OVAM: Online Veterinary Anatomy Museum: A summary of the project to date and future models for sustainability and maintenance

[ES] A día de hoy OVAM (www.onlineveterinaryanatomy.net) es el proyecto interfacultativo más grande de anatomía veterinaria. El museo es repositorio online de acceso libre para el uso de materiales de anatomía veterinaria de alta calidad y valor pedagógico de múltiples grupos de trabajo, disponible al publico, estudiantes, investigadores, docentes y profesionales veterinarios.Para asegurar una máxima difusión se están diseñando nuevas formas de desarrollo y su integración en el currículo. Además, recientemente se ha introducido un proceso de evaluación por pares, lo que asegura una mayor calidad del contenido. En este artículo se describen las novedades del proyecto y las estrategias de desarrollo hasta la fecha. Asegurar la financiación es un gran reto, en parte porque los usuarios no esperan tener que pagar por el contenido ya que existen recursos  gratis  en  internet.  Posibles fuentes de financiación incluirían acuerdos de subscripción o licencias, asociaciones con grupos relevantes, m[EN] OVAM (www.onlineveterinaryanatomy.net) is the largest collaborative project in the veterinary anatomy field to date. The museum is a freely accessible online repository for high quality and pedagogically reliable veterinary anatomy assets from multiple  contributors  available  to  the public, students, researchers, academics and veterinary professionals. Ways of further  expanding  and  developing  the museum and its integration into teaching must  be  sought  to  ensure  maximum benefit from this unique, engaging and dynamic  collaborative  collection.  In addition the collaboration has successfully introduced a peer review process to ensure the relevance and quality of content. This article will describe some of the most recent developments and approaches that have been trialled to date. Securing funding for OVAM is challenging partly because users do not expect to pay for content and there are also alternative free resources available on the web. However, a number of possible sourcGaitskell-Phillips, G.; Short, N.; López-Albors, O.; Latorre, R. (2015). OVAM: Museo de Anatomía Veterinaria Virtual: Resumen de lo hecho hasta ahora y futuros modelos para sostenibilidad y mantenimiento. REDU. Revista de Docencia Universitaria. 13(3):123-130. https://doi.org/10.4995/redu.2015.5471OJS12313013

Dataset of the sperm proteome of stallions with different motility

This paper provides a detailed set of data on how the stal-lion sperm proteome differs among stallions with different sperm motilities, although within normal ranges. Findings distinguish proteins that may help to identify stallions of su-perior sperm motility. Sperm proteins were analyzed using a UHPLC/MS/MS system comprising of an Agilent 1290 in-finity series UHPLC coupled to an Agilent 6550 Q-TOF mass spectrometer (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). These data can be used to disclose potential targets to iden-tify good sperm samples and to study specific pathways in-volved in the regulation of sperm motility. This data article is linked to the paper "Proteins involved in mitochondrial metabolic functions and fertilization predominate in stallions with better motility Journal of Proteomics 247:104335 doi: 10.1016/j.jprot.2021.104335".(c) 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc.This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/

Pulse Doppler ultrasound as a tool for the diagnosis of chronic testicular dysfunction in stallions

