In vitro production of bovine embryos derived from individual donors in the Corral® dish

Background: Since the identity of the embryo is of outmost importance during commercial in vitro embryo production, bovine oocytes and embryos have to be cultured strictly per donor. Due to the rather low yield of oocytes collected after ovum pick-up (OPU) per individual cow, oocyte maturation and embryo culture take place in small groups, which is often associated with inferior embryo development. The objective of this study was to improve embryonic development in small donor groups by using the Corral (R) dish. This commercial dish is designed for human embryo production. It contains two central wells that are divided into quadrants by a semi-permeable wall. In human embryo culture, one embryo is placed per quadrant, allowing individual follow-up while embryos are exposed to a common medium. In our study, small groups of oocytes and subsequently embryos of different bovine donors were placed in the Corral (R) dish, each donor group in a separate quadrant. Results: In two experiments, the Corral (R) dish was evaluated during in vitro maturation (IVM) and/or in vitro culture (IVC) by grouping oocytes and embryos of individual bovine donors per quadrant. At day 7, a significantly higher blastocyst rate was noted in the Corral (R) dish used during IVM and IVC than when only used during IVM (12.9% +/- 2.10 versus 22.8% +/- 2.67) (P < 0.05). However, no significant differences in blastocyst yield were observed anymore between treatment groups at day 8 post insemination. Conclusions: In the present study, the Corral (R) dish was used for in vitro embryo production (IVP) in cattle; allowing to allocate oocytes and/or embryos per donor. As fresh embryo transfers on day 7 have higher pregnancy outcomes, the Corral (R) dish offers an added value for commercial OPU/IVP, since a higher blastocyst development at day 7 is obtained when the Corral (R) dish is used during IVM and IVC

Differential effects of high fat diet-induced obesity on oocyte mitochondrial functions in inbred and outbred mice

Maternal obesity can cause reduced oocyte quality and subfertility. Mitochondrial dysfunction plays a central role here, and most often inbred mouse models are used to study these pathways. We hypothesized that the mouse genetic background can influence the impact of high fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity on oocyte quality. We compared the inbred C57BL/6 (B6) and the outbred Swiss strains after feeding a HFD for 13w. HFD-mice had increased body weight gain, hypercholesterolemia, and increased oocyte lipid droplet (LD) accumulation in both strains. LD distribution was strain-dependent. In Swiss mouse oocytes, HFD significantly increased mitochondrial inner membrane potential (MMP), reactive oxygen species concentrations, mitochondrial ultrastructural abnormalities (by 46.4%), and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) swelling, and decreased mtDNA copy numbers compared with Swiss controls (P0.1). Interestingly, mtDNA in B6-HFD oocytes was increased suggesting defective mitophagy. In conclusion, we show evidence that the genetic background or inbreeding can affect mitochondrial functions in oocytes and may influence the impact of HFD on oocyte quality. These results should create awareness when choosing and interpreting data obtained from different mouse models before extrapolating to human applications

Maternal metabolic stress may affect oviduct gatekeeper function

We hypothesized that elevated non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) modify in vitro bovine oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC) metabolism and barrier function. Hereto, BOECs were studied in a polarized system with 24h-treatments at day 9: 1) CONTROL (0µM NEFA + 0%EtOH), 2) SOLVENT CONTROL (0µM NEFA + 0.45%EtOH), 3) BASAL NEFA (720µM NEFA + 0.45%EtOH in the basal compartment), 4) APICAL NEFA (720µM NEFA + 0.45%EtOH in the apical compartment). FITC-albumin was used for monolayer permeability assessment, and related to Transepithelial Electric Resistance (TER). Fatty acid (FA), glucose, lactate and pyruvate concentrations were measured in spent medium. Intracellular lipid droplets (LD) and FA-uptake were studied using Bodipy 493/503 and immunolabelling of FA-transporters (FAT/CD36, FABP3 and caveolin1). BOEC-mRNA was retrieved for qRT-PCR. Results revealed that APICAL NEFA reduced relative TER-increase (46.85%) during treatment, and increased FITC-albumin flux (27.59%) compared to other treatments. In BASAL NEFA, FAs were transferred to the apical compartment as free FAs: mostly palmitic and oleic acid increased, respectively 56.0 % and 33.5% of initial FA-concentrations. APICAL NEFA allowed no FA-transfer, but induced LD-accumulation and upregulated FA-transporter expression (↑CD36, ↑FABP3, ↑CAV1-protein-expression). Gene expression in APICAL NEFA indicated increased anti-apoptotic (↑BCL2) and anti-oxidative (↑SOD1) capacity, upregulated lipid metabolism (↑CPT1, ↑ACSL1 and ↓ACACA), and FA-uptake (↑CAV1). All treatments had similar carbohydrate metabolism and oviduct function specific gene expression (=OVGP1, ESR1, FOXJ1). Overall, elevated NEFAs affected BOEC-metabolism and barrier function differently depending on NEFA-exposure side. Data substantiate the concept of the oviduct as a gatekeeper that may actively alter early embryonic developmental conditions

