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Our objective was to evaluate the effects of moderate overfeeding of different sources of metabolizable energy (ME) and protein (MP) on inflammatory status of sheep in late gestation and short-term growth performance of the offspring. A total of 32 healthy pregnant Zell ewes (2.5 ± 1 years old, 42.19 ± 1.65 kg body weight [BW]) were selected 7 weeks before lambing. After receiving a ten-day adaptation diet, eight ewes were randomly allocated to each of the four treatments including: 1) The adaptation diet that fulfills ME and MP requirements, according to the National Research Council's (NRC, 2007) recommendations for late pregnant ewes (CON); 2) A diet with 10% higher levels of ME than CON, using corn grain for extra ME (HEC); 3) A diet with 10% higher level of ME compared to CON, using flaxseed for additional ME (HEF); and 4) A diet with a 10% higher level of MP than CON, using a rumen-protected lysin and methionine supplement (RP-LysMet) to supply extra MP (PRO). After lambing, ewes continued their dietary treatments until 30 days postpartum; however, the content of ingredients were proportionally increased to meet the recommended levels of energy and protein for lactating ewes (NRC, 2007). Blood samples from the ewes were taken on days -21, -14, and -7 before parturition. Colostrum yield and components were determined, and lamb's BW and milk intake (MI) were measured weekly until 28 days of age. Other growth performance indexes were computed accordingly. Blood samples from the offspring were taken on days 15 and 30 of life. The data was analyzed using SAS software (SAS Institute Inc., 9.4). Compared with the CON, HEF-fed ewes were the only group that had lower levels of oxidative stress and blood inflammatory markers at -7 d before parturition (P 0.05). Concentrations of aminotransferases in CON-fed ewes were greater than other groups in late gestation (P ≤ 0.05). Offspring of HEF- and PRO-fed ewes had higher birth BW than lambs of the CON-fed group (3.71 and 4.11 vs. 3.01 ± 0.24, Kg for HEF, PRO, and CON, respectively). Except for week 2, lambs of CON-fed ewes had lower BW gain compared with the other offspring (P 0.01). Lambs of PRO-fed ewes had greater levels of plasma immunoglobulin G (IgG, days 15 and 30 of life; P 0.05) and MI (from week 2; P 0.001) than other groups. In conclusion, regardless of the source, moderate overfeeding of ME/MP was more beneficial for the immune status of late pregnant dams and the offspring's performance than non-overfed ones.

Our objectives were to determine the effects of dam body condition score (BCS), age of dam, and calf sex on placental size and the relationships between dam body weight (BW) and calf size with placental size. Expelled placentas and calf size at birth were collected from crossbred beef heifers and cows during four experiments (n = 22 to 39/experiment). Placentas deemed complete by visual inspection were dissected; dry weights were determined for cotyledonary and intercotyledonary tissues. Mixed linear models were used to individually determine main effects of peripartum BCS category [Thin (

Bison from Yellowstone National Park (YNP) have an important genetic history. As one of the few wild herds of bison with no evidence of cattle DNA introgression and a large enough population to maintain genetic diversity, they are considered a conservation priority for the species. Unfortunately, there is a high prevalence of the zoonotic disease brucellosis in the herd. Part of the management strategy for controlling the disease and herd size in YNP is to remove bison from the population during the winter migration out of the park. This interagency management cull provides an opportunity to collect a large number of oocytes from a wild bison population for genetic banking and research purposes. During the winters of 2014–2018, which is the nonbreeding season for bison, oocytes were collected post mortem and used to determine the effects of donor reproductive maturity and pregnancy status on oocyte quality and in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, and to demonstrate the feasibility of producing healthy offspring. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were placed into an in vitro embryo production (IVP) system, and on days 7, 7.5, and 8 of in vitro culture (Day 0 = day of in vitro fertilization) embryos were assessed for developmental stage and quality prior to vitrification. Embryos were then stored in liquid nitrogen until the breeding season when a subset were warmed, cultured for 6 h, evaluated for survival, and transferred to healthy bison recipients. There were no significant differences in the ability of recovered COCs to support blastocyst development based on female reproductive maturity or pregnancy status (juvenile 79/959 (8.2%) vs sexually mature 547/6544 (8.4%); non-pregnant 188/2302 (8.2%) vs pregnant 556/6122 (9.1%)). Following the transfer of 15 embryos to 10 recipients, one healthy female calf was born. This work demonstrates that live offspring can be generated from COCs collected from YNP bison post mortem in the non-breeding season, and that gamete recovery can be a valuable tool for conservation of valuable genetics for this species while mitigating diseases like brucellosis.

Breeding a bitch with two different sires during a single estrous cycle has the potential to facilitate rapid genetic gain and improve reproductive performance within a canine breeding colony. There is limited data regarding the factors that contribute to the success of dual-sired litters in domestic dogs, and only anecdotal evidence suggesting that these litters rarely produce offspring from more than one sire. The objective of this prospective clinical study was to investigate multiple factors that likely affect the success of dual-sired litters on whelping rate, litter size and parentage ratio. These factors include: timing of artificial insemination (AI), order of sires, number of AI's per cycle, semen type, sperm quality and age of sire and bitch. Data collected over a 10 year period from twenty-nine estrous cycles (28 individual bitches of 10 different breeds) were evaluated after an initial AI with frozen semen from the 'genetically desired' sire and followed up with a second AI with either fresh (n = 9) or frozen (n = 16) semen or natural mating (n = 4) from a different, 'back up', sire. DNA parentage of each pup born was determined by using a primary panel of 288 SNPs. The whelping rate and litter size from previous single sire inseminations per estrous cycle, in the same bitches, (n = 16) over 25 estrous cycles using either fresh (n = 4) or frozen-thawed (n = 21) semen, were analyzed as controls. Of the 29 dual-sired breedings, 26 bitches whelped (89.7%), and 8 litters (30.8%) were of mixed parentage. In the litters of mixed parentage after a dual-sired breeding, a greater proportion of the offspring were from the second sire than the first sire (73.0% and 27.0% respectively; P 0.05). Interestingly, in litters where all pups were of single sire parentage after a dual-sired breeding, 50.0% of the offspring were by the first sire and 50.0% were by the second sire. For litters of mixed or single paternity produced by dual-sired breeding there was no difference in average litter size. However, on a per estrous cycle basis for each bitch the whelping rate (89.7% v. 76.0%.) and litter size (5.5 ± 2.5 v. 4.0 ± 2.78) of all dual-sired breedings were greater (P 0.05) compared to previous single-sired breedings (controls) respectively. This study demonstrates that offspring of mixed parentage derived from dual-sired breedings may be achieved. Furthermore, insemination with semen from two different sires may increase the whelping rate and litter size, which is an important consideration when using genetically valuable, or older individuals with potentially reduced fertility.