[EN] Testicular function is particularly susceptible to vascular insult, resulting in a negative impact on sperm production and quality of the ejaculate. A prompt diagnosis of testicular dysfunction enables implementation of appropriate treatment, hence improving fertility forecasts for stallions. The present research aims to: (1) assess if Doppler ultrasonography is a good tool to diagnose stallions with testicular dysfunction; (2) to study the relationship between Doppler parameters of the testicular artery and those of sperm quality assessed by flow cytometry and (3) to establish cut off values to differentiate fertile stallions from those with pathologies causing testicular dysfunction. A total of 10 stallions (n: 7 healthy stallions and n: 3 sub-fertile stallions) were used in this study. Two ejaculates per stallion were collected and preserved at 5ÊC in a commercial extender. The semen was evaluated at T0, T24 and T48h by flow cytometry. Integrity and viability of sperm (YoPro®-1/EthD-1), mitochondrial activity (MitoTracker® Deep Red FM) and the DNA fragmentation index (Sperm Chromatin Structure Assay) were assessed. Doppler parameters were measured at three different locations on the testicular artery (Supratesticular artery (SA); Capsular artery (CA) and Intratesticular artery (IA)). The Doppler parameters calculated were: Resistive Index (RI), Pulsatility Index (PI), Peak Systolic Velocity (PSV), End Diastolic Velocity (EDV), Time Average Maximum Velocity (TAMV), Total Arterial Blood Flow (TABF) and TABF rate. The capsular artery was the most reliable location to carry out spectral Doppler assessment, since blood flow parameters of this artery were most closely correlated with sperm quality parameters. Significant differences in all the Doppler parameters studied were observed between fertile and subfertile stallions (p0.05). The principal components analysis assay determined that fertile stallions are characterized by high EDV, TAMV, TABF and TABF rate values (high vascular perfusion). In contrast, subfertile stallions tend to present high values of PI and RI (high vascular resistance). The ROC curves revealed that the best Doppler parameters to predict sperm quality in stallions were: Doppler velocities (PSV, EDV and TAMV), the diameter of the capsular artery and TABF parameters (tissue perfusion parameters). Cut off values were established using a YoudenÂs Index to identify fertile stallions from stallions with testicular dysfunction. Spectral Doppler ultrasound is a good predictive tool for sperm quality since correlations were determined among Doppler parameters and markers of sperm quality. Doppler ultrasonography could be a valuable diagnostic tool for use by clinical practitioners for the diagnosis of stallions with testicular dysfunction and could be a viable alternative to invasive procedures traditionally used for diagnosis of sub-fertility disorders.SIC.O.F. is supported by a postdoctoral grant from “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad “. "Juan de la Cierva” IJCI-2014-21671. The authors received financial support from: the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad-FEDER, Madrid, Spain,grant AGL2013-43211-R;Junta de Extremadura-FEDER (GR 10010 and PCE1002). P.M.M. is supported by a predoctoral grant from the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Madrid Spain FPU13/03991

Proteomics for the identification of biomarkers of seminal quality in horses

Tesis por compendio de publicacionesPrograma de Doctorado en Biomarcadores de Salud y Estados PatológicosEl sector equino tiene una gran importancia económica. En los últimos años ha habido avances en el conocimiento del esperma y las biotecnologías reproductivas. A este respecto, los equinos difieren de otras especies de producción, ya que su selección no se ha centrado en la fertilidad. A pesar de los recientes avances en el campo de la reproducción equina existe una falta de comprensión básica sobre las causas de la infertilidad. Hasta la fecha, la conservación del semen en el semental se realiza principalmente a través de la refrigeración y la congelación; ambas estrategias que ralentizan el metabolismo espermático. Esto permite la extensión de la vida útil de los espermatozoides. La estructura del espermatozoide y el hecho de que es una célula traduccional y transcripcionalmente silenciosa la convierten en el sujeto ideal para el estudio mediante proteómica. La proteómica ha proporcionado nueva información para aumentar nuestra comprensión de estas células. Como resultado, es probable que en el futuro cercano se produzcan modificaciones de los protocolos actuales utilizados para la conservación y manipulación de espermatozoides in vitro, asegurando la regulación de la homeostasis espermática y la modulación de la producción excesiva de especies reactivas de oxígeno, mejorando la fertilidad. La proteómica contribuye a la identificación de biomarcadores, que pueden reducir costes y personalizar las formulaciones de medios para la conservación del semen, las temperaturas para el almacenamiento a corto plazo y otros aspectos de los protocolos de tecnología reproductiva.The equine breeding industry is of high economic value and in recent years there have been substantial advances in knowledge of sperm biology and biotechnologies. Equines are somewhat different to other production species as human selection has not focused on fertility, leading to wide variability in fertility of stallions. Despite recent advances in the field of equine reproduction and molecular mechanisms affecting sperm, there is a lack of basic understanding as to the causes of infertility. To date semen conservation in the stallion is principally through refrigeration and freezing; both slowing spermatic metabolism, enabling extension of sperm lifespan in vitro. To fully understand the mechanisms behind individual variability and response to these technologies, a deeper understanding of sperm biology and metabolism is necessary. The structure of the spermatozoa and the fact that it is a translationally and transcriptionally silent cell makes it the ideal subject for study using proteomics. To date proteomics has been responsible for new information to augment understanding of these highly specialised cells. As a result, it is likely that the near future will see modifications of current protocols used for sperm conservation resulting in more successful fertility outcomes. Biomarkers which can be used to predict the behaviour of spermatozoa in the face of certain reproductive technologies have been identified and will lead to a reduction in costs and customisation of extender formulations for semen conservation, temperatures for short-term storage and other aspects of reproductive technology protocols

