When dads become pregnant, would they do a better job?

The thrifty phenotype hypothesis states that reduced foetal growth is strongly associated with the occurrence of a number of chronic non-communicable diseases such as coronary heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and hypertension in later life and during adulthood. This increased susceptibility results from adaptations made by the foetus in an environment limited in its supply of nutrients. Since its conception, the thrifty phenotype hypothesis has always been tested exclusively in one of the genders, i.e. females. The evidence provided to prove the validity of this hypothesis has always been limited in experiments following mothers. Furthermore, the majority of anecdotal evidence as well as epidemiological studies conducted have hardly been able to differentiate between the effect of factors such as nutrition, stress, climate changes, etc. on the environment in the womb during the periconception period and its effect on the embryo or the final maturational stages of female gamete either in ovary or in the womb. In this presentation, we discuss the tremendous potential provided by studying pregnancy in seahorses to test the effect of factors such as good and low-quality nutrition during the periconception period in pregnant males and its consequences on the health and quality of offspring produced

Evaluation of Beclin1 Effect on Apoptosis in Mouse Infected with Street Rabies Virus

Background: Apoptosis is a programmed cell death in which certain cellular components are packed into small membrane vacuoles by immune cells. Different strains of rabies virus (RABV) have their own biological features, but their effects on apoptosis have been little known. The aim of current research was to evaluate Beclin 1 effect on apoptosis in the mouse infected with the street rabies virus. Materials and Methods: Exogenous Beclin1 overexpressed by the pIRES2-EGFP-Beclin1 vector in the cortex of NMRI mice. To evaluate the apoptosis, TUNEL assay was done on brain tissues of the rabid mice. Results: TUNEL assay data showed that small apoptotic cells were seen in the four groups that received the vector alone or with the SRABV, but no significant changes were observed. There are no signs of apoptosis in mouse normal brain cells. Conclusion: It was previously proven that overexpression of exogenous Beclin1 could induce autophagy but this study showed that overexpression of Beclin 1 does not cause apoptosis in rabies-infected cells

Paternal effects in a wild-type zebrafish implicate a role of sperm-derived small RNAs

While the importance of maternal effects has long been appreciated, a growing body of evidence now points to the paternal environment having an important influence on offspring phenotype. Indeed, research on rodent models suggests that paternal stress leaves an imprint on the behaviour and physiology of offspring via nonge netic information carried in the spermatozoa; however, fish have been understudied with regard to these sperm-mediated effects. Here, we investigated whether the ze brafish was subjected to heritable influences of paternal stress by exposing males to stressors (conspecific-derived alarm cue, chasing and bright light) before mating and assessing the behavioural and endocrine responses of their offspring, including their behavioural response to conspecific-derived alarm cue. We found that after males are exposed to stress, their larval offspring show weakened responses to stressors. Small RNA sequencing subsequently revealed that the levels of several small noncoding RNAs, including microRNAs, PIWI-interacting RNAs and tRNA-derived small RNAs, were altered in the spermatozoa of stressed fathers, suggesting that stress-induced alterations to the spermatozoal RNA landscape may contribute to shaping offspring phenotype. The work demonstrates that paternal stress should not be overlooked as a source of phenotypic variation and that spermatozoal small RNAs may be important intergenerational messengers in fish

Cross talk during the periconception period

The cross talk between gametes, embryos, and female reproductive tract plays a crucial role in fine tuning of different reproductive events as well as influencing the epigenetic profile of offspring and their health in adulthood. Here, we describe some background to the recent investigations leading to the discovery of this cross talk. We will also point to important requirements for understanding the maternal communication with gametes and embryos. Finally, we mention two probable hypotheses regarding how gametes and embryos are recognized by the female reproductive tract. It is clear that understanding this cross talk is leading to the production of new means for increasing fertility and potentials for affecting the epigenomic profile of an individual

MRI Findings of Primary CNS Lymphoma in 20 Patients of Stereotaxic Ward

PURPOSE: To record the MRI features of primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) and compare these properties in monofocal and multifocal disease.METHODS: Eleven cases of monofocal disease were compared to 9 cases of multifocal disease. All patients were examined by non-enhanced and contrast-enhanced MRI. Tumor location, signal intensity, enhancement characteristics, age distribution, peritumoral edema, cystic changes, and the presence of calcifications were assessed. The MRI features were compared between the monofocal and multifocal patients.RESULTS: There were 20 cases including both the monofocal and multifocal cases. Contrast-enhanced images showed variable enhancement patterns: homogeneous enhancement (14 patients), and hetrogenous enhancement (6 patients). One case of hemorrhage and two cases of cystic formation were observed. Intra-tumoral calcification was not detected. The frontal lobe, the corpus callosum and the basal ganglia were commonly involved in both the monofocal and multifocal lesion.CONCLUSION: Our data showed that PCNSL has a variable enhancement and edema pattern on MRI. Monofocal PCNSL cases typically have larger size tumors with mild or marked enhancement

The Comparative Efficacy of Kalami and Rhetorical Exegesis in Understanding Aliment

