The effects of hypo- and hyperglycemia during lipolysis-like conditions on bovine oocyte maturation, subsequent embryo developmental and glucose metabolism

Abstract of a conference paper presented at the 31st meeting of the European Embryo Transfer Associaton, 11-12 September 2015, Ghent, Belgium

The interplay of maternal and offspring obesogenic diets: the impact on offspring metabolism and muscle mitochondria in an outbred mouse model

Consumption of obesogenic (OB) diets increases the prevalence of maternal obesity worldwide, causing major psychological and social burdens in women. Obesity not only impacts the mother’s health and fertility but also elevates the risk of obesity and metabolic disorders in the offspring. Family lifestyle is mostly persistent through generations, possibly contributing to the growing prevalence of obesity. We hypothesized that offspring metabolic health is dependent on both maternal and offspring diet and their interaction. We also hypothesized that the sensitivity of the offspring to the diet may be influenced by the match or mismatch between offspring and maternal diets. To test these hypotheses, outbred Swiss mice were fed a control (C, 10% fat, 7% sugar, and n = 14) or OB diet (60% fat, 20% sugar, and n = 15) for 7 weeks and then mated with the same control males. Mice were maintained on the same corresponding diet during pregnancy and lactation, and the offspring were kept with their mothers until weaning. The study focused only on female offspring, which were equally distributed at weaning and fed C or OB diets for 7 weeks, resulting in four treatment groups: C-born offspring fed C or OB diets (C » C and C » OB) and OB-born offspring fed C or OB diets (OB » C and OB » OB). Adult offspring’s systemic blood profile (lipid and glucose metabolism) and muscle mitochondrial features were assessed. We confirmed that the offspring’s OB diet majorly impacted the offspring’s health by impairing the offspring’s serum glucose and lipid profiles, which are associated with abnormal muscle mitochondrial ultrastructure. Contrarily, maternal OB diet was associated with increased expression of mitochondrial complex markers and mitochondrial morphology in offspring muscle, but no additive effects of (increased sensitivity to) an offspring OB diet were observed in pups born to obese mothers. In contrast, their metabolic profile appeared to be healthier compared to those born to lean mothers and fed an OB diet. These results are in line with the thrifty phenotype hypothesis, suggesting that OB-born offspring are better adapted to an environment with high energy availability later in life. Thus, using a murine outbred model, we could not confirm that maternal obesogenic diets contribute to female familial obesity in the following generations

Hyaluronan and Hyaluronidase, which is better for embryo development?

Our aim was to examine size-specific effects of Hyaluronan (HA) on preimplantation embryo development. We investigated the effects of Hyalovet (HA, 500–750 kDa; the size produced by HA synthase-3, which is abundant in the oviduct), or HA treated with Hyaluronidase-2 (Hyal2; also expressed in the oviduct that breaks down HA into 20 kDa fragments). In experiment 1 (in vivo), oviducts of synchronized and superovulated ewes (n = 20) were surgically exposed on Day 2 post-mating, ligated, and infused with either Hyalovet, Hyalovet + Hyal2, Hyal2, or PBS (control). Ewes were killed 5 days later for recovery of embryos and oviductal epithelial cells (OEC). Blastocyst rates were significantly higher in Hyal2 and Hyalovet + Hyal2 oviducts. Hyaluronidase-2 infusion resulted in higher blastocyst cell numbers and hatching rates. This was associated with increased HSP70 expression in OEC. In contrast, Hyalovet resulted in the lowest development to blastocyst stage and lowest hatching rates, and decreased IGF2 and IGFBP2 expression in OEC. IGF1 and IL1α expression were not affected. In experiment 2, to rule out indirect effects of oviductal factors, ovine embryos were produced and cultured with the same treatments in vitro from Day 2 to 8. Hyaluronidase-2, but not Hyalovet, enhanced blastocyst formation and reduced inner cell mass apoptosis. Hyalovet inhibited hatching. In conclusion, the presence of large-size HA (500–750 kDa) in the vicinity of developing embryos appears to disturb the oviductal environment and embryo development in vivo and in vitro. In contrast, we show evidence that breakdown of HA into smaller fragments is required to maximize embryo development and blastocyst quality

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

A comprehensive evaluation of safety and awareness in eyebrow microblading: a cross-sectional study

The importance of eyebrows in facial aesthetics has long been recognized, and eyebrows restoration is carried out by carefully depositing pigments into the epidermis. This cosmetic procedure is known as microblading which is very popular because of the progress in social media platforms. This study was designed to determine the awareness of eyebrow microblading, complication and laser removal in general population of Saudi Arabia. This was a cross-sectional study conducted in four different regions in Saudi Arabia (Asir, Qasim, Jawf, and Eastern province), from June 2023 to December 2023. Only females were included, and an online questionnaire was distributed. A convenient non-probability sampling method was adopted to gather data from participants. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 21. A total of 705 participants were included in the study, with the majority 281 (39.9%) falling into the age group >35 years, and the mean age was 29.1±11.9 years. The study revealed a moderate level of awareness (65%) among participants regarding eyebrow microblading. However, alarming gaps regarding hygiene practices in microblading setups still exist. Notably, facing complications during the surgery was identified as a statistically significant factor associated with a higher level of awareness (p=0.049). Of the participants, 17.4% had undergone eyebrow microblading, with friends being the source of advice for 39.5% of them. Laser removal was chosen by more than 60% of microblading recipients, with varying degrees of pleasure and satisfaction reported. Eyebrow microblading is a successful cosmetic procedure with aesthetic advantages. However, this study also emphasizes the necessity for extensive public education regarding microblading, including its associated risks, restrictions, and appropriate practices. To ensure safe and ethical practices, stringent laws and licensing for certified professionals are also deemed essential

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries