1
|
Schmaltz L, Prudhomme T, Tsikis G, Reynaud K, Mérour I, Mermillod P, Saint-Dizier M. Sperm binding to oviduct epithelial spheroids varies among males and ejaculates but not among females in pigs. Theriogenology 2024; 219:116-125. [PMID: 38428333 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.02.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
The elimination of ejaculates and males with low fertility despite good sperm motility and morphology is crucial to maintain high pregnancy rates after artificial insemination (AI) in farm animals. The ability of sperm to survive in the female tract is particularly crucial in pigs due to the large variation in the timing between AI and ovulation and the high number of oocytes to fertilise. The objective of this study was to characterise a new in vitro model of oviduct sperm reservoir using porcine oviduct epithelial spheroids (OES) and to assess the variability in sperm binding to OES among gilts, boars and their ejaculates. Isthmic mucosa fragments were collected from gilt oviducts at a slaughterhouse, and after 48 h of culture, the OES that had spontaneously formed were sorted according to their vesicle shape and size (150-200 μm in diameter) for characterisation and sperm binding assays. The OES contained viable, cytokeratin-positive and vimentin-negative cells, of which 36.4 ± 2.0% were multiciliated. The average proportion of multiciliated cells per OES did not change among culture replicates. After co-incubation with boar fresh semen, only sperm of normal morphology were found to bind, by their head, to cilia of OES. The density of sperm bound to the OES surface increased linearly with sperm concentration. The bound sperm density on OES was used to assess the binding capacity of fresh ejaculates collected from Pietrain boars. For a given ejaculate, the bound sperm density did not vary among pools of OES female donors. The analysis of five successive ejaculates from nine boars indicated significant differences in bound sperm densities on the OES among individual boars and their ejaculates (P < 0.01). There was no correlation between the sperm bound density and sperm parameters measured by computer-assisted sperm analysis or the initial dilution of the ejaculate. In conclusion, the OES characterised in this study offered physiological conditions to study sperm binding to the isthmic reservoir and evidenced that sperm from different ejaculates and different boars vary in their ability to bind to these oviduct spheroids despite homogeneous motility and morphology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Théo Prudhomme
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Guillaume Tsikis
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Karine Reynaud
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France
| | | | - Pascal Mermillod
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Marie Saint-Dizier
- INRAE, CNRS, Université de Tours, PRC, F-37380, Nouzilly, France; Faculty of Sciences and Technologies, Tours University, F-37200, Tours, France.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Antonouli S, Palmerini MG, Bianchi S, Rossi G, Cecconi S, Belli M, Bernardi S, Khalili MA, Familiari G, Nottola SA, Macchiarelli G. Repeated hyperstimulation affects the ultrastructure of mouse fallopian tube epithelium. J Reprod Dev 2020; 66:387-397. [PMID: 32350229 PMCID: PMC7470905 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2019-147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) is routinary used in assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to increase the yields of mature oocytes. The possibility that patients
with a history of failures or poor-responders may develop side-effects following these treatments is still debated. Epidemiological studies reported controversial results about
pregnancy outcome and the risk of developing gynecological cancers. By using a mouse model, here we compared the ultrastructural features of fallopian tubes (FTs) obtained from
mice undergoing or not (control, CTR) four (4R) and eight (8R) rounds of gonadotropin stimulation. Although the morphological characteristics of oviductal layers seemed unaffected
by repeated treatments, dose-response ultrastructural alterations in the ampulla appeared in the 4R group and even more in the 8R group. The targets were oviductal ciliated (CCs)
and non-ciliated (NCCs) cells, which showed damaged mitochondria and glycogen accumulations in the cytoplasm. The drastic reduction of CCs, evident after 4R, was supported by the
absence of cilia. After 8R, glycogen granules were significantly reduced and massive degeneration of mitochondria, which appeared swollen and/or vacuolated, occurred in NCCs.
Moreover, disintegrated mitochondria were found at the periphery of mitophagic vacuoles with evident signs of cristolysis. The morphometric analysis evidenced a significant
increase in the density and frequency of damaged mitochondria after 4R and 8R. The absence of cilia, necessary to sustain oviductal transport of oocytes, spermatozoa and embryos,
may originate from either mitochondrial dysfunction or glycogen consumption. These results suggest that repeated COH treatments could induce alterations impairing fertilization and
embryo transport toward the uterus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sevastiani Antonouli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Palmerini
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Serena Bianchi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Gianna Rossi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sandra Cecconi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Manuel Belli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Sara Bernardi
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Mohammad Ali Khalili
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Yazd Institute for Reproductive Sciences, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran
| | - Giuseppe Familiari
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedics, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Stefania Annarita Nottola
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopaedics, University of Rome La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
| | - Guido Macchiarelli
- Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Kölle S, Hughes B, Steele H. Early embryo-maternal communication in the oviduct: A review. Mol Reprod Dev 2020; 87:650-662. [PMID: 32506761 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2020] [Revised: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
An intact embryo-maternal communication is critical for the establishment of a successful pregnancy. To date, a huge number of studies have been performed describing the complex process of embryo-maternal signaling within the uterus. However, recent studies indicate that the early embryo communicates with the oviductal cells shortly after fertilizationand that this is important for the successful establishment of pregnancy. Only if the early embryo is capable to signal the mother within a precise timeframe and to garner a response, will the embryo be able to survive and reach the uterus. This review will give an overview of all the experimental designs which have investigated embryo-maternal interaction in the oviduct. In addition to that, it will provide a comprehensive analysis of the findings to date elucidating the morphological and molecular changes in the oviduct which are induced by the presence of the early embryo highlighting how the tubal responses affect embryo development and survival.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Kölle
- Health Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Barbara Hughes
- Health Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Heather Steele
- Health Sciences Centre, School of Medicine, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Epithelium morphogenesis and oviduct development are regulated by significant increase of expression of genes after long-term in vitro primary culture – a microarray assays. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019. [DOI: 10.2478/acb-2018-0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The correct oviductal development and morphogenesis of its epithelium are crucial factors influencing female fertility. Oviduct is involved in maintaining an optimal environment for gametes and preimplantation embryo development; secretory oviductal epithelial cells (OECs) synthesize components of oviductal fluid. Oviductal epithelium also participates in sperm binding and its hyperactivation. For better understanding of the genetic bases that underlay porcine oviductal development, OECs were isolated from porcine oviducts and established long-term primary culture. A microarray approach was utilized to determine the differentially expressed genes during specific time periods. Cells were harvested on day 7, 15 and 30 of in vitro primary culture and their RNA was isolated. Gene expression was analyzed and statistical analysis was performed. 48 differentially expressed genes belonging to “tube morphogenesis”, “tube development”, “morphogenesis of an epithelium”, “morphogenesis of branching structure” and “morphogenesis of branching epithelium” GO BP terms were selected, of which 10 most upregulated include BMP4, ARG1, SLIT2, FGFR1, DAB2, TNC, EPAS1, HHEX, ITGB3 and LOX. The results help to shed light on the porcine oviductal development and its epithelial morphogenesis, and show that after long-term culture the OECs still proliferate and maintain their tube forming properties.
Collapse
|