The impacts of late gestation heat stress on the dam and her subsequent lactation are well-recognized. However, more recent research has demonstrated the long-lasting and severe negative consequences on the in-utero heat-stressed progeny. Dairy calves born to late gestation heat-stressed dams weigh less at birth and up to one year of age and have compromised metabolism and immune function. In-utero programming of these offspring may coordinate alterations in thermoregulation, mammary development, and milk synthetic capacity at different developmental windows. Thus, prenatally heat-stressed dairy heifers will produce less milk across multiple lactations and have a lower herd survival rate, potentially negatively impacting the U.S. dairy economy. Dry period heat stress abatement strategies should be considered not only for the productivity and welfare of the pregnant dam but also for the developing calf.

This experiment evaluated the effect of pre-weaning plane of nutrition of dams upon reproductive development in Bos indicus x Bos taurus bull offspring reared under extensively managed conditions in the northern Australia rangelands. Following artificial insemination (AI cohort; n = 26), or natural mating (NM cohort; n = 36), grazing primiparous heifers received either nil supplement (Control; CON), thereby experiencing a moderate nutritional restriction, or were provided a protein supplement (SUPP) between parturition and weaning at mean age 199 +/- (SD) 26 d. Bull progeny grazed rangeland pastures without supplementation from weaning until the experiment concluded at 675 d. At 120 +/- 3 d and 140 d +/- 10 d age, within the AI and NM cohort, respectively, bull calves were subjected to a GnRH challenge (1.5 mg/kg of body weight i.m.). Jugular blood samples collected immediately before and at 60 min after administration of GnRH were analysed for LH, FSH, testosterone and inhibin concentrations. Overall mean concentrations of testosterone in SUPP bulls were greater in both the AI cohort (P = 0.05) and the NM cohort (P = 0.06). At 60 d intervals during the post-weaning period, scrotal circumference (SC) was measured and semen collected to assess concentration, progressive motility and morphology of sperm. Bulls reared by SUPP heifers had greater (P = 0.05) SC at 375 d and tended to have greater (P = 0.09) mean percentage of morphologically normal sperm (PNS). Within the NM cohort, NMSUPP bulls had greater (P = 0.04) overall mean SC and tended (P = 0.07) to demonstrate both greater progressive motility and PNS. A greater incidence of sperm morphological abnormalities, associated with sexual immaturity, were observed in CON bulls. Consequently, NMCON bulls demonstrated delayed (P = 0.03) age of sexual maturity as compared to NMSUPP bulls. In summary, improving the plane of nutrition supplied to Bos indicus x Bos taurus bulls between parturition and weaning via moderate supplementation of grazing dams reduces age at sexual maturity with consequent economic advantages to the producer. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Economic losses due to dystocia or neonatal death as well as animal welfare and ethical concerns demand a reliable prediction of parturition with the aim to improve survival of the dam and her offspring. In this review, estimation of gestational age by ultrasound and prediction of parturition based on clinical signs, behaviour changes and changes in body temperature, composition of mammary gland secretions as well as hormonal changes are discussed in comparison between horses and cattle. Based on the physiological changes associated with the end of gestation and onset of labor, several systems and methods to predict parturition in horses and cattle have been developed. Physiological differences related to breed, maternal age and parity, pathological changes due to intrauterine growth retardation, placental problems or general illness of the dam but also housing and management systems bias a reliable prediction of parturition. This may be acceptable in cattle as long as birth alarm systems give satisfying results at herd level. The situation is different in the horse where the economic and emotional value of an individual mare and her foal usually reaches different dimensions than in cows. The possibilities for prediction of parturition can thus be discussed together, the consequences, however, may differ considerably between the two species.

Genetic selection for the best suited offspring drives the dairy industry to use young genitors and assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to reduce generation intervals. However, sperm samples collected from peri-pubertal bulls have lower counts and quality compared to samples from adult bulls. Moreover, our previous study identified differentially methylated regions (DMRs) in sperms from early-, peri- and post-pubertal bulls. The aim of this study was to further investigate the impacts of paternal age on early embryos. To achieve this, we evaluated the transcriptome and the epigenome of bovine blastocysts generated from spermatozoa of bulls at 10, 12, and 16 months of age and used in vitro fertilization (IVF) of oocytes recovered from the same adult cows. A total of 259 probes were differentially expressed and 6953 probes were differentially methylated in the 10- vs 16-month and the 12- vs 16-month groups. Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA) of transcriptomic data demonstrated that energy-related pathways such as oxidative phosphorylation, EIF2 signaling, and mitochondrial dysfunction were affected the most by the age of the bull. Meanwhile, IPA analysis of the epigenome revealed that protein kinase A signaling, RAR activation, and other pathways were influenced by paternal age. Overall, we showed that the bull’s age mainly influenced metabolism-related pathways in blastocysts, and this could therefore impact subsequent development.

s This study was conducted to investigate the effects of maternal exposure bisphenol A (BPA) on ovaries development of F1 female mice. The BPA exposure model of pregnant mice was prepared by intragastric administration of BPA at the doses of 0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 mg kg−1 d−1 at gestation day (GD) 0.5–17.5. The ovarian index of the offspring mice was calculated at postnatal day (PND) 21 and PND 56. The results showed that BPA at 5 mg/kg, 10 mg/kg, 20 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg significantly increased the abortion rate of the pregnant mice, and each dose of BPA significantly reduced the survival rate of the pups (P

