Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene.
Publisher:
Paul Parey Scientific Publishers,
Frequency: Six no. a year
Country: Germany
Language: English
Start Year:1990 -
ISSN:
0936-6768 (Print)
1439-0531 (Electronic)
0936-6768 (Linking)
1439-0531 (Electronic)
0936-6768 (Linking)
Impact Factor
1.7
2022
| NLM ID: | 9015668 |
| (DNLM): | SR0067699(s) |
| (OCoLC): | 21265026 |
| Coden: | RDANEF |
| Classification: | W1 RE213KL |
Pregnancy monitoring in mares: Ultrasonographic and endocrine approaches. Methods to diagnose and monitor equine pregnancy continue to advance with improved instrumentation enabling the development of novel, non-invasive approaches to assess fetal well-being and viability using ultrasound and endocrine testing. From early embryonic loss to placentitis, that is typically encountered later in gestation, fetal viability and development as well as placental function can be evaluated using two fundamentally different, structural and functional, approaches. Ultrasound provides structural information on embryonic and fetal growth using such parameters as combined thickness...
General and comparative aspects of endometritis in domestic species: A review. Endometritis is a leading cause of sub- and infertility in domestic animal species. The healthy uterus is colonized by commensal bacteria, viruses and yeast/fungi that represent the nonpathogenic microbiota. A shift in the number or type of organisms accompanied by immune dysfunction, however, may trigger uterine infection and inflammation. Metritis is associated with inflammation of all uterine layers (endometrium, myometrium and perimetrium), whereas endometritis is a more superficial inflammation involving solely the endometrium. Endometritis generally occurs at two time points in domestic ...
The relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine polarization and milk composition in the postnatal period in Kyrgyz mares and foals. Immune compatibility between mare and foal is one of the important topics of reproductive immunology. At this point, although there are many studies on antibodies, there are not many publications on the relationship between the cytokine levels of mare, foal and milk and the effects of milk composition on this relationship. Here we investigate the relationship between Th1/Th2 cytokine balance and milk composition in Kyrgyz mares and foals. Samples were taken soon after the foal was born and on days 5, 10 and 20 after birth. Th1 (IFN-γ, IL-2, TNF-α) and Th2 (IL-4, IL-5, IL-10) cytokine levels ...
Dual use of breeding stallions is possible without affecting the sperm quality. Artificial insemination (AI) is commonly used in the equine industry to enhance the genetic value in breeding programs and to effectively utilize ejaculates. Many stallions are used as breeding stallions as well as in high-level sports competitions to improve their market value. The goal of the present study was to investigate whether this dual use of stallions influences the animals´ stress levels and/or the quality of their ejaculates. For this purpose, 18 stallions were grouped into two categories: breeding stallions with (BSC = breeding stallion competition), and breeding stallions with...
Analysis of lncRNA and mRNA expression profiling in immature and mature DeZhou donkey (equine Taurus) testes. Testicular development and spermatogenesis are tightly regulated by the number of genes and noncoding genes, and mRNAs and lncRNAs play vital roles in regulating posttranscriptional gene expression. However, mRNAs and lncRNAs have not been systematically identified in the testes of donkeys. In this study, mRNA and lncRNA expression profiles in the testes of DeZhou donkeys between 2 months and 2 years of age were comprehensively analysed by RNA sequencing. We identified 56,605 lncRNAs and 61,857 mRNAs by gene expression analysis, and 21,845 lncRNAs (p < .05) and 14,109 mRNAs (p < .0...
Impact of intrauterine infusion of Platelets-Rich plasma on endometritis and reproductive performance of Arabian mare. Equine endometritis is one of the most common causes of reproduction failure. To achieve better treatment outcomes, different diagnostic methods should be combined. In the current study, 39 repeat breeder mares were subjected to ultrasonography examination to detect excessive accumulation of intrauterine fluids and an abnormal oedema pattern, which revealed that 61.5% of mares were positive. Combined with endometrial cytology by low-volume uterine flush, 47.7% of smears contain neutrophils (more than 2-3 per HPF X100), and microbial culture. 92.3% of mares were infected with different bacteria...
Egg yolk plasma enriched with β-carotene through the diet of laying hens and adding it to the extender improves the quality of frozen semen in Arabic stallions. Equine semen cryopreservation is one of the major procedures for the genetic conservation of rare and endangered genotypes. The current study was conducted to evaluate the effect of egg yolk plasma (EYP) enriched with β-carotene as an antioxidant supplement on INRA-96 extender regarding freezing Arabic stallion sperm. For this purpose, β-carotene various concentrations were utilized as a supplementary ingredient in formulating the diets of laying hens. Birds were randomly divided into four groups, fed with 0 (control), 500, 1000 and 2000 mg/kg in a supplemented diet with β-carotene. Subse...
