140 COMPARISON OF 3 DIFFERENT METHODS TO SELECT HIGH SPERM QUALITY FOR IVF

Sperm selection is a fundamental step for IVF, influencing treatment and the health of offspring. Over the years, several techniques have been tested to recover highly motile sperm, including centrifugation with discontinuous gradients and numerous filtration procedures. In our previous paper, we showed that it is possible, in ~20 min, to select a high quality sperm population using an electric charge in a microchannel device. This method produced the same blastocyst rates as a discontinuous gradient (DG), but in less time [25 min less; Rubessa et al. 2016 Andrology (Los Angeles) 5]. This technique takes advantage of one of the physiological characteristics of high quality sperm; that is, the head has a negative electric charge. The aim of the present experiment was to analyse the characteristics of the sperm selected with our device. We compared 2 standard sperm procedures and our device, with semen assessed using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer to evaluate the principal sperm parameters. Standard procedures were used to select sperm by DG and swim-up (SU). Thawed semen was pipetted into the microchannel of our device and then exposed to the electric charge (10 V) for 10 min [Rubessa et al. 2016 Andrology (Los Angeles) 5]. For each replicate, 3 straws of frozen bovine semen were thawed at 37°C for 40 s and pooled. The pooled sample was divided into 3 aliquots: one for each technique, 5 replicates of the experiment were performed. Data were analysed by ANOVA using the general linear model (GLM) procedure (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Bonferroni’s post hoc test was used to perform statistical multiple comparison. The α-level was set at 0.05. The results show an effect of the method all motility parameters are not significantly different, although some of the motility parameters were statistically different (P < 0.05). (P < 0.05). The beat cross frequency results were 23 ± 2.4 v. 37.7 ± 2.1 v. 19.5 ± 0.7 (µm/s) for DG, SU, and EC. The same statistical differences were found for the STR (straightness): 75 ± 3.5 v. 84.5 ± 2.0 v. 62.3 ± 2.4 (µm/s), and LIN (linearity): 39.8 ± 4.4 v. 53 ± 1.2 and 31.8 ± 1.4. These results confirmed the potential of this new device, and that it is possible to use this new method to select high motility sperm without harming sperm characteristics. These results showed that our device produced the same quality of sperm obtained with DG and SU but in as little as 20 min.

244 CHONDROGENIC PELLET CULTURES FOR CARTILAGE TISSUE ENGINEERING GROW BY DEPOSITION OF MATRIX AND NOT BY CELLULAR PROLIFERATION

Pellet cultures are commonly used to study chondrogenic differentiation in vitro. Our laboratory has demonstrated pellets made with chondrocytes grow in size during culture and produce cartilage matrix, but pellets made with adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASC) grow only slightly, producing little cartilage matrix. The objective of this study was to determine if differences in chondrocyte and ASC pellet growth result from differences in cell proliferation or in deposition of extracellular matrix. Primary chondrocytes and ASC from adult pigs were cultured in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (DMEM) with 10% fetal bovine serum. To determine baseline proliferation rates in monolayer culture, cells were grown on coverslips in 10 µM bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) for 24 h and immunostained for BrdU labelling. For pellet cultures, 5 × 105 cells were placed in 15 mL-conical tubes, pelleted by centrifugation in 1.0 mL of chondrogenic base media (CBM: DMEM + 40 µg mL–1 of proline, 50 µM ascorbic acid-2-phosphate, 100 nM dexamethasone, and 1× insulin-transferrin-selenium), and cultured in CBM for 1, and 4 weeks. To detect proliferation in pellets, 1- and 2-week cultured samples were labelled with 10 µM BrdU for 24 h before harvest. Pellets were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde, embedded, and sectioned on a Leica CM1900 cryostat (Leica Microsystems, Wetzlar, Germany). To assess chondrogenic differentiation and matrix expression, sections were stained for collagen II, keratin sulfate, and chondroitin sulfate. Images were captured and distance between adjacent nuclei in 1- and 4-week pellets were measured using Zeiss imaging software. As expected, cells on coverslips showed BrdU labelling, with higher labelling in ASC cultures indicating faster proliferation (n = 5, 77.3 ± 3.74% chondrocyte v. 92.1 ± 2.88% ASC; α = 0.05; P < 0.0001; Student’s t-test). However, BrdU labelling was not seen in sections from ASC or chondrocyte pellets (n = 5), at either 1 or 2 weeks. Absence of cellular proliferation in pellets was verified by negative staining for the mitotic marker Aurora KinaseB (AurKB). Cartilage matrix staining was strong in chondrocyte pellets at all time points and absent in ASC pellets. Cell nuclei were closely packed in both ASC and chondrocyte pellets at 1 week, but a significant increase in distance between adjacent nuclei with interspersed matrix staining was noted in chondrocyte pellets at 4 weeks (n = 4, 11.88 ± 0.67 µm at 1 week v. 26.85 ± 2.06 µm at 4 weeks; α = 0.05; P < 0.0001; Student’s t-test). As TGFβ3 has been shown to induce chondrogenesis in ASC, ASC pellets were cultured in CBM + 10 ng of TGFβ3 for 1 and 2 weeks (n = 4). The TGFβ3 treatment did not induce cell proliferation in pellets, as sections were negative for BrdU. However, expression of cartilage markers keratan sulfate and chondroitin were noted. Based on our data, neither ASC nor chondrocytes proliferate in pellet culture, and chondrocyte pellet growth is due to extracellular matrix deposition.

