In vitro maturation medium supplementation: utilization of repaglinide, L-carnitine, and mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium to improve developmental competence of oocytes derived from endometriosis mouse models.

Endometriosis (EMS) is one of the most prevalent causes for female infertility. Herein, we investigated the effect of the repaglinide (RG), L-carnitine (LC), and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (BMSC-CM) supplementation during in vitro maturation (IVM) on the quality, maturation, and fertilization rates, as well as embryonic quality and development of oocytes derived from normal and EMS mouse model. Immature oocytes were collected from two groups of normal and EMS-induced female NMRI mice at 6-8 weeks of age. Oocytes were cultured in IVM medium unsupplemented (control group), or supplemented with 1 M RG, 0.3 and 0.6 mg/mL LC, and 25 and 50% BMSC-CM. After 24 h of oocyte incubation, IVM rate and antioxidant status were assessed. Subsequently, the rates of fertilization, cleavage, blastulation, and embryonic development were assessed. Our results demonstrated that supplementation of IVM medium with LC and BMSC-CM, especially 50% BMSC-CM, significantly enhanced IVM and fertilization rates, and markedly improved blastocyst development and total blastocyst cell numbers in EMS-induced mice compared to the control group (53.28±0.24 vs 18.09±0.10%). Additionally, LC and BMSC-CM were able to significantly modulate EMS-induced nitro-oxidative stress by boosting total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and mitigating nitric oxide (NO) levels. Collectively, LC and BMSC-CM supplementation improved oocyte quality and IVM rates, pre-implantation developmental competence of oocytes after in vitro fertilization, and enhanced total blastocyst cell numbers probably by attenuating nitro-oxidative stress and accelerating nuclear maturation of oocytes. These outcomes may provide novel approaches to refining the IVM conditions that can advance the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies in infertile couples.

In vitro maturation medium supplementation: utilization of repaglinide, L-carnitine, and mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium to improve developmental competence of oocytes derived from endometriosis mouse models

Endometriosis (EMS) is one of the most prevalent causes for female infertility. Herein, we investigated the effect of the repaglinide (RG), L-carnitine (LC), and bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell-conditioned medium (BMSC-CM) supplementation during in vitro maturation (IVM) on the quality, maturation, and fertilization rates, as well as embryonic quality and development of oocytes derived from normal and EMS mouse model. Immature oocytes were collected from two groups of normal and EMS-induced female NMRI mice at 6-8 weeks of age. Oocytes were cultured in IVM medium unsupplemented (control group), or supplemented with 1 M RG, 0.3 and 0.6 mg/mL LC, and 25 and 50% BMSC-CM. After 24 h of oocyte incubation, IVM rate and antioxidant status were assessed. Subsequently, the rates of fertilization, cleavage, blastulation, and embryonic development were assessed. Our results demonstrated that supplementation of IVM medium with LC and BMSC-CM, especially 50% BMSC-CM, significantly enhanced IVM and fertilization rates, and markedly improved blastocyst development and total blastocyst cell numbers in EMS-induced mice compared to the control group (53.28±0.24 vs 18.09±0.10%). Additionally, LC and BMSC-CM were able to significantly modulate EMS-induced nitro-oxidative stress by boosting total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and mitigating nitric oxide (NO) levels. Collectively, LC and BMSC-CM supplementation improved oocyte quality and IVM rates, pre-implantation developmental competence of oocytes after in vitro fertilization, and enhanced total blastocyst cell numbers probably by attenuating nitro-oxidative stress and accelerating nuclear maturation of oocytes. These outcomes may provide novel approaches to refining the IVM conditions that can advance the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies in infertile couples.