Selection of frozen-thawed stallion semen by microfluidic technology. The use of microfluidic technology is increasing in artificial reproduction technologies: With a small amount of semen, it allows for the selection of sperm with the best characteristics of kinetics, morphology and chromatin integrity. The ZyMot Multi (850 μl) is the most popular device of ZyMot Fertility Inc. To date, it was proven to be a valid instrument for sperm selection for in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in men. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of the ZyMot Multi (850 μl) for stallion semen. Frozen-thawed semen from 15 stallions that were...
Penicillin and amikacin mixture has bactericidal activity equivalent to gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin and spectinomycin mixture in equine frozen semen. Neat stallion semen can contain a variety of microorganisms, some of which may impair sperm quality and/or cause infection of the mares' reproductive tract. For this reason, antibiotics are commonly added to semen extenders. A combination of gentamicin, tylosin, lincomycin and spectinomycin (GTLS) has been recommended for use, but there are no reports on the use of this mixture in equine semen extender. Penicillin and amikacin (PA) are safe for preserving sperm quality while effectively controlling bacterial growth in equine cooled stored semen, but data on frozen semen are scarce. Therefore, ...
The post-ovulatory rise in progesterone is lower and the persistence of oestrous behaviour longer during the first compared with the second cycle of the breeding season in mares. Mares are seasonally polyoestrous breeders. Therefore, the first ovulation of the season, following winter anoestrus, is the only cycle in which mares ovulate without the presence of an old CL from the previous cycle. The objective of this study was to compare the length of oestrous behaviour, and plasma progesterone concentrations during the early post-ovulatory period between mares after the first and second ovulation of the breeding season. Overall, 38 mares and 167 oestrous periods were used in the study. From those, 11 mares were used during the first and subsequent oestrous period to mea...
Exploring the metabolome of seminal plasma in two different horse types: Light versus draft stallions. The application of the 'omics' studies in the field of animal reproduction has been aimed at identifying novel biomarkers of fertility since the last few years. When assessing reproductive efficiency in horses, breed should also be taken into account as it can influence semen quality and fertility. Considering the growing interest in metabolomic analysis to evaluate male fertility, we aimed to investigate the metabolomic profile of seminal plasma in two different horse breeds. Twelve healthy stallions, n.6 American Quarter Horse (AQH) and n.6 Italian Draft Horse (IDH) stallions, regularly used...
Bacterial killing activity and lysozymes: A stable defence mechanism in stallion seminal plasma? During insemination, bacterial contamination of the ejaculate can lead to reduced sperm quality and transmission of pathogens to the female, thus should be avoided. The semen of a variety of animal taxa possess antimicrobial properties against a wide range of bacterial species through antimicrobial molecules, such as lysozyme, but their variance and the factors influencing it are unknown for most species. In this study, the antibacterial defence (bacterial killing activity (BKA) against Escherichia (E.) coli and Staphylococcus (S.) aureus as well as lysozyme concentration) was studied in semin...
Imaging flow cytometry to characterize the relationship between abnormal sperm morphologies and reactive oxygen species in stallion sperm. Low levels of intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for normal sperm function and are produced by sperm mitochondria as a byproduct of metabolism, but in excess, ROS can cause catastrophic cellular damage and has been correlated with infertility, poor sperm motility and abnormal morphology in humans. Stallion sperm motility is fueled predominantly by oxidative phosphorylation-produced ATP, requiring high basal rates of mitochondrial function. Consequently, whether elevated ROS production by stallion sperm is an indicator of dysfunctional or highly motile cells has been deba...
Linebreeding as a system of stock breeding to improve the productive qualities of horses of the Kushum breed. Possessing high meat and dairy productivity and good reproductive and adaptive qualities to year-round grazing, the Kushum breed plays an exceptional role in the improvement of productive qualities in horse herding in Kazakhstan and the former Soviet republics. The aim of the study was to develop breeding methods for creating new highly productive breeding lines for the Kushum breed horses. The leading method was linebreeding, which is based on the systematic use of remarkable animals, the offspring of which will accumulate and develop all the desired qualities and traits. The practical signif...
The effect of priming and duration of oestradiol benzoate treatment before progesterone administration on embryo development and survival in anestrous recipient mares. The effect of three different hormonal protocols to prepare anestrous recipient mares on embryo survival was evaluated. The first group consisted of only progesterone administration (NE) 4 days before embryo transfer, while the recipients from the other two groups received a single administration of 2.5 mg of oestradiol benzoate (SE) 2 days earlier or 8 mg of oestradiol split in increasing doses for 5 consecutive days (LE) ending 3 days before progesterone treatment. The likelihood of recovering an embryo 2 days after transfer was 46.1% (6/13), 62.5% (5/8) and 85.7% (6/7) for recipie...
