Cumulus-oocyte complexes from sows show differences in lipid metabolism compared to cumulus-oocyte complexes from prepubertal gilts during in vitro maturation

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of donor age on lipid metabolism during in vitro maturation (IVM) of pigs cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs). We evaluated transcript levels of genes, the percentage of ooplasm occupied by lipid droplets (LD) and evaluated DNA methylation in COCs from sows and prepubertal gilts. Transcript levels of six genes (ACACA, ACSS2, FASN, FABP3, SLC27A4, PLIN2), which were analyzed in cumulus cells (CCs), increased after 44 h of IVM in the sow group. In the gilt group, only FASN expression increased, while NR3C1 expression decreased after IVM. The measurement of LD in oocytes showed an accumulation of lipids in sow oocytes during IVM, while gilt oocytes showed a decrease in LD. FABP3 and NR3C1 methylation patterns exhibited a demethylation pattern in CCs and oocytes from gilts and sows and showed statistical differences between groups. CCs from sows had a better capacity to change transcription levels of the major genes involved in lipid metabolism during IVM than CCs from gilts. This difference may be involved in accumulation of lipids, acquisition of competence, and maturation of enclosed oocytes. Our results contribute to a better understanding of mechanisms involved in lipid metabolism and acquisition of competence in porcine COCs.

Successful lactation induction in non-pregnant gilts

A protocol to induce lactation was applied to non-pregnant gilts. In Experiment I, five gilts with estrus synchronized through oral supplementation of 20 mg Altrenogest for 18 d received: 10 mg estradiol cypionate (EC) on the last day of estrus expression (D0); 10 mg EC and 300 mg long-acting progesterone (P4) on D26; and two 0.53 mg doses of a prostaglandin F2α analogue (PGF) 12 h apart on D36. Blood was collected on D12, D19, D26 and D33. Milk secretion started in all gilts 24 h after PGF administration and lasted at least 8 d. Milk samples were collected from D37 to D45. The serum P4 concentration was lower on D12 than subsequently (P < 0.05), but the estradiol concentration was unaltered (P > 0.05). The milk produced during the induced lactation was generally richer in protein and poorer in fat compared to the milk from the lactation of a reference sow. In Experiment II, the same protocol induced lactation in two gilts, which nursed fostered piglets for 22 d. Thus, lactation was induced in all treated gilts and the milk produced was capable to nurture fostered piglets.

Nanocarried antioxidants in freezing extenders for boar spermatozoa

Post-thawing cryoinjuries in boar spermatozoa due to oxidative stress may be reduced by adding nanoencapsulated antioxidants to freezing extenders. This study evaluated post-thawing kinetics, structural and biochemical functions of boar spermatozoa frozen with extenders including resveratrol and vitamin E loaded into polymeric nanocapsules. Resveratrol was added at 0 (control), 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 µg/ml, whereas Vitamin E was added at 0 (control), 50, 100, 200 and 400 µg/ml. Both antioxidants were tested in free and nanoencapsulated presentations. In contact with empty nanocapsules, some sperm kinetics parameters were impaired compared to the control (p < .05), whereas lipoperoxidation declined (p < .05). With inclusion of 40 µg/ml nanoencapsulated resveratrol, some sperm kinetics parameters were improved (p < .01), but sperm motility, structural and biochemical functions did not differ from the control (p > .05). No improvement in sperm quality occurred with inclusion of vitamin E, although sperm kinetics with 400 µg/ml nanoencapsulated vitamin E was reduced compared to the control (p < .01). Inclusion of 40 µg/ml nanoencapsulated resveratrol benefitted boar sperm kinetics after thawing, but no improvement resulted from inclusion of vitamin E.

Lidocaine administered at a continuous rate infusion does not impair left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam

Lidocaine is a versatile drug that not only provides local anesthesia, but also reduces anesthetic requirements of other agents and has antiarrhythmic, pro-kinetic, anti-inflammatory, antiendotoxemic and antioxidant effects. As it is a drug commonly used in critically ill patients, its safety from the cardiovascular system should be ensured. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of a continuous rate infusion (CRI) of lidocaine on left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam by use of transthoracic echocardiography. Ten New Zealand healthy rabbits were sedated with intramuscular midazolam (1 mg/kg) and enrolled in two experimental treatments (control or lidocaine). The control treatment (CT) comprised an intravenous bolus of 0.9% sodium chloride (0.05 mL/kg) followed by CRI at 5 mL/h, whereas the lidocaine treatment (LT) comprised a bolus of 2% lidocaine without epinephrine at 1 mg/kg followed by CRI at 50 µg/kg/minute. Echocardiographic and hemodynamic variables were studied. Variables were recorded at baseline (TB) and 20, 40 and 60 minutes following start of CRI (T20, T40 and T60, respectively). No differences were found between treatments. The results of this study demonstrate that a continuous rate infusion of lidocaine at 50 µg/kg/minute does not impair echocardiographic indices of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function of healthy rabbits sedated with midazolam.