Reproductive traits are important factors in sheep production. The Booroola fecundity (FecB) gene-the first major gene for prolificacy identified in sheep-has a positive effect on ovulation rates and litter size under natural reproductive conditions. However, the effect of the FecB gene on reproductive performance under assisted reproduction, which uses many artificial hormones, remains unclear. In the present study, we evaluated the effect of FecB (BMPR-1B mutation) on reproductive performance under assisted reproduction, and examined offspring body weight at birth and weaning and survival rate at weaning. There were no differences among three genotype groups (homozygous carrier, BB; heterozygous carrier, B+; non-carrier, ++) in terms of estrus detection rate, time to estrus onset, or estrus duration following estrus synchronization (P 0.05). The pregnancy rates at 60 d were similar among three genotype groups after artificial insemination (P 0.05). However, the B allele had an additive effect on litter size (one copy resulted in an increase of 0.88 lambs and two copies produced an additional 0.41 lambs; P 0.01), and increased lambing and fecundity rates (P 0.01). After multiple ovulation, the average numbers of recovered embryos per ewe were 9.16 ± 0.79, 8.20 ± 0.77, and 8.44 ± 0.61 in the BB, B+, and ++ ewes, respectively (P 0.05). There were no differences in the fertilization rate or numbers of grade 1-2 embryos among different groups (P 0.05). The birth and weaning weights of lambs from BB and B+ ewes were lower than those of lambs born from ++ ewes (P 0.01) owing to the high fecundity. The survival rate of lambs at weaning did not differ among groups (P 0.05). Our results indicated that the presence of the B allele had an additive effect on litter size after artificial insemination, but it did not influence the parameters of estrus synchronization and multiple ovulation. Furthermore, the higher prolificacy in ewes carrying the B allele was associated with a reduction in offspring body weight at birth and weaning.

Artificial insemination is the general method of breeding for genetic improvement in offspring. However, almost half of the insemination cases fail to achieve full-term pregnancy, due to male infertility or subfertility. To maximize the success of insemination, accurate semen quality testing is required prior to insemination. Even though basic semen analyses have been used to provide preliminary information, it cannot fully identify the superior or inferior fertility bulls. Therefore, more powerful and easy to use methods for the prediction of male fertility are required, such as proteomic or microarray chips. During past decades, omics approaches have been developed and suggested the numerous fertility-related potential biomarkers. Our previous study identified the fertility related protein markers, enolase1 (ENO1), ATP synthase, H+ transporting, mitochondrial F1 complex, beta subunit (ATP5B), voltage-dependent anion channel 2 (VDAC2), phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxide (GPx4), and ubiquinol-cytochrome-c reductase complex core protein 2 (UQCRC2) in bovine spermatozoa. In the present study, we perform a marker combination assay using the western blot data of ENO1, ATP5B, VDAC2, GPx4, and UQCRC2 from 20 individual bull semen samples. And then, we identified the predictive ability of these markers for normal (non-return rate (NRR) ≥ 70%) and normal fertility (NRR

Dietary folate intake, together with changes in its metabolism process, have effects on male reproduction, sperm epigenetic patterning and offspring outcome. Previous studies have proven that PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) play important roles in successful spermatogenesis and regulating genes expression of sperm and offspring embryo. Herein, we fed breeder roosters with five different levels (0, 0.25, 1.25, 2.50, and 5.00 mg/kg) of folate throughout life and found that paternal folate supplementation was beneficial to the growth and organ development of offspring broilers. Further spermatozoal mRNAs sequencing analyses implied that the dietary folate supplementation could regulate the spermatozoal mRNA abundance of genes related to the fetal development. Furthermore, global piRNAs analyses of breeder roosters’ sperm revealed that differential concentration of dietary folate supplementation could change piRNAs profiles. Combined mRNAs sequencing and target gene prediction of differentially expressed gene-derived piRNAs, embryonic development and metabolism related pathways and biological processes, which were consisted to the regulatory roles of paternal folate supplementations, were significantly affected by the differentially expressed gene-derived piRNAs based on the GO and KEGG analyses. Overall, our results provided a novel insight into the role of piRNAs in response to folate intake, which will broaden the understanding about the relationship between folate and sperm epigenetic patterning of breeder roosters.

There is no data currently available on the semen quality and fertility of myostatin-knockout (MSTN−/−) boars. We showed that sexually mature adult homozygous MSTN mutant boars have an obvious “double muscling” phenotype, along with a MSTN−/− boar head, back, abdomen, eyes, and oral cavity. Additionally, no abnormalities were found in the reproductive organs. The semen color, odor, and pH also had no abnormalities. The MSTN−/− boars showed good sexual desire. The concentration, motility, plasma membrane integrity, deformity, acrosome integrity, and mitochondrial activity of the semen presented no significant differences from those of the control semen (Duroc). The ejaculation volume of the MSTN−/− boars was significantly lower than that of the control (168.78 ± 6.70 and 223.11 ± 21.21 mL, respectively). The rate of cleavage and blastocyst between the MSTN−/− and control boar semen were compared by in vitro fertilization. The results showed that in the eggs fertilized by the MSTN−/− boar semen, the two-cell and blastocyst rates were similar to those of the control semen (69.1 ± 0.7% vs 65.2 ± 1.6% and 20.2 ± 1.2% vs 22.8 ± 1.4% for the two-cell and blastocyst rates, respectively). In this study, nine healthy offspring were successfully produced through artificial insemination using the MSTN−/− boar semen. Thus, an MSTN−/− boar can be used as the terminal male parent and is expected to be developed into new super lean meat varieties in the future.

Several factors influence mammalian sex ratio. In this study, the effects of parental age and litter size on the offspring sex ratio in dogs were evaluated in 602 puppies born from 101 German Shepherd litters from a breeding facility. The data was obtained from recordings of the kennel and Studbook from 1996 to 2016. A linear mixed-model analysis was performed using dam age, sire age and litter size as predictors of the percentage of males in litter. Dam age and litter size has direct effect on sex ratio. Dam age * sire age and dam age * litter size interactions are significant. When evaluating dam age by sire age, the expected male percentage in the litter is higher for old dams mated with young sires and young dams mated with old sires. Smaller percentage of males is expected for young dams mated with young sires and old dams mated with old sires. When evaluating dam age by litter size, the expected percentage of males in the litter is higher for young dams delivering big litters and old dams delivering small litters. Smaller percentage of males is expected for young dams delivering small litters and old dams delivering big litters. Dam aging increased proportion of males in litters. We concluded that offspring sex ratio is determined partially by the dam age, sire age and litter size interactions in German Shepherd dogs.