Effects of Coriander Essential Oil on the Performance, Blood Characteristics, Intestinal Microbiota and Histological of Broilers

Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of the dietary supplementation of coriander oil on broiler performance, blood characteristics, microbiota, and small intestine morphology measurements. A number of one-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were allocated to five treatments, with four replicates according to a completely randomized design (CRD). Birds were offered either a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control), or the basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg of a flavophospholipol antibiotic, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg coriander essential oil. At 42 days of age, two birds per replicate were selected for blood collection, slaughtered, and its intestinal microbiota and morphology were investigated. The results indicated that weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio significantly improved by the dietary inclusion of the coriander oil and antibiotic compared with the control treatment (p 0.01). Blood biochemistry parameters were not affected by dietary treatments (p>0.05). Birds fed the coriander oil and antibiotic diets had lower populations of Escherichia coli than control group in cecum (p 0.05). The dietary treatments influenced the morphology of small intestinal villi. Birds fed antibiotic and coriander essential oil presented higher villus height and crypt depth compared with those in the control treatment (p 0.01). Coriander essential oil supplementation significantly decreased epithelial thickness and the number of goblet cell of the small intestinal compared with the control treatment (p 0.0001). In conclusion, coriander oil was shown to be an efficient growth promoter. The intestinal health improvement obtained with coriander oil was associated with improvements in broiler growth performance.(AU)

Effects of Coriander Essential Oil on the Performance, Blood Characteristics, Intestinal Microbiota and Histological of Broilers

Present study was conducted to investigate the effects of the dietary supplementation of coriander oil on broiler performance, blood characteristics, microbiota, and small intestine morphology measurements. A number of one-day-old broiler chickens (Ross 308) were allocated to five treatments, with four replicates according to a completely randomized design (CRD). Birds were offered either a corn-soybean meal basal diet (control), or the basal diet supplemented with 600 mg/kg of a flavophospholipol antibiotic, 100, 200, or 300 mg/kg coriander essential oil. At 42 days of age, two birds per replicate were selected for blood collection, slaughtered, and its intestinal microbiota and morphology were investigated. The results indicated that weight gain, feed intake, and feed conversion ratio significantly improved by the dietary inclusion of the coriander oil and antibiotic compared with the control treatment (p 0.01). Blood biochemistry parameters were not affected by dietary treatments (p>0.05). Birds fed the coriander oil and antibiotic diets had lower populations of Escherichia coli than control group in cecum (p 0.05). The dietary treatments influenced the morphology of small intestinal villi. Birds fed antibiotic and coriander essential oil presented higher villus height and crypt depth compared with those in the control treatment (p 0.01). Coriander essential oil supplementation significantly decreased epithelial thickness and the number of goblet cell of the small intestinal compared with the control treatment (p 0.0001). In conclusion, coriander oil was shown to be an efficient growth promoter. The intestinal health improvement obtained with coriander oil was associated with improvements in broiler growth performance.

Complete conservation of an immunogenic gene (lcr1) in Leishmania infantum and Leishmania chagasi isolated from Iran, Spain and Brazil.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Kala-azar is the visceral and most severe form of leishmaniasis that leads to death if untreated. The causative agents of visceral leishmaniasis (VL) are members of Leishmania (L.) donovani complex which includes L. chagasi and L. infantum. Genome sequences have raised the question whether L. chagasi and L. infantum are synonymous or different. This question has important implications for clinical and epidemiological studies, evaluation of vaccines and drugs, and disease control. LCR1 is an immunogenic molecule discovered from L. chagasi with potential as a component of a Leishmania subunit vaccine. If this protein has potentials for being used in a vaccine or diagnostic testing, there should be little variability in this molecule between L. infantum isolates from diverse geographic regions. The aim of this study was to determine whether lcr1 of an Iranian strain of L. infantum was identical to lcr1 of both L. infantum strain from a different geographic region (Spain) and that of an L. chagasi isolate from Brazil. METHODS: L. infantum isolated from an Iranian kala-azar patient was studied. Lcr1 from this isolate was PCR amplified, cloned, and studied by restriction digest analysis and sequencing. RESULTS: The sequences of lcr1 of the Iranian L. infantum were completely identical at nucleotide level to lcr1 sequences of both the Spanish L. infantum and the Brazilian L. chagasi strains. CONCLUSION: Complete conservation of the DNA sequence encoding for LCR1 molecule between geographically distinct Leishmania species adds credibility to the potential for LCR1 as a component of a subunit vaccine and diagnostic test for kala-azar.