Advances in the ultrasound diagnosis in equine reproductive medicine: New approaches. Ultrasound technology has led to new lines of research in equine reproduction, and it has helped to greatly improve clinical diagnosis and reproductive outcomes in equine practice. This review aims to discuss the potential clinical uses and new approaches of ultrasonography in equine reproduction. Doppler modalities are usually used to evaluate the vascularization of the follicles, corpus luteum (CL), and the uterus in the mare for diagnostic purposes. Inclusion of Doppler ultrasound in artificial insemination and embryo transfer programs could improve the reproductive outcome of these techniq...
Multispecies comparative analysis reveals transcriptional specificity during Mongolian horse testicular development. Mongolian horses have been bred and used for labor and transport for centuries. Nevertheless, traits of testicular development in Mongolian horses have rarely been studied; particularly, studies regarding the transcriptional regulation characteristics of testicular development are lacking. In this paper, transcription specificity during testicular development in Mongolian horses is highlighted via a multispecies comparative analysis and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA). Interestingly, the results showed that most genes were up-regulated in the testes after sexual maturity, ...
Tribulus terrestris can suppress the adverse effect of toluene on bovine and equine ovarian granulosa cells. Influence of oil-related product toluene and herbal remedy puncturevine Tribulus terrestris L. (TT) on female reproduction is known. Yet, mechanisms of their action on ovaries in different species and potential protective effect of TT against adverse toluene action remain to be established. We studied the effect of toluene, TT, and their combination on ovarian granulosa cells from two mammalian species (cows and horses). Viability, markers of proliferation (PCNA) and apoptosis (bax), steroid hormones, IGF-I, oxytocin, and prostaglandin F (PGF) release were analyzed by trypan blue exclusion tes...
DNA fragmentation of equine cumulus cells from Cumulus-Oocyte complexes submitted to vitrification and its relationship to the developmental competence of the oocyte. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of vitrification on the DNA fragmentation rate of equine cumulus cells and to assess its relationship to oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) after vitrification. Cumulus cells (CC) from 14 mares were recovered from COCs, previously submitted to vitrification (VIT) and IVM. The DNA fragmentation rate of the cumulus cells (CC-DF) was assessed using a chromatin dispersion test. CC-DF rates between vitrified and control COCs were statistically compared by Student's t-test. The rates of CC-DF from control COCs were lower than in vitrified COCs...
Antimicrobial use and resistance in food-producing animals-How can we protect the efficacy of antibiotics for reproductive diseases? The ongoing emergence of antibiotic resistance jeopardizes efficacy of antibiotics in curing animals from bacterial infections that threaten their health, welfare and productivity. This review gives an overview of antimicrobial use data in food-producing animals, a discussion on how antimicrobials are used for some infections in the reproductive system in cattle, the horse and pig in Europe where there are differences in treatment practices including options to refine the use of antibiotics, and finally, a presentation of the antibiotic resistance for some bacteria collected from the reproduct...
Effects of an anti-gonadoliberin releasing hormone vaccine on testicular, epididymal and spermatogenic development in the horse. The effects of the GnRH vaccine Improvac on testicular and epididymal morphometrics, histology and spermatogenesis were measured in 19 young (15-20 months) colts randomly assigned to one control (saline, castration at 57 days, n = 6) or either of two GnRH vaccine-treatment groups, T-57 (castration at 57 days, n = 7) or T-100 (castration at 100 days, n = 6), respectively. All were immunized on Day 0 with a single booster on Day 28. Excised testes and epididymides were weighed and processed for histology to measure tubule, epithelial and muscle dimensions, the ratio of interstitial tis...
Endometrial area of the blood flow as a marker of endometritis in equine. In this study, uterine blood flow area (BFA) has been evaluated for the first time using power Doppler ultrasound (PD) as a marker of endometritis in mares and jennies. The uterine BFA in healthy mares was greater in oestrus than in diestrus (p < .001). However, differences in endometrial blood flow between oestrus and diestrus were not observed in mares with endometritis. The uterine blood flow in healthy jennies is not affected by the oestrus cycle. Both species showed an increase in endometrial BFA in pathological uterine conditions compared to controls. BFA was a good marker of endome...
Suppression of reproductive behaviour and gonadal function in female horses-An update. The behaviour of mares is often detrimental to their performance resulting in frequent demand for methods to suppress gonadal function. In addition, prevention of unintended reproduction especially in feral horse populations may require methods for suppression of gonadal function. Surgical ovariectomy is a safe method but not an acceptable approach in feral mares and undesired in mares where future breeding is considered. There are different approaches for artificial prolongation of the luteal phase resulting in transient inhibition of oestrus and ovulation. Among those, treatment with natural...