Superovulation technique is important to improve the efficiency of oocyte and animal production and reduce the number of oocyte donors. Previously, we have reported that the coadministration of inhibin antiserum (IAS) and equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) results in the production of >100 oocytes in a 4-week-old female C57BL/6 mice. It is well established that superovulation depends on the age of the female mice. However, detailed data regarding the ovulation of juvenile, mature, and aged female mice following the administration of IAS and eCG as well as the performance of reproductive technologies using oocytes have not yet been investigated. In the present study, we examined the effect of the age of female mice (3-50 weeks old) on the number of ovulated oocytes via the coadministration of IAS and eCG or eCG alone. Treatment with IAS plus eCG produced the maximum number of oocytes at 4 weeks of age. Moreover, IAS plus eCG produced more oocytes than eCG alone in mice aged between 3 and 5 weeks or 7 and 30 weeks. The fertilization and birth rates were similar between the two treatments at any age. Moreover, after vitrifying and warming the embryos, the survival and birth rates of two-cell embryos were similar between the two treatments. Subsequently, we examined the optimal ages of female mice (between 24 and 34 days) to obtain a high and stable number of oocytes. In mice aged between 24 and 32 days, IAS plus eCG induced the production of more eggs than eCG alone. Notably, the coadministration of IAS and eCG in mice aged between 25 and 31 days resulted in stable ovulation and high number of oocytes. Using the tip of the optimal female aged between 25 and 31 days old, we demonstrated an efficient production of embryos and offspring between homozygous knockout males and few females aged 26-28 days via in-vitro fertilization and embryo transfer. In summary, the coadministration of IAS and eCG resulted in a higher number of oocytes in juvenile, mature, and aged female mice. This treatment may be useful for the efficient production of homozygous mutant mice from a limited number of female mice.

In vitro fertilization and somatic cell nuclear transfer are assisted reproduction technologies commonly used in humans and cattle, respectively. Despite advances in these technologies, molecular failures can occur, increasing the chance of the onset of imprinting disorders in the offspring. Large offspring syndrome/abnormal offspring syndrome (LOS/AOS) has been described in cattle and has features such as hypergrowth, malformation of organs, and skeletal and placental defects. In humans, Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) has phenotypic characteristics similar to those found in LOS/AOS. In both syndromes, disruption of genomic imprinting associated with loss of parental-specific expression and parental-specific epigenetic marks is involved in the molecular etiology. Changes in the imprinting pattern of these genes lead to loss of imprinting (LOI) due to gain or loss of methylation, inducing the emergence of these syndromes. Several studies have reported locus-specific alterations in these syndromes, such as hypomethylation in imprinting control region 2 (KvDMR1) in BWS and LOS/AOS. These LOI events can occur at multiple imprinted loci in the same affected individual, which are called multi-locus methylation defect (MLMD) events. Although the bovine species has been proposed as a developmental model for human imprinting disorders, there is little information on bovine imprinted genes in the literature, even the correlation of epimutation data with clinical characteristics. In this study, we performed a systematic review of all the multi-locus LOI events described in human BWS and LOS/AOS, in order to determine in which imprinted genes the largest changes in the pattern of DNA methylation and expression occur, helping to fill gaps for a better understanding of the etiology of both syndromes.

Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) allowed the births of >8 million babies worldwide. Even if ART children are healthy at birth, several studies reported that ART may cause changes in foetal programming, leading to an increased predisposition to metabolic disorders in adulthood. Previous studies on mouse model showed obesity, glucose intolerance, and hepatic lipid accumulation in ART offspring. A cumulative effect of the different components of ART protocol has been previously described, for example, in the occurrence of epigenetic defects. Here, we investigated whether there is a cumulative effect of embryo transfer (ET), in vitro culture (IVC) and blastomere biopsy (BB) in the onset of metabolic disorders in mouse offspring vs those naturally conceived (Control - CTR). To this aim, proteomic analysis was performed on the livers from adult mouse offspring developed following ET, IVC and BB vs CTR. We observed deregulated expression of proteins involved in lipid, carbohydrate, energy metabolisms and cellular processes in ART offspring. Moreover, we found increased body weight in all ART offspring while i) insulin resistance in BB male, ii) females glucose intolerance and high level of triglycerides and cholesterol in BB females and iii) low levels of interleukin-6 in BB, IVC and ET males. In conclusion, our study suggests that the use of various embryo manipulations influences the metabolic health of adult offspring, resulting in an increased predisposition to hepatic diseases and metabolic syndrome in a sex-specific manner.

Our aim was to establish an efficient culture system to produce embryos by SCNT of the endangered Vietnamese Ỉ pig. Reducing the serum concentration from 10.0% to 0.2% during culture efficiently synchronized Ỉ pig fibroblasts used as donor cells at the G0/G1 stage. Oocyte maturation in a defined porcine oocyte medium (POM) supplemented with EGF and gonadotrophins resulted in higher cleavage and blastocyst rates compared with a non-defined POM containing pig follicular fluid (but without EGF) and both the defined and non-defined variants of NCSU-37. For embryo culture PZM3 and PZM5 media were superior to NCSU-37, in terms of the percentage of cleaved embryos. Addition of serum to PZM3 medium on Day 5 of culture (Day 0 = SCNT) improved blastocyst development. When SCNT embryos were transferred at the blastocyst stage, 7 of 11 recipients became pregnant. However, live offspring were not obtained. In conclusion, we established a system for the production of Ỉ pig embryos by SCNT and achieved blastocyst production rate at 26.4% by improving culture systems for donor cells, oocytes and embryos culture. Transfer of embryos resulted in pregnancies; however, live offspring were not obtained.