The Outcome and Economic Viability of Embryo Production Using IVF and SOV Techniques in the Wagyu Breed of Cattle

The Japanese black cattle breed (Wagyu) has an improved metabolism, which allows them to have a higher marbling score when compared with other cattle breeds. However, this may affect other aspects of the animal’s physiology, including hormone secretion and their reproductive success, such as their response to synchronization protocols and embryo production. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to test a superovulation protocol (SOV) developed with low doses of FSH and to evaluate the outcome and economic viability of embryo production using the SOV and in vitro fertilization (IVF) approaches in the Wagyu cattle breed. For that, ten Wagyu cows were submitted to five SOVs over a period of 15 months using a standard protocol: CIDR + 3 mg estradiol benzoate (D0), 35 mg FSH (Folltropin^®) a.m. and p.m. (D4), 35 mg Folltropin^® a.m. and 20 mg p.m. (D5), 20 mg Folltropin^® a.m. and 10 mg p.m. (D6), 10 mg Folltropin^® and 0.5 mg cloprostenol, both a.m. and p.m., + CIDR removal (D7), 0.05 mg GnRH + insemination 12 and 24 h after (D8) and embryo collection + 0.5 mg of cloprostenol (D16). Thirty days after each SOV, a follicular aspiration was conducted to produce IVF embryos without any pre-synchronization using standard semen in the same group of animals. The average number of embryos produced was 7.63 ± 5.61 (SOV) and 4.52 ± 2.44 (IVF) (p = 0.303). There was no significant correlation between the number of embryos produced by the different techniques (SOV and IVF), indicating that cows that respond well to SOV did not respond well to IVF and vice versa (r = 0.379, p = 0.529). The total cost of each embryo produced by SOV was R$215.00 and R$410.00 for IVF. Therefore, cows that produce less than five embryos by SOV are not economically viable due their lack of response to FSH, and the use of IVF in those animals may be more effective.

Pretransplant Biopsy of Marginal Kidneys: Is It Necessary?

INTRODUCTION

Pretransplant kidney biopsy from marginal donors is used to guide the decision of whether to accept or discard organs for transplantation; however, there is controversy about this procedure, and the need for a pretransplant biopsy is still a debate. We sought to determine if histologic evaluation before implantation of marginal kidneys would influence the outcome.

METHODS

A retrospective observational cohort study of marginal donor transplants at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra was done. From 2009 to 2016, 650 marginal kidney transplants were analyzed. We evaluated long-term graft survival in a cohort of patients who received marginal kidneys. The recipients were divided into 2 groups based on whether a pretransplant donor biopsy was performed. Continuous variables were summarized by mean and standard deviation or median and range, as applicable. Categorical variables were summarized by relative and absolute frequencies. The survival analysis was obtained and plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared with the log-rank test.

RESULTS

The median age of recipients and donors were statistically different between both groups (P < .001), with the donors and the recipients being younger in the group without a pretransplant biopsy. The median cold ischemia time was higher in the biopsy group (P = .01). The survival analysis showed that graft survival didn't differ between the groups (P = .2).

CONCLUSIONS

Selection of kidneys based on histological findings may not influence the graft survival and implies a higher cold ischemia time. More data are necessary to provide insight into which clinical, histologic, and biochemical parameters are necessary for decision making on kidney acceptance.

Nem tudo que parece ser, é lesão: aspectos anatômicos, não lesões, artefatos, lesões sem significado clínico e alterações post mortem encontrados na necropsia de suínos domésticos e selvagens (Sus scrofa)

A interpretação das alterações encontradas na necropsia é uma etapa importante para o sucesso do diagnóstico final. Este trabalho tem como objetivo descrever e ilustrar os aspectos anatômicos, não lesões, artefatos, lesões sem significado clínico e alterações post mortem encontradas em suínos domésticos e selvagens. Além disso, também se recomenda técnicas de colheita de tecidos para o diagnóstico de doenças que acometem essa espécie. Os principais aspectos anatômicos e não lesões descritos são fímbrias linguais, quadrilátero esofágico, toro pilórico e demarcação do padrão lobular do fígado (sistema gastrintestinal); tonsilas do palato mole, tecido linfoide associado ao estômago, placas de Peyer do intestino delgado e dobras da margem do baço (sistema hematopoiético); mediastino proeminente do testículo e aréolas da placenta (sistema reprodutor); atelectasia pulmonar e apêndice decidual (feto); e glândulas carpais (sistema tegumentar). Os artefatos de eutanásia abordados são petéquias na superfície do pulmão e rim, falsa anemia por sangria, hemorragia subdural por concussão cerebral, pseudo-infartos do baço e aspecto cerebriforme do intestino delgado. As lesões de pouco significado clínico descritas são cistos renais, linfonodos com pigmento de ferro, papilomas e hemangiomas no escroto, ossos no mesentério e hiperemia da mucosa gástrica. As alterações post mortem comumente encontradas são livor mortis, músculos pálidos, pseudomelanose e líquido serosanguinolento nas cavidades torácica e abdominal em fetos.

