The influence of sperm concentration, length of the gamete co-culture and the evolution of different sperm parameters on the in vitro fertilization of prepubertal goat oocytes

Oviduct fluid during IVF moderately modulates polyspermy in in vitro-produced goat embryos during the non-breeding season

The present study determined i) the presence of proteins (oviduct-specific glycoprotein, OVGP1; heat shock protein-70A, HSPA1A; heat shock protein-A8, HSPA8; annexin A1, ANXA1; annexin A5, ANXA5; and myosin-9, MYH9) known to be involved in early reproduction in the oviduct fluid (OF) of anestrous goats; and ii) the functional effect of during IVF on polyspermy modulation and embryonic development. In vitro-matured oocytes were co-cultured with spermatozoa (1.0, 2.0, or 4.0 x 10⁶ cells/mL) for 18 h in SOF medium supplemented with 5 μg/mL of heparin, 4 μg/mL gentamicin, and 10% estrus sheep serum (CTRL1, CTRL2, and CTRL4 groups) or the same medium plus 10% OF (OF1, OF2, and OF4 groups) obtained from anestrus goats. The analysis of OF by western blotting confirmed the presence of the six proteins tested for. The increase in sperm concentration had no effect (P > 0.05) on the penetration rate in any group; however, monospermy rate decreased as sperm concentration was increased in both OF and CTRL. Regardless of the concentration used, when data were pooled, OF supplementation improved (P < 0.05) monospermy and tended (P = 0.057) to enhance IVF efficiency. Additionally, IVF efficiency was higher (P < 0.05) in OF1 than in OF4 [60 ± 13 vs 37 ± 5%). The development capacity was not affected (P > 0.05) by the sperm concentration and OF treatment, and the average values were cleavage (72 ± 2.6%), blastocyst (37 ± 3.0%), blastocyst in relation to the cleaved (51 ± 4.8%), hatched (62 ± 1.2%), and number of cells per blastocyst (174 ± 1.8%). In conclusion, the six proteins analyzed are present in the OF of anestrous goats, and the supplementation of this OF during IVF may modulate the polyspermy incidence and enhance IVF efficiency, especially when 1x10⁶ sperm per mL is used.

In vitro production of small ruminant embryos: latest improvements and further research

This review presents the latest advances in and main obstacles to the application of invitro embryo production (IVEP) systems in small ruminants. This biotechnology is an extremely important tool for genetic improvement for livestock and is essential for the establishment of other biotechnologies, such as cloning and transgenesis. At present, the IVEP market is almost non-existent for small ruminants, in contrast with the trends observed in cattle. This is probably related to the lower added value of small ruminants, lower commercial demand and fewer qualified professionals interested in this area. Moreover, there are fewer research groups working on small ruminant IVEP than those working with cattle and pigs. The heterogeneity of oocytes collected from growing follicles in live females or from ovaries collected from abattoirs remains a challenge for IVEP dissemination in goats and sheep. Of note, although the logistics of oocyte collection from live small ruminant females are more complex than in the bovine, in general the IVEP outcomes, in terms of blastocyst production, are similar. We anticipate that after appropriate training and repeatable results, the commercial demand for small ruminant invitro -produced embryos may increase.

The Effect of Supplementation with Some Essential Oils on the Mobility and the Vitality of Human Sperm

The objective of this work is to study the improvement effect of some essential oils of sage (Salvia officinalis), oregano (Origanum vulgare), and eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus) on the physiological parameters characterizing the quality of human sperm (mobility and vitality). We find natural biomolecules to improve sperm quality to increase the chances of success of very low in vitro fertilization (IVF) that stagnate around 20%. Sperm samples were mixed with different concentrations of essential oils. The effect of these essential oils on the motility and vitality of spermatozoa has been analyzed. The mobility was determined using a Computer Assisted Sperm Analysis (CASA). In the other side, the evaluation of sperm vitality was performed by staining eosin 2% and the microscopic examination is carried out via optical microscope. A drop of sperm will be mixed with a drop of eosin solution 2%, spread between the slip and coverslip, then allowed to air dry, and examined under a microscope. A significant improvement in the mobility and vitality of human spermatozoa has been noted with oregano. Eucalyptus after 10 min of exposure also significantly improves the mobility and vitality of the spermatozoa. Sage does not improve mobility for these incubation times but significantly improves vitality.

In vitro production of small ruminant embryos: late improvements and further research

Beyond the potential use of in vitro production of embryos (IVP) in breeding schemes, embryos are also required for the establishment of new biotechnologies such as cloning and transgenesis. Additionally, the knowledge of oocyte and embryo physiology acquired through IVP techniques may stimulate the further development of other techniques such as marker assisted and genomic selection of preimplantation embryos, and also benefit assisted procreation in human beings. Efficient in vitro embryo production is currently a major objective for livestock industries, including small ruminants. The heterogeneity of oocytes collected from growing follicles by laparoscopic ovum pick up or in ovaries of slaughtered females, remains an enormous challenge for IVM success, and still limits the rate of embryo development. In addition, the lower quality of the IVP embryos, compared with their in vivo-derived counterparts, translates into poor cryosurvival, which restricts the wider use of this promising technology. Therefore, many studies have been reported in an attempt to determine the most suitable conditions for IVM, IVF, and in vitro development to maximize embryo production rate and quality. This review aims to present the current panorama of IVP production in small ruminants, describing important steps for its success, reporting the recent advances and also the main obstacles identified for its improvement and dissemination.