To meet growing worldwide demands for animal products, animal production will need to increase in capacity and efficiency. Every opportunity to improve animal protein yield should be considered and explored. Developmental programming is one such opportunity that has not yet been thoroughly investigated in farm animal production. While developmental programming can be advantageous for the survival of the offspring, it is often described in conjunction with negative consequences. The known and potential causes and mechanisms are numerous, often stemming from some sort of stress experienced during the prenatal or early postnatal period. One stressor that is particularly concerning for farm animal production is heat stress. Heat stress is known to elicit adaptations associated with developmental programming in several species, but has not been investigated in dairy cattle until recently. Multiple studies have shown that heat stress experienced during the periconceptional period is generally associated with reduced milk production of resulting offspring. This could be the result of adaptations within the pre-ovulatory oocyte or early developing embryo. Interestingly, in a few select comparisons, periconceptional heat stress was associated with greater milk production. This was only observed when dairy cattle calved in the spring, and would therefore be reaching peak milk production in late spring or early summer (in heat stress). This is consistent with the match/mismatch theory associated with developmental programming, where matched prenatal/postnatal environments confer advantageous adaptations and mismatched prenatal/postnatal environments are generally detrimental to the offspring. While these studies are important additions to our growing knowledge of heat stress impacts on dairy cow production, the broader implication of developmental programming requires further investigation.

Embryonic development of an unfertilized egg, parthenogenesis, is known to occur in Chinese Painted quail. However, selection for parthenogenesis in both the dam and sire leads to a reduction in hatchability following mating. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine if selection for parthenogenesis in the dam, sire, or both also impact their progeny performance. There were 2 lines of birds used in this trial: 1 line selected for parthenogenesis and 1 line not selected for parthenogenesis (control) yielding breeding pairs as follows: control dams + control sires (CC), control dams + parthenogenetic sires (CP), parthenogenetic dams + control sires (PC), and parthenogenetic dams + parthenogenetic sires (PP). For all progeny, a dam line main effect revealed that the parthenogenetic line dams had heavier offspring hatch weight and 4 wk body weight as well as higher 1st wk chick mortality versus control line dams. However, control line dams had the highest 4th wk chick mortality versus parthenogenetic line dams. In female virgin progeny, a dam by sire interaction revealed that PP, PC, and CP had the heaviest 1st egg in the clutch position versus CC. Also, eggs from PP had the highest number of eggs and the most female progeny exhibiting parthenogenesis versus CC. There was a linear increase in egg weight as clutch position increased for progeny from PP and CC yet a linear decline for CP. In conclusion, it appears that both the dam and sire selected for parthenogenesis impact progeny performance as parthenogenetic dams and sires additively contribute to the degree of parthenogenesis exhibited by virgin female progeny. Moreover, because parthenogenesis is known to exist in the modern poultry industry, even the accidental selection of the parthenogenetic trait in either males or females could have a negative impact on overall chick production and performance.

To investigate the effects of maternal dietary selenium (Se-enriched yeast) on testis development, testosterone level and steroidogenesis-related gene expression in testis of their male kids, selected pregnant Taihang Black Goats were randomly allotted to four treatment groups. They were fed the basal gestation and lactation diets supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 2.0 and 4.0 mg of Se/kg DM. Thirty days after weaning, testes were collected from the kids. After the morphological development status of testis was examined, tissue samples were collected for analyzing testosterone concentration and histological parameters. Testosterone synthesis-related genes were detected using real-time PCR. Localization and quantification of androgen receptor (AR) in testis of goats were determined by immunohistochemical and western blot analysis. The results show that Se supplementation in the diet of dams led to higher (p < 0.05) testicular weight, volume, length, width, transverse and vertical grith of their male kids. Excessive Se (4.0 mg/kg) can inhibit the development of testis by decreasing testicular weight and volume. The density of spermatogenic cells and Leydig cells in the Se treatment groups was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than that in the control. Maternal dietary Se did not affect the thickness of testes, thickness of germinal epithelium and diameter of seminiferous tubule. Se supplemented in the diet of dams improved the testosterone level in testis tissue and serum, and promote the expression of testosterone-related genes. The mRNA expression of StAR, 3β-HSD and CYP11A1 was decreased with the increasing dietary Se levels of dams. Maternal dietary Se can improve the AR protein abundance in testis of their offspring. AR immunopositive product was detected in Leydig cells, peritubular myoid cells, perivascular smooth muscle cells, primary spermatocytes and spermatids. The expression of AR in spermatogenetic cells is stage specific. This study suggests that maternal dietary Se can influence the testis development and spermatogenesis of their male kids by modulating testosterone synthesis in goats. More attention should be given to the potential role of maternal nutrition in improving reproductive performance of their offspring.

In horses, pregnancy is characterized by high levels of maternal estrogens that are produced largely by the interstitial tissue inside the gonads of the offspring, associated with a physiological gonadal hyperplasia, that is uncommon in other species. However, a detailed structural-functional understanding of the early stages of gonadal development and hyperplasia has remained elusive in horse pregnancy because of the lack of substantial data. The goal of this study was to describe the genital organs' development in 19 early horse embryos and fetuses (days 20-140 of gestation) of both sexes by means of anatomy, histology, stereology, and immunohistochemistry, with a specific focus on gonadal hyperplasia and interstitial tissue development. Gonadal hyperplasia with similar amounts of interstitial cells was observed in both sexes, but only during the early stage of development (days 40-90). Surprisingly, a higher degree of hyperplasia, characterized by larger amounts of interstitial cell-rich areas, was seen in fetal ovaries from 90 days of gestation onwards. Another novel aspect was that parallel to the hyperplasia of the interstitial cells, a much more precocious and pronounced differentiation of germinal cells was seen in the ovary, characterized by an earlier peak and decrease of DAZL and OCT protein immune markers. In conclusion, a reduced degree of hyperplasia and interstitial tissue in the fetal testis after 90 days of gestation suggests the existence of a more efficient mechanism regarding the synthesis of estrogen precursors as a structural or physiological difference between both fetal sexes, which warrants further investigation.