Sequence variation of the alpha-lactalbumin gene in Holstein and Nellore cows

The alpha-lactalbumin is a subunit of lactose-synthase, an enzyme responsible for lactose production, a disaccharide that influences milk production. Sequence variations of bovine alpha -lactalbumin have been associated with differences in milk yield. This study aimed to analyze allelic frequency differences at position - 1689 (g. A > G) and + 15 (g. A > G) of the alpha-lactalbumin gene in Holstein (Bos taurus) and Nellore (Bos indicus) cows. Blood samples were analyzed from 34 Holstein, 104 Nellore, and 99 Dairy Nellore cows using PCR-RFLP. The different RFLP patterns were sequenced and a novel sequence variation on nucleotide - 46 was identified. An adenine at this position was designated as the A allele and a guanine was designated B allele. The frequencies of alleles A - 1689, A - 46, and A + 15 differed between Holstein and both Nellore breeds. The results show that differences in alpha-lactalbumin allelic variants in the 5'-flanking and the 5'-UTR region might be associated with differences in milk production between Holstein cows and cows from Nellore breeds. However, the lack of difference between Nellore and Dairy Nellore suggests that other sequence variantions that regulate milk production might be responsible for the selection of Dairy Nellore cows with superior milk production.

Production of a cloned calf from a fetal fibroblast cell line

The present study examined the in vitro and in vivo development of bovine nuclear-transferred embryos. A bovine fetal fibroblast culture was established and used as nucleus donor. Slaughterhouse oocytes were matured in vitro for 18 h before enucleation. Enucleated oocytes were fused with fetal fibroblasts with an electric stimulus and treated with cytochalasin D and cycloheximide for 1 h followed by cycloheximide alone for 4 h. Reconstructed embryos were cultured for 7-9 days and those which developed to blastocysts were transferred to recipient cows. Of 191 enucleated oocytes, 83 (43.5%) were successfully fused and 24 (28.9%) developed to blastocysts. Eighteen freshly cloned blastocysts were transferred to 14 recipients, 5 (27.8%) of which were pregnant on day 35 and 3 (16.7%) on day 90. Of the three cows that reached the third trimester, one recipient died of hydrallantois 2 months before term, one aborted fetus was recovered at 8 months of gestation, and one delivered by cesarian section a healthy cloned calf. Today, the cloned calf is 15 months old and presents normal body development (378 kg) and sexual behavior (libido and semen characteristics).

Differentiation of positional isomers of nitro meso-tetraphenylporphyrins by tandem mass spectrometry

We studied by tandem mass spectrometry two isomers of nitro meso-tetraphenylporphyrin, one with a nitro group in the para position of a phenyl ring and the other with the same group in a beta-pyrrolic position, and their copper complexes. Collisional activation of the molecular ions of both free-base porphyrins and of their copper complexes produces an array of product ions that permit ready differentiation of the two positional isomers. The diagnostic ions, when the nitro group is in a beta-pyrrolic position, may be produced through intramolecular and double cyclization processes, triggered by the interaction of the nitro substituent with the neighboring meso-phenyl ring. These diagnostic ions do not form when the nitro group is in the para position. The gas-phase processes have precedents in solution chemistry.

High- and low-energy collisionally activated decompositions of octaethylporphyrin and its metal complexes

High-energy (HE) and low-energy (LE) collisionally activated decompositions of octaethylporphyrin (OEP) and its metal complexes (ZnOEP and CuOEP) depend on whether the precursor is produced by electrospray ionization as protonated molecules or by fast atom bombardment as radical cations or protonated molecules. LE activation leads to such simple product-ion spectra that a complete picture of fragmentation emerges only after nine stages of tandem mass spectrometry (MS). HE activation, on the other hand, gives product-ion spectra that afford an integrated view of all the decomposition channels in a single MS/MS experiment. These results are the basis of a recommendation that OEP is an appropriate model compound for investigating energy effects in the collisional activation of organic and bioorganic molecule ions.