The effect of age and FSH stimulation on the ovarian follicular response, nuclear maturation, and gene expression of cumulus-oocyte complexes in prepubertal gilts.

This study investigated the effects of age and FSH treatment on the ovarian response, follicular fluid (FF) biochemical composition, nuclear maturation, and molecular profile of cumulus-oocytes complexes (COCs) recovered from prepubertal gilts. Thirty-five prepubertal gilts were separated according to age [140 (n = 20) or 160 (n = 15) days], and within each age, the gilts were allotted to receive either 100 mg of FSH [treated; G140+FSH (n = 10) and G160+FSH (n = 7)] or saline solution [control; G140+control (n = 10) and G160+control (n = 8)]. Thus, four experimental groups were included in this study.

Bovine oviductal fluid (bOF) collected in the follicular or luteal phase of the estrous cycle exerts similar effects on ram sperm kinematics and acrosome reactivity in vitro.

This study examined the effects of bovine oviductal fluid (bOF) obtained during the follicular or luteal phase of the estrous cycle on ram sperm kinematics, capacitation status and plasma membrane (PM) integrity at various time points during the 24-h incubation period. Fresh ram spermatozoa were selected using the swim-up technique and then incubated separately with either follicular phase (FbOF) or luteal phase (LbOF) bovine oviductal fluid added to Fert-TALP medium (positive control - POSControl) or in Fert-TALP medium without capacitating agents (negative control - NEGControl) at 38 °C under 5% CO. Incubation with FbOF or LbOF for 2 h and 4 h promoted an increase (P <  0.

Effect of different concentrations of l-carnitine in extender for semen cryopreservation in sheep.

This study assessed the effect of l-carnitine (LC) in sheep semen extenders containing or not egg yolk for cryopreservation in sheep. Two extenders (TRIS-egg yolk or the commercial optiXcell™ IMV medium) were used, totaling six groups: IMV - (0, 5 and 10 mM LC) and TRIS - (0, 5 and 10 mM LC). After the freezing-thawing process and throughout incubation at 38 °C for up to 3 h, several parameters were evaluated: sperm kinetics, hypoosmotic, plasma membrane integrity, capacitation status and lipid peroxidation level.