We previously demonstrated that the cellular thermotolerance of cloned cattle produced by combination of ooplasm (o) derived from Taiwan native yellow cattle (Y) and the donor (d) nucleus derived from Holstein (H) cattle (Yo-Hd) transmits to their offspring (Yo-Hd-F1). In the present study, the responses of mitochondria in these cloned cattle and their offspring after heat shock were investigated to elucidate influence of cytoplasmic input (i.e., ooplasm) during the course of heat stress. After heat shock, oxidative phosphorylation proteins (Complex III and IV) of ear fibroblast cells with Y-originated cytoplasm (including Y, Yo-Hd, and Yo-Hd-F1 cattle) were significantly greater (P 0.05) than those of ear fibroblast cells with H-originated cytoplasm (including H, Ho-Hd, and Ho-Hd-F1 cattle). However, the expressions of Complex I and Complex II protein in heat shocked cells derived from Yo-Hd-F1 cattle were significantly (P 0.05) higher than those of cell derived from cattle with the H-cytoplasm. The catalase (CAT) expression in heat shocked ear fibroblast cells derived from Yo-Hd and Yo-Hd-F1 cattle were significantly (P 0.05) higher than that of cells derived from Ho-Hd-F1 cattle. However, the level of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) expression was higher (P 0.05) in ear fibroblast cells with Y-originated cytoplasm compared to cells with H-originated cytoplasm. In conclusion, the expression of proteins involved in mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation and antioxidant enzymes after heat shock was increased in ear fibroblast cells from cattle with Y-originated cytoplasm, which can be transmitted to their offspring.

Ovarian reserve has been suggested as an important contributing factor of reproductive success in bovine. Size of ovarian reserve is determined during fetal period and it could be altered by environmental factors, with which the dam is exposed. Maternal heat stress could impair placental function and fetal development; however, there is limited information on the impact of prenatal heat stress on fertility and ovarian reserve in the offspring. Therefore, a retrospective study was conducted, in which fertility parameters and AMH concentration, as a reliable marker of ovarian reserve in bovine, were studied in the offspring of dams that had been exposed to heat stress during the first (FTE), second (STE) or third (TTE) trimester of gestation and the offspring of dams unexposed to heat stress (US). Additionally, postpartum exposure of offspring with heat stress was considered in the model to adjust the statistical analysis in this regard. Days to first service (DFS) and calving to conception interval (CCI) were prolonged in exposed than unexposed cows (P < 0.05). Days to first service and CCI were also longer in STE compared with FTE cows (P < 0.05). First service conception rate was lower in TTE than UN cows (P < 0.05). The proportion of repeat breeders was higher in exposed compared with unexposed cows (P < 0.05). Service per conception was higher in STE and TTE than UN cows (P < 0.05). Culling rate between different periods of lactation was also higher in exposed than unexposed cows (P < 0.05). Finally, AMH concentration was lower in STE and TTE than UN cows (P < 0.05); moreover, it was lower in STE compared with FTE cows (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the present study revealed detrimental effects of maternal heat stress on fertility, productive longevity and ovarian reserve in the offspring. In this context, the second and third trimesters appeared to be more critical periods.

Genetic modification provides a means to enhancing disease resistance in animals. Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), a member of the TLR family, is critical for the recognition of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)/endotoxin from Gram-negative bacteria by host immune cells, which initiates cell activation and subsequently triggers a proinflammatory response to the invading pathogens. In this study, the first generation of genetically modified (GM) sheep overexpressing TLR4 was produced by microinjection for better disease resistance. Compared with wild-type (WT) rams, the GM rams have similar growth performance, basic semen quality and spermatozoon ultrastructure. The offspring birth rates after cervical artificial insemination were also similar between GM (90.32%) and WT (92.38%) rams. Overall, the presence and expression of the TLR4 transgene in the genome did not appear to interfere with normal semen production, reproductive traits and the ability of transgene transmission to offspring. The expression levels of TLR4, tumor necrosis factor and interferon gamma genes in monocyte/macrophages from GM sheep were significantly higher than that from WT sheep at early stages after LPS stimulation. The GM offspring born from the founder transgenic ram inseminated ewes had similar survival rate with WT offspring (88.89% vs 84.86%) at weaning. The TLR4 transgene showed no deleterious effects on growth performance, reproductive traits and offspring survivability of GM rams. Therefore, the GM sheep overexpressing TLR4 provide a powerful experimental model for analyzing function of TLR4 in vivo during infection and inflammation.

Several researchers have observed that environmental enrichment (EE) can be effective in reducing stressful conditions and abnormal behavior and may provide better reproductive performance in rodents. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the reproductive performance of Wistar rats reared in three different housing conditions. Animals were separated into breeding pairs, one pair per cage and pairs randomly assigned to three experimental groups (ten couples per group): control group were provided cages without any environmental enrichment; PVC group with PVC pipe; and cardboard roll group with a commercially available cardboard tube. To compare the reproductive performance of the three groups, the following were evaluated: number of pups/litter; number of litters; parturition interval; occurrence of cannibalism; weight gain of offspring; as well as the quantity and quality of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained after superovulation of the females born from the first, second and last pregnancy in all groups. Moreover, the plasma level of corticosterone in breeding animals was measured. A total of 60 male rats randomly selected from the first- and last-born litters (20 males from each group) were first tested in an elevated plus-maze (EPM) and on the following day, were tested in an open field test (OFT). Significant differences were found in the number and morphological classification of COCs. In the control group, the number of oocytes in grade 4 (unusual shapes and very heterogeneous ooplasm, presenting no layers of surrounding cumulus cells [13]) presented statistically higher rates (225/2535, 8.9%) compared to the other groups, as well as the number of competent oocytes was higher in the enriched groups (p = 0.001). Moreover, we find that the males of cardboard roll group differed significantly in weight gain compared to PVC group (p = 0.008). In addition to this, we did not detect occurrence of cannibalism in this group. Our findings suggest that environmental enrichment provides improvements in reproductive performance of Wistar rats.