Prediction of gestational age based on foetal ultrasonographic biometric measurements in light breed horses. A table was generated, based on foetal ultrasonographic measurements in light breed mares, for each day of gestation beginning with day 100, to provide the predicted value of four biometric parameters: biparietal diameter (BPD), eye approximated volume (EyV), foetal aortic diameter (AortD) and femur length (FL). Using this table, day of gestation was successfully predicted in 23 Quarter Horses (QH) with known mating or ovulation dates. BPD, EyV and FL were the best foetal age predictors between 100- and 200-days gestation predicting within 2 weeks of the actual day of gestation, while BPD and...
Evaluation of the effect of conventional and natural antifungals on motility and kinetics of cooled stallion semen. Microbial growth in semen may cause a decline of sperm quality and fertility; however, the addition of antifungals to semen extender has been shown to impair the overall fertility of the sperm. The aim of this study was to evaluate the antifungal activity of conventional and natural compounds, and their effect on the motility and kinetics of cooled stallion semen. A total of 15 ejaculates from five stallions were collected using the artificial vagina. Each ejaculate was supplemented with: fluconazole at 12.5 (F1), 25 (F2) and 50 (F3) mg/ml; amphotericin-B at 6.5 (A1), 12.5 (A2) and 25 (A3) mg/...
The NF-κB-signalling pathway in mare’s endometrium infiltrated with the inflammatory cells. Endometritis is an important issue decreasing mares' fertility. In the case of endometritis, both inflammatory cells infiltration and proinflammatory molecules production are regulated by various cellular and gene regulatory mechanisms, including the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB)-dependent pathway. NF-κB-signalling pathway has been recently studied in the equine endometrium in the context of endometrosis. Thus, this study aimed to determine gene transcription of NF-κB subunits (RelA; NF-κB1; NF-κB2), proinflammatory molecules (MCP-1; IL-6) and hyaluronan synthases (HAS 1; HAS 2; HAS 3) in en...
Relationship between sperm ubiquitination and equine semen freezability. This study aimed to assess the semen ubiquitin levels of stallions with good (GF) and poor semen freezability (PF) and to evaluate the relationship between sperm ubiquitination and sperm morphological defects. Five ejaculates from eight adult stallions (n = 40) were collected and cryopreserved. Then, the ubiquitin level in equine sperm cells was assessed by immunohistochemistry with epifluorescence microscopy, and sperm morphology was assessed by differential interference contrast microscopy. Sperm cells were classified according to the intensity (classification 1: from I to IV; I = very l...
Recipients’ pregnancy rate was affected by season but not by the temperature-humidity index (THI) in an equine commercial ET programme in Southern Europe. This study retrospectively analysed the effects of different environmental factors such as the photoperiod, temperature/humidity index of 19 years of a commercial embryo transfer programme performed in central Italy. From 340 donors of different breeds and aged between 2 and 25 years, 576 embryos of an excellent or good quality were obtained by uterine flushing on days 7-8 after ovulation. The embryos were transferred to 259 recipients, aged between 2 and 16 years, and belonging to different breeds. Both the donors and the recipients were employed for several cycles/years. At the time of tr...
Assessment of serum amyloid A concentrations and biochemical profiles in lactating jennies and newborn Ragusano donkey foals around parturition and one month after foaling in Sicily. A proper knowledge of biochemical parameters and inflammatory markers like serum amyloid A (SAA) is crucial in the monitoring of the first post-partum period in equids. Since no information is available on SAA for donkeys at this stage, 50 animals including jennies (n.10) and newborn foals (n.10) within 48 hr from foaling, and jennies (n.10) and foals (n.20) after 30 days from parturition were enrolled in the study to assess routine biochemical profile including SAA. Jennies showed higher alkaline phosphatase and lower bilirubins and cholesterol at 30 days of lactation compared to post-part...
Thermal features, ambient temperature and hair coat lengths: Limitations of infrared imaging in pregnant primitive breed mares within a year. Infrared thermography is a non-invasive technique which allows to distinguish between pregnant and non-pregnant animals. Detecting accurate body surface temperatures can be challenging due to external factors altering thermograph measurements. This study aimed to determine the associations between the ambient temperature, the hair coat features and the temperatures of mares' abdomens. It compared pregnant and non-pregnant mares throughout 11 months. The research was carried out on 40 Konik Polski mares, which were divided into pregnant and non-pregnant groups. The temperature (Tmax, maximal; ...