Embryo biotechnologies in sheep: Achievements and new improvements.

To date, large-scale use of multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) programmes in ovine species is limited due to unpredictable results and high costs of hormonal stimulation and treatment. Therefore, even if considered reliable, they are not fully applicable in large-scale systems. More recently, the new prospects offered by in vitro embryo production (IVEP) through collection of oocytes post-mortem or by repeated ovum pick-up from live females suggested an alternative to MOET programmes and may be more extensively used, moving from the exclusive research in the laboratory to field application. The possibility to perform oocytes recovery from juvenile lambs to obtain embryos (JIVET) offers the great advantage to significantly reduce the generation interval, speeding the rate of genetic improvement. Although in the past decades several studies implemented novel protocols to enhance embryo production in sheep, the conditions of every single stage of IVEP can significantly affect embryo yield and successful transfer into the recipients. Moreover, the recent progresses on embryo production and freezing technologies might allow wider propagation of valuable genes in small ruminants populations and may be used for constitution of flocks without risks of disease. In addition, they can give a substantial contribution in preserving endangered breeds. The new era of gene editing might offer innovative perspectives in sheep breeding, but the application of such novel techniques implies involvement of specialized operators and is limited by relatively high costs for embryo manipulation and molecular biology analysis.

Postpartum Uterine Involution in Martina Franca Jennies.

This study investigated the postpartum (PP) uterine involution in nine multiparous Martina Franca jennies with at term, normal, and singleton foaling. Transrectal ultrasonography performed at Days 1, 3, 7, 14, 21, and 28 showed that the uterine tip diameters did not differ between the post-pregnant (PPH) and non-post-pregnant uterine horns (NPPH), whereas the diameter of the middle PPH was larger than the NPPH until Day 7 (p < 0.05). The diameter of the corpora-cornual junction resulted larger in the PPH than NPPH at Day 7 (p < 0.05). At Day 3, the microcaruncolae were not detected. Endometrial glands (GL) number increased, with the highest value on Day 28. Endometrial GL area and perimeter decreased (p < 0.001) from Day 1 to Day 28. Epithelial thickness increased from Days 1-3 to Day 7 (p < 0.001), and concurrently with the foal heat to Day 14 (p < 0.001), with a decrease at Days 21-28. A marked neutrophils reduction on Day 7 and eosinophil increase from the first three days to Days 7-14 was observed. The results suggest that, in Martina Franca jennies with normal foaling, the PP uterine involution can be considered complete on Day 14.

Histological and Immunohistochemical Features of Trichoblastoma in a Sarda Breed Sheep.

Skin tumors with adnexal differentiation are commonly reported in dogs and cats, while only anecdotal evidence is available in sheep. Here we illustrate the macroscopic, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of a cutaneous lesion with adnexal differentiation in a 6-year-old female Sarda breed sheep, surgically treated for a horn-like mass located in the left pinna. Additionally, we investigate a possible contribution of Ovine Papillomaviruses (OaPVs). Histologically, the dermis was expanded by an expansive and unencapsulated multilobulated nodule composed of cuboidal to spindle basaloid cells arranged in variably-sized cytokeratins (CK) AE1-AE3, CK 5/6 and CK 34 beta E12, p63-positive winding cords with a characteristic palisade arrangement of neoplastic cells in the periphery of the tumor. Based on these results, the cutaneous neoplasm was diagnosed as a trabecular trichoblastoma with spindle cells and rare structures resembling papillary mesenchymal bodies. Additionally, multiple enlarged sebaceous lobules clustered around dilated ducts suggestive of sebaceous gland hyperplasia were detected near the trichoblastoma. No PV DNA was found in the examined tissues, suggesting that ovine PVs are not involved in the pathogenesis of the present skin tumors with adnexal differentiation. Further investigations and efforts are required to elucidate the prevalence of skin tumors with adnexal differentiation in this species.