The prenatal environment influences offspring health and development, and this is readily apparent when considering the well-described effects of maternal nutrition and stress on the postnatal metabolism, neural function, and stress response of progeny. Moreover, in laboratory species, sheep, and humans, the effects of in utero heat stress on offspring development have been described in detail for >50 years. Despite our extensive knowledge of the postnatal phenotypes elicited by in utero stressors, the carryover effects of in utero heat stress in pigs have only recently begun to be elucidated. The effects of climate change on increasing global temperatures, combined with greater metabolic heat production in modern swine, has increased heat stress susceptibility in pigs. Greater heat stress susceptibility can negatively affect swine welfare and performance and may impact future generations of pigs through in utero heat stress. Pigs exposed to in utero heat stress develop a variety of postnatal phenotypes that prevent profitable production, and compromise health, and welfare in commercial production systems. Specifically, in utero heat stress alters the postnatal stress response, core body temperature, response to an immune challenge, and is teratogenic. In addition, in utero heat stress changes postnatal body composition through reduced lean and increased adipose tissue accretion rates, respectively. Furthermore, in utero heat stress reduces piglet birth weight, body weight gain, and reproductive efficiency. Although the economic impact of in utero heat stress in pigs has yet to be determined, it likely rivals the postnatal consequences of heat stress and is a threat to the global sustainability of swine production.

There has been an increase in childhood cancer survivors over the past few decades, and with this, an increased awareness of the co-morbidities of the treatment or disease that affect the survivor's quality-of-life. The increased rate of infertility among this patient group and the desire to have biological children voiced by childhood cancer survivors underscores the urgent need for fertility preservation and development of techniques to restore fertility and gonadal hormone function for this population. The ovarian tissue contains a finite source of female gametes that can be transplanted to restore ovarian function and has resulted in over one hundred reported live births. However, the success of biological offspring per ovarian tissue transplant, the reduced lifespan of these transplants, and the potential for these tissues to contain cancer cells from patients with metastatic diseases supports the need for improved options. One innovation that could improve ovarian transplantation is the development of a bioprosthetic ovary comprised of a 3D printed scaffold with isolated ovarian follicles. A murine bioprosthetic ovary restored ovarian hormones in ovariectomized mice, which also gave birth to healthy offspring. Research is ongoing to create the next iteration of the scaffold that would support ovarian follicles from large animal models and humans with the hopes of translating this technology for patients.

Daidzein (DA) is a kind of isoflavone that is extracted primarily from soy plants and that has become increasingly popular as a dietary supplement. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of dietary DA supplementation for laying breeder hens on laying performance, reproductive organ development, hatching performance of seed eggs, and growth performance of offspring and to investigate the underlying molecular mechanisms. A total of 180 55-week-old laying breeder hens were randomly divided into 2 treatment groups and, after 3 weeks of acclimation, were fed either a control diet (CON) or a DA-supplemented diet (DAS, CON+30 mg/kg DA) for a total of 12 weeks. DAS treatment improved the laying rate, luteinizing hormone (LH) levels, and small yellow follicle (SYF) numbers without negative effects on the hatchability of breeder eggs or the growth performance of offspring. High-throughput RNA sequencing was utilized to identify differentially expressed genes in the SYF granulosa layer in the two groups. Transcriptome analysis showed that 161 genes (fold change ≥2 or ≤0.5; P-value

We have previously demonstrated that the somatic cells from cattle cloned with Holstein (H) donor cells and Taiwan native yellow cattle (Y) ooplasm (Yo-Hd) had better thermotolerance than those from cattle cloned with both Holstein donor cells and ooplasm (Ho-Hd). The present study aimed to investigate whether the cellular thermotolerance of these cloned cattle is transmissible to their offspring (Ho-Hd-F1 and Yo-Hd-F1). Thermotolerance of ear fibroblasts derived from these cloned cattle and their offspring were analyzed. Polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop of ear fibroblasts derived from Yo-Hd and Yo-Hd-F1 indicated that the cytoplasm is originated from Bos indicus (Y). After heat shock, the apoptotic rates, B-cell lymphoma 2-associated X protein/B-cell lymphoma 2 ratios, and relative expression levels of cysteine-aspartic proteases (caspases)-3, -8, and -9 of ear fibroblasts with Y-originated cytoplasm (including Y, Yo-Hd, and Yo-Hd-F1) were lower (P

It is now well recognized that the gestational environment can have long-lasting effects not only on the life span and health span of an individual but also, through potential epigenetic changes, on future generations. This article reviews the “prenatal programming” of the neuroendocrine systems that regulate reproduction, with a specific focus on the lessons learned using ovine models. The review examines the critical roles played by steroids in normal reproductive development before considering the effects of prenatal exposure to exogenous steroid hormones including androgens and estrogens, the effects of maternal nutrition and stress during gestation, and the effects of exogenous chemicals such as alcohol and environment chemicals. In so doing, it becomes evident that, to maximize fitness, the regulation of reproduction has evolved to be responsive to many different internal and external cues and that the GnRH neurosecretory system expresses a degree of plasticity throughout life. During fetal life, however, the system is particularly sensitive to change and at this time, the GnRH neurosecretory system can be “shaped” both to achieve normal sexually differentiated function but also in ways that may adversely affect or even prevent “normal function”. The exact mechanisms through which these programmed changes are brought about remain largely uncharacterized but are likely to differ depending on the factor, the timing of exposure to that factor, and the species. It would appear, however, that some afferent systems to the GnRH neurons such as kisspeptin, may be critical in this regard as it would appear to be sensitive to a wide variety of factors that can program reproductive function. Finally, it has been noted that the prenatal programming of neuroendocrine reproductive function can be associated with epigenetic changes, which would suggest that in addition to direct effects on the exposed offspring, prenatal programming could have transgenerational effects on reproductive potential.

The cross talk between gametes, embryos, and female reproductive tract plays a crucial role in fine tuning of different reproductive events as well as influencing the epigenetic profile of offspring and their health in adulthood. Here, we describe some background to the recent investigations leading to the discovery of this cross talk. We will also point to important requirements for understanding the maternal communication with gametes and embryos. Finally, we mention two probable hypotheses regarding how gametes and embryos are recognized by the female reproductive tract. It is clear that understanding this cross talk is leading to the production of new means for increasing fertility and potentials for affecting the epigenomic profile of an individual.

