Effects of cis-9, trans-11 and trans-10, cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid supplementation on maternal reproductive parameters.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a mixture of positional isomers of linoleic acid found in ruminant products and meat. The diet supplementing with CLA is an emerging area, requiring studies to elucidate its effects on animals and human reproduction, as well as its side effects. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of CLA gastric administration, during the pregestational and gestational period in biometric and reproductive parameters, as well as in ovarian morphophysiology. Animals were distributed in three groups: (1) control (n = 10); (2) fish oil (n = 10); and (3) CLA (n = 10), that daily received, by gavage, phosphate-buffered saline, fish oil and CLA, respectively, carried out over 50 days (before mating, mating and pregnancy). There was an increment in the nasoanal distance and Lee index of the CLA and fish oil-treated groups during the first weeks (P > 0.05). CLA administration did not affect the ovarian follicle mobilization (P > 0.05), the number of follicles (P > 0.05) and the integrated density of lipid content of oocytes included in antral follicles (P > 0.05). There was no effect of CLA administration on the litter weight (P > 0.05; F2 and F3), however, an increment (P < 0.05) in the number of pups per litter (F2) was observed. Overall, this study demonstrated the absence of side effects of the CLA gastric administration on mice reproductive performance and suggests that this treatment would transgenerationally enhance fertility in this species.

Ectopic autologous transplantation of ovarian tissue as a feasible technique to assess ovarian morphophysiology.

The cryopreservation of murine ovarian tissue and its transplantation can be a promising technique for the preservation of fertility and an alternative for the future reconstitution of scientific valuable strains of mice. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to describe the entire surgical procedure for ovariectomy and dorsal subcutaneous autotransplantation in mice, and also some data about the efficiency of this procedure. Female C57Bl/6J mice (n = 18) were anaesthetised and bilaterally ovariectomized. After surgery, ovaries were autotransplanted in small subcutaneous pouches in the dorsal region of the forelimbs. The animals were inspected daily and, 23 days after transplantation, euthanasia and recovery of ovarian tissues were performed. Postoperative recovery, oestrous cyclicity, and folliculogenesis progression were evaluated. At 23 days after transplantation, the recovery of the ovaries was feasible, all classes (primordial to antral) of follicles were observed. Additionally, satisfactory efficiency rates were obtained, with 100% of anaesthesia survival rate, survival, graft recovery, folliculogenesis progression and oestrous cyclicity. In general, this short article describes ovarian ectopic autologous transplantation as an effective technique for maintaining rodent oogenesis and endocrine ovarian function. Even more broadly, we can still assume that the application of this technique may reduce the number of breeding matrices and experimental animals in the near future.