Role of MFN2 in bovine embryonic development and the mitigation of ER stress.

This study investigated the role of mitochondrial fusion protein-2 (MFN2) in bovine embryonic development and its relationship with endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, aiming to increase the efficiency of in vitro embryo culture. Western blot analysis revealed that MFN2 expression peaked at the 2-cell stage, decreased at the 4-cell stage, and gradually increased from the 6-8-cell stage to the blastocyst stage. Inhibiting MFN2 at the zygote stage reduced blastocyst formation and proliferation, and this damage was partially reversed by the ER stress protective agent TUDCA.

Evaluating the efficacy of intra-articular polydioxanone (PDO) injections as a novel viscosupplement in osteoarthritis treatment.

Aims: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint disorder marked by cartilage breakdown, bone alterations, and inflammation, leading to significant pain and disability. Current therapeutic strategies, ranging from lifestyle interventions to pharmacological and surgical treatments, offer limited efficacy and are often accompanied by side effects. This study investigates the potential of Polydioxanone (PDO), a biocompatible synthetic polymer, as a novel intra-articular (IA) viscosupplement in OA.

Enhancing wound healing through innovative technologies: microneedle patches and iontophoresis.

Introduction: Wound healing is a complex process involving multiple stages, including inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling. Effective wound management strategies are essential for accelerating healing and improving outcomes. The CELLADEEP patch, incorporating iontophoresis therapy and microneedle technology, was evaluated for its potential to enhance the wound healing process.

Evaluation test and analysis of a microneedle and iontophoresis based medical device "CELLADEEP Patch" in skin improvement on ex vivo human-derived skin tissue models.

Background: Microneedles are tiny needles, typically ranging from tens to hundreds of micrometers in length, used in various medical procedures and treatments. The tested medical device named "CELLADEEP Patch" a dissolvable microneedle therapy system (MTS), made of hyaluronic acid and collagen. And the iontophoresis technique is also applied in the system.

Imperatorin Ameliorates the Aging-Associated Porcine Oocyte Meiotic Spindle Defects by Reducing Oxidative Stress and Protecting Mitochondrial Function.

Imperatorin (IMP) exhibits a variety of pharmacological properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, anti-cancer, and anti-hypertension activities. However, its effects on animal reproduction systems, especially oocyte development, maturation, and aging are not yet clear. In this study, the effects of IMP on oocyte development and aging as well as the underlying molecular mechanisms were explored.

Effects of human recombinant granulocyte-colony stimulating factor treatment during in vitro culture on porcine pre-implantation embryos.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), a pleiotropic cytokine, belongs to the hematopoietic growth factor family. Recent studies have reported that G-CSF is a predictive biomarker of oocyte and embryo developmental competence in humans. The aim of our study was to determine whether CSF3 and its receptor (CSF3R) were expressed in porcine maternal reproductive tissues (oviduct and uterus), cumulus cells, and embryos and to investigate the effects of human recombinant G-CSF (hrG-CSF) supplementation during in vitro culture (IVC) on the developmental competence of pre-implantation embryos.

A Maternal Transcription Factor, Junction Mediating and Regulatory Protein is Required for Preimplantation Development in the Mouse.

Junction-mediating and regulatory protein (JMY) is a regulator of both transcription and actin filament assembly. The actin-regulatory activity of JMY is based on a cluster of three actin-binding Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome protein homology 2 (WH2) domains that nucleate actin filaments directly and promote nucleation of the Arp2/3 complex. In addition to these activities, we examined the activity of JMY generation in early embryo of mice carrying mutations in the JMY gene by CRISPR/Cas9 mediated genome engineering.

Autophagy is required for proper meiosis of porcine oocytes maturing in vitro.

Autophagy is an essential cellular mechanism that degrades cytoplasmic proteins and organelles to recycle their components; however, the contribution of autophagy during meiosis has not been studied in porcine oocytes maturing in vitro. In this study, we observed that the autophagy-related gene, LC3, was expressed in porcine oocytes during maturation for 44 h in vitro. Knockdown of the autophagy-related gene, BECN1, reduced both BECN1 and LC3 protein expression levels.

Laminarin improves developmental competence of porcine early stage embryos by inhibiting oxidative stress.

Laminarin (LMA), a β-glucan mixture with good biocompatibility, improves the growth performance and immune response when used as food additives and nutraceuticals. The aim of the present research was to explore the effects of LMA on porcine early stage embryo development, as well as the underlying mechanisms. The results showed that the developmental competence of porcine early stage embryos was dramatically improved after LMA supplementation during the in vitro culture period.

C-Phycocyanin supplementation during in vitro maturation enhances pre-implantation developmental competence of parthenogenetic and cloned embryos in pigs.

C-Phycocyanin (C-PC), a protein from green microalgae, has been suggested to possess various biological activities, including antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties. The aim of the current study was to explore the effects of C-PC on the maturation of porcine oocytes and subsequent developmental competence after parthenogenetic activation and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) as well as the underlying mechanisms. There was no significant improvement in nuclear maturation rates between the control and C-PC supplementation groups (1, 3, 5, 10 μg/mL).

Melatonin enhances the developmental competence of porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer embryos by preventing DNA damage induced by oxidative stress.