245 RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF BOVINE LEUKOSIS VIRUS (BLV) USING SEROPOSITIVE BULLS FOR IN VITRO FERTILIZATION EMBRYO PRODUCTION

Bovine leukosis virus (BLV) is a pathogen that affects the bovine immune system and leads to lymphosarcoma, leukemia, decreased milk production, and increased culling rates in cattle. BLV-infected cattle herds can be found worldwide; in the United States, specifically, 38% of beef herds, 84% of all dairy herds, and 100% of large-scale dairy operation herds are infected (Buehring et al. 2014 Emerg. Infect. Dis. 5, 772–782). The main transmission between cattle in herds is affected leukocytes in blood. Several farm practices, such as dehorning, rectal palpation, and vaccinating can lead to the pathogen transmission. Due to international trade laws and biosecurity concerns, semen from a BLV-positive bull is illegal to sell within certain countries. Prior studies have looked at use of seropositive bulls in AI with little risk in affecting the dam (Burger et al. 2000 AVJR 60, 819). Other studies used semen that was artificially infected with the virus then used for IVF (Bielanski et al. 2000 Vet. Rec. 146, 255–256). The aim of this research was to evaluate naturally infected BLV donor semen using abattoir-derived oocytes and the possible contamination of in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos. Semen was collected and frozen by a private company. Three seropositive bulls and 1 negative control bull were selected. All positive bulls were selected based on availability of seropositive BLV status. Prior to the experiment, all bulls used were evaluated for motility, concentration, and morphology. The negative control was used in prior IVF experiments that produced acceptable results for use in this experiment. Frozen sperm were thawed at 37°C for 40 s and pelleted by centrifugation (25 min at 300 × g) on a Percoll discontinuous gradient (45–80% in Tyrode’s modified medium without glucose and BSA). The matured oocytes were purchased from DeSoto Biosciences (Seymour, TN, USA) and were IVF according to standard procedures (Rubessa et al. 2011 Theriogenology 76, 1347–1355). Using 200 oocytes per replicate, the 3 positive bulls and 1 control bull were allocated 50 oocytes per bull in each replicate. After 20 to 22 h of gametes co-incubation, zygotes were denuded and cultured for 7 days in SOF, followed by the evaluation of embryos (from tight morula until hatching blastocyst). Positive bull #1 produced and tested 48 embryos. Positive bull #2 produced and tested 41 embryos. Positive bull #3 produced and tested 46 embryos. The negative control produced and tested 55 embryos. Embryonic DNA extraction was performed using standard procedures (Sattar et al. 2011 Reprod. Domest. Anim. 46, 1090–1097). Nested PCR followed the Fechner evaluations methods (Fechner et al. 1996 J. Vet. Med. B 43, 621–630). To detect BLV presence, electrophoresis was used with a 2% agarose gel containing 0.1% ethidium bromide. A total of 190 embryos were evaluated that were produced in 3 replicates. All samples analysed showed no evidence of BLV. In conclusion, use of BLV seropositive donor semen showed no transmission of the virus upon IVF of the oocytes.

Outcomes after heart transplantation for amyloid cardiomyopathy in the modern era

We conducted a review of patients undergoing heart transplantation (HT) at our institution for amyloid cardiomyopathy (ACM) between 2008 and 2013. Complete follow-up was available for all patients. Nineteen patients with ACM underwent HT during the study period, accounting for 9.4% of all HT performed at our institution during this period. Amyloid subtype was light chain (AL) in 9 patients and transthyretin (ATTR) in 10 (2 wild-type, 7 familial, 1 unknown). Eight of nine patients with AL amyloidosis began chemotherapy prior to HT, six have resumed chemotherapy since HT, and five have undergone autologous stem cell transplantation. Most recent free light chain levels in AL patients decreased by a median of 85% from peak values. Only one patient developed recurrent graft amyloidosis, occurring at 3.5 years post-HT and asymptomatic. After a median follow-up of 380 days, 17 (89.5%) patients are alive. To our knowledge, this is the largest single-center series reported of ACM patients undergoing HT in the modern era. Our results suggest that acceptable outcomes following HT can be achieved in the short-to-intermediate term and that this is a feasible option for end-stage ACM with careful patient selection and aggressive control of amyloidogenic light chains in AL patients.