Consciously or unconsciously, Shi’ite, Mo’tazila, and ‘Ashari commentators have consistently been affected by their own Kalami presumption during the exegetic history of the Noble Quran.  One of the issues in this regard is the possibility or impossibility of Haram aliment. In order to investigate this exegetic subject, first historical origins on how it entered the Quranic exegesis should be illuminated through historical study. Then, we should achieve a new and valid understanding of this term using linguistic devices such as etymology and semantics. The study of the history of Islam indicates that unlawful withholding of Muslims’ property especially public aliment by Othman ibn Affan is one of the most important causes which led to his killing. In the 2nd century A.H., this issue turned to a serious Kalami argument between Shi’ite and ‘Ash’ari denominations. In that historical period, it has been attempted to justify the unlawful withholding of Muslim’s property by the third Caliph using justification such as justice of Sahabe (companions), determinism, and references to the Quran. The etymological and semantic study of the term “aliment” shows that none of the exegetic and terminological books have surveyed the origin of this term because they were affected by the above mentioned serious argument. The etymology of “aliment” reveals that benevolence and mercy are key concepts in this term. The semantic investigation of “aliment” shows that this term in the Noble Quran means giving gift and it cannot be applied for Haram property. Using this method, represents new and valid evidence from the Noble Quran rejecting the possibility of Haram aliment

Effect of 3D and 2D cell culture systems on trophoblast extracellular vesicle physico-chemical characteristics and potency

The growing understanding of the role of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in embryo-maternal communication has sparked considerable interest in their therapeutic potential within assisted reproductive technology, particularly in enhancing implantation success. However, the major obstacle remains the large-scale production of EVs, and there is still a gap in understanding how different culture systems affect the characteristics of the EVs. In the current study, trophoblast analogue human chorionic carcinoma cell line was cultivated in both conventional monolayer culture (2D) and as spheroids in suspension culture (3D) and how the cell growth environment affects the physical, biochemical and cellular signalling properties of EVs produced by them was studied. Interestingly, the 3D system was more active in secreting EVs compared to the 2D system, while no significant differences were observed in terms of morphology, size, and classical EV protein marker expression between EVs derived from the two culture systems. There were substantial differences in the proteomic cargo profile and cellular signalling potency of EVs derived from the two culture systems. Notably, 2D EVs were more potent in inducing a cellular response in endometrial epithelial cells (EECs) compared to 3D EVs. Therefore, it is essential to recognize that the biological activity of EVs depends not only on the cell of origin but also on the cellular microenvironment of the parent cell. In conclusion, caution is warranted when selecting an EV production platform, especially for assessing the functional and therapeutic potential of EVs through in vitro studies

The Effect of Pasteurized Milk Extracellular vesicles on Bacterial Growth : [poster]

Milk-derived extracellular vesicles (mEVs) have gained attention for their potential biological activities, including antibacterial properties and they can carry bioactive molecules. The mEVs can survive high temperatures and digestion processes while retaining their biological activity. Studies of mammalian EVs are increasingly attracting the interest of researchers; however, there are only a few studies of mEVs’ antimicrobial effect.Poster of the Conference COMBIVET & OH-BOOST 2023, Tartu, Estonia, 8-9 th of September, 2023.This research was partially supported by the Estonian Research Council grant PRG 1441.This research was partially supported by the Estonian Research Council grant PRG 1441

Assessing the effects of bovine embryo-derived extracellular vesicles on the development of individually cultured bovine embryos

In vitro embryo production requires an enriched microenvironment with various vital cell-secreted factors. In vitro cultured single bovine embryos have demonstrated lower blastocyst rate compared to grouped cultured embryos. We assumed that extracellular vesicles (EVs) within an embryo culture system may affect normal in vitro development. This study aimed to assess the supplementation effects of bovine embryo-derived EVs on the development of individually cultured bovine embryos. Bovine oocytes were in vitro maturated (IVM) for 24 h and then in vitro fertilized (IVF). In preliminary experiments, we established that group cultured embryos in EV depleted Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) media successfully completed their development; while single cultured embryos were only able to reach the morula stage and then degenerated. Hence, we tested EVs supplementation effects in droplets of EV depleted BSA media covered by mineral oil. EVs used for supplementation were produced from single embryos cultured for 8 days in droplets of BSA culture media under mineral oil. Conditioned medium was collected on day 5. EVs were purified, using Izon columns, from embryos which reached the blastocyst stage and embryos which cleaved on day 2 then degenerated. Non-EV supplemented single embryos cultured in BSA media were considered as control. Purified EVs were characterized by nanoparticle tracking analysis and transmission electron microscope (TEM). A total of 8.8 ×106 particles/ml, which we assumed to be the approximate amount of EVs that a single embryo may release during in vitro culture, was supplemented to each droplet on day 4 post-fertilization. Cleavage rates were 70 and 80% for the supplemented groups and 86% for the control. Morula rates were 40%, 47%, and 47% respectively. No blastocyst was observed within the supplemented groups while the control group counted 33% of blastocysts. Our study suggests that BSA EVs support single cultured embryos to complete their development and that a single embryo needs a significant amount of EVs to reach the blastocyst stage. More researches are needed to understand the role of culture media EVs in supporting single embryo development