Melatonin has antioxidant and scavenger effects in the cellular antioxidant system. This research investigated the protective effects and underlying mechanisms of melatonin action in porcine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. The results suggested that the developmental competence of porcine SCNT embryos was considerably enhanced after melatonin treatment.

Toxic effects of atrazine on porcine oocytes and possible mechanisms of action.

Because atrazine is a widely used herbicide, its adverse effects on the reproductive system have been extensively researched. In this study, we investigated the effects of atrazine exposure on porcine oocyte maturation and the possible mechanisms. Our results showed that the rates of oocyte maturation significantly decreased after treatment with 200 μM atrazine in vitro.

Effects of antifreeze glycoprotein 8 (AFGP8) supplementation during vitrification on the in vitro developmental capacity of expanded bovine blastocysts.

Cryopreservation is an effective method for the long-term storage of valuable germplasm in the field of reproductive research. The present study examined the developmental capacity of post-thaw bovine blastocysts during vitrification after supplementation with antifreeze glycoprotein 8 (AFGP8). Survival and re-expansion rates in culture during the 12h after thawing were significantly higher in the AFGP8-treated than untreated group.

The Role of Glucose Metabolism on Porcine Oocyte Cytoplasmic Maturation and Its Possible Mechanisms.

In the present study, we investigated the potential role of glucose and pyruvate in the cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes by investigating the effect of glucose and/or pyruvate supplementation, in the presence or absence of 10% porcine follicular fluid (PFF), on meiotic maturation and subsequent embryo development. In the absence of 10% PFF, without exogenous addition of glucose and pyruvate, the medium seemed unable to support maturation. In the presence of 10% PFF, the addition of 5.

Progesterone influences cytoplasmic maturation in porcine oocytes developing in vitro.

Progesterone (P4), an ovarian steroid hormone, is an important regulator of female reproduction. In this study, we explored the influence of progesterone on porcine oocyte nuclear maturation and cytoplasmic maturation and development in vitro. We found that the presence of P4 during oocyte maturation did not inhibit polar body extrusions but significantly increased glutathione and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels relative to that in control groups.

An Improved System for Generation of Diploid Cloned Porcine Embryos Using Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Synchronized to Metaphase.

Pigs provide outstanding models of human genetic diseases due to their striking similarities with human anatomy, physiology and genetics. Although transgenic pigs have been produced using genetically modified somatic cells and nuclear transfer (SCNT), the cloning efficiency was extremely low. Here, we report an improved method to produce diploid cloned embryos from porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs), which were synchronized to the G2/M stage using a double blocking method with aphidicolin and nocodazole.

Autophagy and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis may not be involved in the degradation of spermatozoon mitochondria in mouse and porcine early embryos.

The mitochondrial genome is maternally inherited in animals, despite the fact that paternal mitochondria enter oocytes during fertilization. Autophagy and ubiquitin-mediated degradation are responsible for the elimination of paternal mitochondria in Caenorhabditis elegans; however, the involvement of these two processes in the degradation of paternal mitochondria in mammals is not well understood. We investigated the localization patterns of light chain 3 (LC3) and ubiquitin in mouse and porcine embryos during preimplantation development.

Artificial control maturation of porcine oocyte by dibutyryl cyclicAMP.

In this study, we investigated the effects of various durations of dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) treatment on the in vitro maturation (IVM) and subsequent development of parthenogenetically activated embryos. Immature porcine oocytes were cultured with or without 1 mM dbcAMP during the first 20, 28, or 36 h of culture, and then incubated for an additional 24 h without dbcAMP. The expression of , and and the level of maturation promoting factor (MPF) in metaphase II oocytes were analyzed by real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), respectively.

The association of mitochondrial potential and copy number with pig oocyte maturation and developmental potential.

ATP is critical for oocyte maturation, fertilization, and subsequent embryo development. Both mitochondrial membrane potential and copy number expand during oocyte maturation. In order to differentiate the roles of mitochondrial metabolic activity and mtDNA copy number during oocyte maturation, we used two inhibitors, FCCP (carbonyl cyanide p-(tri-fluromethoxy)phenyl-hydrazone) and ddC (2'3-dideoxycytidine), to deplete the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δφm) and mitochondrial copy number, respectively.

Production of pigs expressing a transgene under the control of a tetracycline-inducible system.

Pigs are anatomically and physiologically closer to humans than other laboratory animals. Transgenic (TG) pigs are widely used as models of human diseases. The aim of this study was to produce pigs expressing a tetracycline (Tet)-inducible transgene.

Superovulation induces defective methylation in line-1 retrotransposon elements in blastocyst.

Background: Series of epigenetic events happen during preimplantation development. Therefore assistant reproduction techniques (ART) have the potential to disrupt epigenetic regulation during embryo development. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether defects in methylation patterns in blastocyst due to superovulation originate from abnormal expression of Dnmts.

Histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A affects porcine oocyte maturation in vitro.

Previous studies show that porcine oocyte aging resulting from asynchronised IVM impairs embryo developmental competence. In the present study we investigated whether trichostatin A (TSA; an inhibitor of histone deacetylation) prolongs the maturation time and prevents the aging of oocytes. Porcine oocytes were cultured in medium containing increasing concentrations of TSA (300 nM) for 24, 44 or 64 h.

Degradation of actin nucleators affects cortical polarity of aged mouse oocytes.

Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanism of mouse oocyte polarity loss during aging.

Design: Experimental study.

Setting: Academic basic research laboratory.