Rasch analysis of the intermittent and constant osteoarthritis pain (ICOAP) scale

OBJECTIVES

The intermittent and constant osteoarthritis pain (ICOAP) questionnaire was developed to assess two forms of pain reported by people with osteoarthritis: intermittent and constant pain. Studies examining its measurement qualities have provided some support for its use as separate and total scales. However, it has not been previously evaluated using Rasch analysis. The current study examined the fit between data obtained from the ICOAP questionnaire and the Rasch model to determine whether it meets the requirements of interval-level measurement.

DESIGN

ICOAP responses from 175 participants with knee osteoarthritis were collected in a cross-sectional questionnaire study. Participants were recruited from hospital clinics and a group who had taken part in previous research. The questionnaires were completed at home and returned by pre-paid envelope and the data were analysed using RUMM2020.

RESULTS

Fit to the Rasch model was achieved for both the constant and intermittent subscales following removal of a small number of items. The Total scale initially resulted in substantial misfit to the model, but fit was improved by removing four items that misfit the model. However, several participants presented with high fit residuals, which is consistent with misfit.

CONCLUSIONS

The results support the use of Constant and Intermittent subscales as unidimensional measures of pain. The Total scale can be adapted to improve fit to the Rasch model, but there are concerns over participant misfit.

Large-scale meta-analysis of interleukin-1 beta and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist polymorphisms on risk of radiographic hip and knee osteoarthritis and severity of knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To clarify the role of common genetic variation in the Interleukin-1β (IL1B) and Interleukin-1R antagonist (IL1RN) genes on risk of knee and hip osteoarthritis (OA) and severity of knee OA by means of large-scale meta-analyses.

METHODS

We searched PubMed for articles assessing the role of IL1B and IL1RN polymorphisms/haplotypes on the risk of hip and/or knee OA. Novel data were included from eight unpublished studies. Meta-analyses were performed using fixed- and random-effects models with a total of 3595 hip OA and 5013 knee OA cases, and 6559 and 9132 controls respectively. The role of ILRN haplotypes on radiographic severity of knee OA was tested in 1918 cases with Kellgren-Lawrence (K/L) 1 or 2 compared to 199 cases with K/L 3 or 4.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis of six published studies retrieved from the literature search and eight unpublished studies showed no evidence of association between common genetic variation in the IL1B or IL1RN genes and risk of hip OA or knee OA (P>0.05 for rs16944, rs1143634, rs419598 and haplotype C-G-C (rs1143634, rs16944 and rs419598) previously implicated in risk of hip OA). The C-T-A haplotype formed by rs419598, rs315952 and rs9005, previously implicated in radiographic severity of knee OA, was associated with reduced severity of knee OA (odds ratio (OR)=0.71 95%CI 0.56-0.91; P=0.006, I(2)=74%), and achieved borderline statistical significance in a random-effects model (OR=0.61 95%CI 0.35-1.06 P=0.08).

CONCLUSION

Common genetic variation in the Interleukin-1 region is not associated with prevalence of hip or knee OA but our data suggest that IL1RN might have a role in severity of knee OA.