Women’s pelvic floor muscle strength and urinary and anal incontinence after childbirth: a cross-sectional study

Abstract OBJECTIVE To analyse pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS) and urinary and anal incontinence (UI and AI) in the postpartum period. METHOD Cross-sectional study carried out with women in their first seven months after child birth. Data were collected through interviews, perineometry (Peritron™), and the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). RESULTS 128 women participated in the study. The PFMS mean was 33.1 (SD=16.0) cmH2O and the prevalence of UI and AI was 7.8% and 5.5%, respectively. In the multiple analyses, the variables associated with PFMS were type of birth and cohabitation with a partner. Newborn’s weight, previous pregnancy, UI during pregnancy, and sexual activity showed an association with UI after child birth. Only AI prior to pregnancy was associated with AI after childbirth. CONCLUSION Vaginal birth predisposes to the reduction of PFMS, and caesarean section had a protective effect to its reduction. The occurrence of UI during pregnancy is a predictor of UI after childbirth, and women with previous pregnancies and newborns with higher weights are more likely to have UI after childbirth.AI prior to pregnancy is the only risk factor for its occurrence after childbirth. Associations between PFMS and cohabitation with a partner, and between UI and sexual activity do not make possible to conclude that these variables are directly associated

Epoetin Alfa Improves Anemia and Anemia-Related, Patient-Reported Outcomes in Patients with Breast Cancer Receiving Myelotoxic Chemotherapy: Results of a European, Multicenter, Randomized, Controlled Trial

This study evaluated the effects of epoetin alfa on patient-reported outcomes in patients with breast cancer receiving myelotoxic chemotherapy. Early intervention with epoetin alfa was well tolerated and improved anemia-related patient-reported outcomes

Study of the B +→ J / ψ Λ ¯ p decay in proton-proton collisions at √s = 8 TeV

A study of the B +→ J / ψ Λ ¯ p decay using proton-proton collision data collected at s = 8 TeV by the CMS experiment at the LHC, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 19.6 fb−1, is presented. The ratio of branching fractions B(B+→J/ψΛ¯p)/B(B+→J/ψK∗(892)+) is measured to be (1.054 ± 0.057(stat) ± 0.035(syst) ± 0.011(B))%, where the last uncertainty reflects the uncertainties in the world-average branching fractions of Λ ¯ and K*(892) + decays to reconstructed final states. The invariant mass distributions of the J / ψ Λ ¯ , J/ψp, and Λ ¯ p systems produced in the B +→ J / ψ Λ¯ p decay are investigated and found to be inconsistent with the pure phase space hypothesis. The analysis is extended by using a model-independent angular amplitude analysis, which shows that the observed invariant mass distributions are consistent with the contributions from excited kaons decaying to the Λ ¯ p system. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Search for new neutral Higgs bosons through the H → ZA→ ℓ+ℓ−b b ¯ process in pp collisions at √s = 13 TeV

This paper reports on a search for an extension to the scalar sector of the standard model, where a new CP-even (odd) boson decays to a Z boson and a lighter CP-odd (even) boson, and the latter further decays to a b quark pair. The Z boson is reconstructed via its decays to electron or muon pairs. The analysed data were recorded in proton-proton collisions at a center-of-mass energy s = 13 TeV, collected by the CMS experiment at the LHC during 2016, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 35.9 fb−1. Data and predictions from the standard model are in agreement within the uncertainties. Upper limits at 95% confidence level are set on the production cross section times branching fraction, with masses of the new bosons up to 1000 GeV. The results are interpreted in the context of the two-Higgs-doublet model. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]