Final report

This projects focused on clustering together learning resources on veterinary studies

Rohypnol- Molecule of the Month June 2004 [Archived version]

This is the Molecule of the Month entry for June 2004 about rohypnol. It is a pdf archive version of the HTML webpage

Rohypnol- Molecule of the Month June 2004 [Archived version]

This is the Molecule of the Month entry for June 2004 about rohypnol. It is a pdf archive version of the HTML webpage

Clonality and Persistence of Multiresistant Methicillin-Resistant Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolated from the Staff of a University Veterinary Hospital

The aim of this study was to characterize methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (MRCoNS) isolates from the healthy staff of a university veterinary hospital in order to assess their importance as a reservoir of antimicrobial resistance and to determine their population structure and evolution. The study duration was over two years (2020–2021), 94 individuals were analyzed in duplicate, and 78 strains were obtained. The overall prevalence of methicillin-resistant strains detected throughout the study was 61.7%, with point prevalence values of 53.2% in 2020 and 31.5% in 2021. A total of 19.1% of the individuals analyzed were carriers throughout the study. The most frequently identified MRCoNs were Staphylococcus epidermidis (92.3%) and S. warneri (3.8%). A total of 75.6% of the isolates obtained showed the development of multi-resistance, preferentially against erythromycin, gentamicin, and tetracycline, and to a lesser extent against fusidic acid, norfloxacin, and clindamycin; these antimicrobials are frequently used in the veterinary field. Although most of the S. epidermidis isolates obtained showed wide genetic variability and low dispersion, which are characteristic of community-associated isolates, a small number of strains spread between individuals in close physical proximity and were maintained over time, forming stable clones. These clones generally maintained the same type of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) and had a similar antimicrobial resistance pattern

An integrated overview on the regulation of sperm metabolism (glycolysis-Krebs cycle-oxidative phosphorylation)

An overview of the sperm metabolism is presented; using the stallion as a model we review glycolysis, Krebs Cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, paying special attention to the interactions among them. In addition, metabolism implies a series of coordinated oxidation-reduction reactions and in the course of these reactions reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive oxoal-dehydes are produced ; the electron transport chain (ETC) in the mitochondria is the main source of the anion superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, while glycolysis produces 2-oxoaldehydes such as methylglyoxal as byproducts; due to the adjacent carbonyl groups are strong electrophiles (steal electrons oxidizing other compounds). Sophisticated mechanisms exist to maintain redox homeostasis, because ROS under controlled production also have important regulatory functions in the spermatozoa. The interactions between metabolism and production of reactive oxygen species are essential for proper sperm function, and deregulation of these processes rapidly leads to sperm malfunction and finally death. Lastly, we briefly describe two techniques that will expand our knowledge on sperm metabolism in the coming decades, metabolic flow cytometry and the use of the “omics” technologies, proteomics and metabolomics, specifically the micro and nano proteomics/metabolomics. A better understanding of the metabolism of the spermatozoa will lead to big improvements in sperm technologies and the diagnosis and treatment of male factor infertility.Peer Reviewe

Redox Regulation and Oxidative Stress: The Particular Case of the Stallion Spermatozoa

Redox regulation and oxidative stress have become areas of major interest in spermatology. Alteration of redox homeostasis is recognized as a significant cause of male factor infertility and is behind the damage that spermatozoa experience after freezing and thawing or conservation in a liquid state. While for a long time, oxidative stress was just considered an overproduction of reactive oxygen species, nowadays it is considered as a consequence of redox deregulation. Many essential aspects of spermatozoa functionality are redox regulated, with reversible oxidation of thiols in cysteine residues of key proteins acting as an “on–off” switch controlling sperm function. However, if deregulation occurs, these residues may experience irreversible oxidation and oxidative stress, leading to malfunction and ultimately death of the spermatozoa. Stallion spermatozoa are “professional producers” of reactive oxygen species due to their intense mitochondrial activity, and thus sophisticated systems to control redox homeostasis are also characteristic of the spermatozoa in the horse. As a result, and combined with the fact that embryos can easily be collected in this species, horses are a good model for the study of redox biology in the spermatozoa and its impact on the embryo