35 EFFECTIVENESS OF MICROWELL-BASED IN VITRO CULTURE SYSTEMS FOR BOVINEZONA-FREE CLONED EMBRYOS

In vitro embryo production by handmade cloning (HMC) usually requires individual embryo culture, because zona-free embryos cannot be grouped in standard in vitro culture (IVC) protocols. The aim of this study was to evaluate the developmental potential of bovine embryos produced by HMC (Ribeiro et al. 2009 Cloning Stem Cells 11, 377–386) after in vitro culture (IVC) in 3 microwell (WOW) systems. After in vitro maturation, oocytes were denuded and incubated in demecolcine (Ibáñez et al. 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68, 1249–1258), followed by zona pellucida removal, oocyte bisection, embryo reconstruction, electrofusion, and chemical activation. Cloned embryos were allocated to 1 of 3 IVC groups: cWOW: conventional microwells (250 μm, round; Vajta et al. 2000 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55, 256–264); mWOW: modified microwells (130 μm, conical; Feltrin et al. 2006 Reprod. Fert. Dev. 18, 126); and WOW-PDMS: microwells in polydimethylsiloxane chips (170 μm, cylindrical with microchannels); IVF embryos were used as controls (Bertolini et al. 2004 Reproduction 128, 341–354). Cleavage (Day 2), blastocyst (Day 7), and pregnancy (Day 30) rates were analysed by the chi-square test, for P < 0.05. Results are shown in Table 1. Cleavage rates were similar between groups, but development to the blastocyst stage was higher in IVF controls than cloned embryo groups. Among cloned embryo groups, blastocyst rate was higher in the mWOW group than the conventional and the PMDS-based microchannels. Nevertheless, in vivo development to Day 30 of pregnancy was not different between cloned groups. Our results for in vitro embryo development indicated that the mWOW provided more suitable conditions for embryo development to the blastocyst stage when compared with cWOW or even WOW-PDMS. Among some possible reasons include the physical advantage of a smaller microwell that may better mimic the constraining effect of the zona pellucida on the developing embryo. That may also provide greater blastomere stability, favouring the aggregation state during the first rounds of cleavages, also aiding compaction and subsequent cavitation. The narrower microwell system appeared to have promoted better in vitro development than the conventional and the DMPS-based microwell systems, with no impact on subsequent in vivo development. However, the IVC in the WOW-PDMS system supported reasonable rates of development, in accordance with the current literature. Table 1.In vitro development of bovine IVF and cloned embryos produced after the in vitro culture in distinct IVC systems

Insights into the genetic architecture of osteoarthritis from stage 1 of the arcOGEN study

Objectives

The genetic aetiology of osteoarthritis has not yet been elucidated. To enable a well-powered genome-wide association study (GWAS) for osteoarthritis, the authors have formed the arcOGEN Consortium, a UK-wide collaborative effort aiming to scan genome-wide over 7500 osteoarthritis cases in a two-stage genome-wide association scan. Here the authors report the findings of the stage 1 interim analysis.

Methods

The authors have performed a genome-wide association scan for knee and hip osteoarthritis in 3177 cases and 4894 population-based controls from the UK. Replication of promising signals was carried out in silico in five further scans (44 449 individuals), and de novo in 14 534 independent samples, all of European descent.

Results

None of the association signals the authors identified reach genome-wide levels of statistical significance, therefore stressing the need for corroboration in sample sets of a larger size. Application of analytical approaches to examine the allelic architecture of disease to the stage 1 genome-wide association scan data suggests that osteoarthritis is a highly polygenic disease with multiple risk variants conferring small effects.

Conclusions

Identifying loci conferring susceptibility to osteoarthritis will require large-scale sample sizes and well-defined phenotypes to minimise heterogeneity.

Precision genetics for complex objectives in animal agriculture

Indirect modification of animal genomes by interspecific hybridization, cross-breeding, and selection has produced an enormous spectrum of phenotypic diversity over more than 10,000 yr of animal domestication. Using these established technologies, the farming community has successfully increased the yield and efficiency of production in most agricultural species while utilizing land resources that are often unsuitable for other agricultural purposes. Moving forward, animal well-being and agricultural sustainability are moral and economic priorities of consumers and producers alike. Therefore, these considerations will be included in any strategy designed to meet the challenges produced by global climate change and an expanding world population. Improvements in the efficiency and precision of genetic technologies will enable a timely response to meet the multifaceted food requirements of a rapidly increasing world population.

The influence of premenopausal hormones on severity of climacteric symptoms and use of HRT

OBJECTIVES

There is wide variation in the severity of climacteric symptoms and we hypothesized that this could be a reflection of premenopausal hormone levels.

METHODS

As part of a long-term cohort study of endocrine risk factors for breast cancer, blood had been collected between 1986 and 1990 from 1882 premenopausal women aged >or=35 years. Questionnaires on menopausal symptom severity were sent to 1,843 surviving women in 2001, of whom 1,434 replied. Estradiol, progesterone and testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay in 680 women who reported a natural menopause and completed the symptom severity section in full.

RESULTS

Symptom severity fell with rising premenopausal estradiol levels and women with higher premenopausal testosterone levels had more severe vasomotor symptoms. Over 70% of women with above-median severity of symptoms had used hormone replacement therapy (HRT). Those with higher testosterone levels were less likely to take HRT.

CONCLUSIONS

Premenopausal hormone levels may predict risk of severe menopausal symptoms, which in turn influences use of HRT. Paradoxically, a high testosterone level was associated with more vasomotor symptoms but reduced use of HRT. Those at greatest risk of climacteric symptoms may be at lower risk of breast cancer because of premenopausal reduced estrogen exposure.