility in young women who are facing fertility-threatening diseases or treatments following ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Although transplants of fresh or frozen ovarian tissue have successfully yielded healthy live births in different species including humans, the risks of reintroducing cancer cells back into the patient, post treatment, have limited its clinical purpose. The in vitro ovarian follicle culture minimizes these risks and provides a way to harvest more mature oocytes, however its clinical translation has yet to be determined.

Importance of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in ovarian physiology of mammals.

Ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals is a complex process. Several compounds have been tested during in vitro culture of follicular cells for a better understanding of the mechanisms and factors related to ovarian folliculogenesis in mammals. From these compounds, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) can be highlighted, as it is strongly associated with angiogenesis and, in recent years, its presence in ovarian cells has been investigated extensively.

Steady-state level of epidermal growth factor (EGF) mRNA and effect of EGF on in vitro culture of caprine preantral follicles.

Our aim was to verify the steady-state level of epidermal growth factor (EGF) mRNA in goat follicles at various developmental stages and to investigate the influence of EGF on the survival, antrum formation and growth of secondary follicles cultured for 6 days. Primordial, primary and secondary goat follicles and small and large antral follicles were obtained to quantify EGF mRNA by real-time reverse transcription with the polymerase chain reaction. The influence of EGF and the presence or absence of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on the development of secondary follicles and on mRNA expression for EGF and FSH receptor (FSH-R) was determined after 6 days of culture.

Follicular interactions affect the in vitro development of isolated goat preantral follicles.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the number of follicles per drop (one or three) and antral follicles on in vitro development of isolated goat preantral follicles. Preantral follicles were isolated through microdissection and distributed individually (control) or in groups of three follicles (treatment) in microdroplets of α-MEM with or without 1000 ng/ml follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) for Experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Experiment 3 was divided into four treatments according to the presence of one or three preantral follicles, associated or not with antral follicles.

Canine preantral follicles cultured with various concentrations of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH).

The objective was to evaluate the effects of various concentrations of exogenous FSH during in vitro culture of isolated canine preantral follicles. Preantral secondary follicles (>200 microm) were isolated by microdissection and cultured for 18 d in supplemented alpha-Minimum Essential Medium (alpha-MEM). There were three treatment groups: 1) absence of FSH (control medium); 2) FSH100 (fixed concentration of 100 ng/mL throughout the entire culture period); and 3) sequential FSH (FSHSeq - 100, 500, and 1,000 ng/mL were added sequentially).