Although sheep have been widely adopted as an animal model for examining the timing of nutritional interventions through pregnancy on the short- and long-term outcomes, only modest programming effects have been seen. This is due in part to the mismatch in numbers of twins and singletons between study groups as well as unequal numbers of males and females. Placental growth differs between singleton and twin pregnancies which can result in different body composition in the offspring. One tissue that is especially affected is adipose tissue which in the sheep fetus is primarily located around the kidneys and heart plus the sternal/neck region. Its main role is the rapid generation of heat due to activation of the brown adipose tissue-specific uncoupling protein 1 at birth. The fetal adipose tissue response to suboptimal maternal food intake at defined stages of development differs between the perirenal abdominal and pericardial depots, with the latter being more sensitive. Fetal adipose tissue growth may be mediated in part by changes in leptin status of the mother which are paralleled in the fetus. Then, over the first month of life plasma leptin is higher in females than males despite similar adiposity, when fat is the fastest growing tissue with the sternal/neck depot retaining uncoupling protein 1, whereas other depots do not. Future studies should take into account the respective effects of fetal number and sex to provide more detailed insights into the mechanisms by which adipose and related tissues can be programmed in utero.

Carbetocin is an oxytocin-like compound with long acting properties that has recently been introduced to both human and domestic animal obstetrics. The aims of the present study were to evaluate the effects of carbetocin administration after the first piglet was born on farrowing duration, birth interval, colostrum consumption and vitality index in newborn piglets. In total, 186 sows and their offspring (n = 2611 piglets) were distributed into three groups: 1) CONTROL: sows were allowed to farrow naturally (n = 66); 2) OXY: sows were administered oxytocin 20 IU intramuscularly after the first piglet was born (n = 62); and 3) CARBE: sows were administered carbetocin 0.6 μg/kg intramuscularly after the first piglet was born (n = 58). The reproductive data of sows including farrowing duration, total number of piglets born per litter (TB), number of piglets born alive per litter (BA), proportion of stillborn piglets per litter (SB) and proportion of mummified fetuses per litter (MF) were recorded. Piglet vitality index including skin colour, integrity of the umbilical cord, heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, screaming score, udder stimulation score, movement capacity and number of completed circles around enclosure were determined. Birth weights of the piglets were measured immediately at birth and again at 24 h thereafter to determine the individual colostrum intake of the piglets. On average, the farrowing duration, birth interval and BA were 188.0 ± 95.7 min, 12.5 ± 18.3 min, and 12.3 ± 2.9 piglets per litter, respectively. The farrowing duration of the sows was reduced in CARBE group (151.2 ± 11.9 min) compared to OXY (180.2 ± 11.5 min, P = 0.003) and CONTROL (227.7 ± 11.2 min, P 0.001) groups. Birth interval of piglets in all categories of birth weight in the CARBE group was shorter than those in the CONTROL group (P 0.05). However, the colostrum yield of sows in CARBE group (2398 ± 133 g) was lower than CONTROL and OXY groups (3371 ± 125 g and 3549 ± 128 g, respectively; P 0.001). Similarly, colostrum intake of piglets in the CONTROL and OXY groups was higher than in the CARBE group (276.4 ± 11.0 g, 286.4 ± 13.6 g and 225.3 ± 14.0 g, respectively; P 0.05). The percentage of stillborn piglets in CARBE was higher than OXY (8.7 ± 1.1% vs 5.3 ± 1.1%, P 0.05) but did not differ significantly compared to CONTROL (7.5 ± 1.1%, P 0.05). The piglet movement capacity in CONTROL was lower than CARBE group (1.36 vs 1.48, P 0.05) but was not different compared to OXY group (1.40, P 0.05). In conclusion, administration of carbetocin after the birth of the first piglet reduced the farrowing duration of sows, but increased the number of stillborn piglets and reduced the colostrum yield of sows.

Infertility is a serious public health problem worldwide. Molybdenum (Mo) plays an important role in maintaining normal metabolism. To explore the therapeutic efficacy of molybdenum (Mo) on male infertility, 90 mice were randomly divided into control, busulfan and busulfan + Mo groups. The male mice in the busulfan and busulfan + Mo groups were exposed to busulfan (20 mg/kg body weight) with a single intraperitoneal injection to establish the infertility model. The sterile mice were successfully obtained 30 days after busulfan exposure. Then, the male mice in the busulfan + Mo group were given drinking water containing 20 mg/L Mo continuously for 42 days. At 72 Day after treatment, 30 mice in the three groups were tested for various indices, and 60 mice were mated with females in spontaneous estrus. Mo significantly reversed the thinner seminiferous tubules and disappeared tubule and germ cells. Mo also normalized previously abnormal levels of testosterone, estradiol, luteinizing hormone, superoxide dismutase, lactate dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde. Furthermore, expression levels expression of Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and caspase-9 returned to control levels; and finally, Mo-treated sterile mice obtained offspring with normal number and gender ratio. These results suggested that Mo at 20 mg/L had a significant therapeutic effect on reproductive dysfunction in sterile mice. Its mechanism could via repair of damaged testicular structures, regulation of abnormal reproductive hormone levels, decreased oxidative stress or and resistance to cell apoptosis. Mo may be a new candidate medicine for treatment of male infertility.

The last stage of fetal development and the neonatal period represent the most critical phases for the mammals' offspring. In the dog, the knowledge about the final intrauterine fetal development and biology, as well as about the neonatal physiology, remains scarce. Hormonal changes occurring in the last intrauterine fetal phase and during the early neonatal age are still not completely clear, probably because of the invasiveness related to the collection of the more common biological matrix, represented by circulating blood. Toward term of pregnancy, during parturition, and after birth, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is a key system regulating several physiological processes, and its activity was previously investigated by blood analysis, considered an invasive procedure providing a single-point measurement. In respect to animal welfare, and for a more correct long-term retrospective investigation, noninvasive hormonal studies were performed firstly on the hair of humans and coat of animals and, more recently, in the nails of human beings. This study was aimed to assess cortisol (COR) in coat and claws of newborn puppies and to evaluate the possible influence of the newborn gender, breed body size, and age on coat and claws COR concentrations. The results obtained from 165 newborn puppies evidenced that coat and claws COR levels were highly correlated each other (P0.0001), although the COR accumulation in the two matrices was different in relation to the class of age. Moreover, the puppies age influenced both coat and claws COR concentrations (P0.05), with premature puppies showing higher values when compared to term born-dead puppies or puppies dead between 1 and 30 days of age. The present study reported that COR is quantifiable in coat and claws of newborn dogs. Moreover, both matrices appear as useful tools for new, noninvasive, long-term perinatal and neonatal researches also in canine species.