Microwave Dielectric Response of Bovine Milk as Pregnancy Detection Tool in Dairy Cows.

The most reliable methods for pregnancy diagnosis in dairy herds include rectal palpation, ultrasound examination, and evaluation of plasma progesterone concentrations. However, these methods are expensive, labor-intensive, and invasive. Thus, there is a need to develop a practical, non-invasive, cost-effective method that can be implemented on the farm to detect pregnancy. This study suggests employing microwave dielectric spectroscopy (MDS, 0.5-40 GHz) as a method to evaluate reproduction events in dairy cows. The approach involves the integration of MDS data with information on milk solids to detect pregnancy and identify early embryonic loss in dairy cows. To test the ability to predict pregnancy according to these measurements, milk samples were collected from (i) pregnant and non-pregnant randomly selected cows, (ii) weekly from selected cows (n = 12) before insemination until a positive pregnancy test, and (iii) daily from selected cows (n = 10) prior to insemination until a positive pregnancy test. The results indicated that the dielectric strength of Δε and the relaxation time, τ, exhibited reduced variability in the case of a positive pregnancy diagnosis. Using principal component analysis (PCA), a clear distinction between pregnancy and nonpregnancy status was observed, with improved differentiation upon a higher sampling frequency. Additionally, a neural network machine learning technique was employed to develop a prediction algorithm with an accuracy of 73%. These findings demonstrate that MDS can be used to detect changes in milk upon pregnancy. The developed machine learning provides a broad classification that could be further enhanced with additional data.

The Effect of Mycotoxins and Their Mixtures on Bovine Spermatozoa Characteristics.

There is growing concern about the effects of mycotoxins on mammalian reproduction. Although the effects of single mycotoxins have been well documented, the impact of their mixtures on spermatozoon quality is less known. Here, frozen-thawed semen (n = 6 bulls) was in-vitro-cultured (2 h) without (control) or with (i) a single mycotoxin [zearalenone (ZEN), ochratoxin A (OTA), toxin 2 (T2), and diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS)] in a dose-response manner; (ii) binary mixtures (OTA + T2, OTA + ZEN, OTA + DAS, ZEN + T2, DAS + T2 and ZEN + DAS); or (iii) ternary mixtures (OTA + DAS + T2, OTA + ZEN + T2, and ZEN + DAS + T2). Then, the spermatozoa quality was characterized according to its plasma- and acrosome-membrane integrity, mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxidation status by a flow cytometer. Exposure to single mycotoxins or binary mixtures did not affect the spermatozoa characteristics. However, exposure to the ternary mixtures, OTA + DAS + T2 and OTA + ZEN + T2, reduced (p < 0.05) the mitochondrial membrane potential relative to the control. In addition, OTA + ZEN + T2 increased (p < 0.05) the proportion of spermatozoa with reactive oxygen species relative to the control. The most suggested interaction effect between the mycotoxins was found to be an additive one. A synergistic interaction, mainly regarding the oxidation status of the spermatozoa, was also found between the mycotoxins. The current study sheds light on the potential risk of exposing spermatozoa to a mycotoxin mixture.

Pupil Size Is Sensitive to Low-Level Stimulus Features, Independent of Arousal-Related Modulation.

Similar to a camera aperture, pupil size adjusts to the surrounding luminance. Unlike a camera, pupil size is additionally modulated both by stimulus properties and by cognitive processes, including attention and arousal, though the interdependence of these factors is unclear. We hypothesized that different stimulus properties interact to jointly modulate pupil size while remaining independent from the impact of arousal. We measured pupil responses from human observers to equiluminant stimuli during a demanding rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task at fixation and tested how response amplitude depends on contrast, spatial frequency, and reward level. We found that under constant luminance, unattended stimuli evoke responses that are separable from changes caused by general arousal or attention. We further uncovered a double-dissociation between task-related responses and stimulus-evoked responses, suggesting that different sources of pupil size modulation are independent of one another. Our results shed light on neural pathways underlying pupillary response.

Representations in human primary visual cortex drift over time.

Primary sensory regions are believed to instantiate stable neural representations, yet a number of recent rodent studies suggest instead that representations drift over time. To test whether sensory representations are stable in human visual cortex, we analyzed a large longitudinal dataset of fMRI responses to images of natural scenes. We fit the fMRI responses using an image-computable encoding model and tested how well the model generalized across sessions. We found systematic changes in model fits that exhibited cumulative drift over many months. Convergent analyses pinpoint changes in neural responsivity as the source of the drift, while population-level representational dissimilarities between visual stimuli were unchanged. These observations suggest that downstream cortical areas may read-out a stable representation, even as representations within V1 exhibit drift.

Effect of the aflatoxins B1 and M1 on bovine oocyte developmental competence and embryo morphokinetics.

Aflatoxins are considered as reproductive toxins for mammalian species. Here, we studied the effect of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and its metabolite aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) on the development and morphokinetics of bovine embryos. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured with AFB1 (0.032, 0.32, 3.2, 32 µM) or AFM1 (0.015, 0.15, 1.5, 15, 60 nM), then fertilized and the putative zygotes were cultured in an incubator equipped with a time-lapse system. Exposing COCs to 32 µM AFB1 or 60 nM AFM1 reduced the cleavage rate, whereas exposing them to 3.2 or 32 µM AFB1 further reduced the blastocyst formation. A delay was recorded for the first and second cleavages in a dose-dependent manner for both AFB1- and AFM1-treated oocytes. A delay was recorded in the third cleavage in the AFM1-treated group. To explore potential mechanisms, subgroups of COCs were examined for nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation (n = 225; DAPI and FITC-PNA, respectively), and mitochondrial function was examined in a stage-dependent manner. COCs were examined for their oxygen consumption rates (n = 875; Seahorse XFp analyzer) at the end of maturation, MII-stage oocytes were examined for their mitochondrial membrane potential (n = 407; JC1), and putative zygotes were examined using a fluorescent time-lapse system (n = 279; IncuCyte). Exposing COCs to AFB1 (3.2 or 32 µM) impaired oocyte nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and increased mitochondrial membrane potential in the putative zygotes. These alterations were associated with changes in the expression of mt-ND2 (32 µM AFB1) and STAT3 (all AFM1 concentrations) genes in the blastocyst stage, suggesting a carryover effect from the oocyte to the developing embryos.

Seasonal variation in the morphokinetics of in-vitro-derived bovine embryos is associated with the blastocyst developmental competence and gene expression.

Summer heat stress is a major cause of reduced development of preimplantation embryos. Nevertheless, seasonal effects on embryo morphokinetics have been less studied. We used a non-invasive time-lapse system that allows continuous monitoring of embryos to study the seasonal impact on embryo morphokinetics. The experiments were performed during the cold and the hot seasons. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from ovaries, in-vitro-matured, and fertilized. Putative zygotes were cultured in an incubator equipped with a time-lapse system. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were lower in the hot vs. the cold season (p < 0.01). The kinetics of the embryos differed between seasons, reflected by a delay in the second cleavage in the hot vs. the cold season (p < 0.03). The distribution of the embryos into different morphological grades (good, fair, and poor) throughout the first three cleavages differed between seasons, with a higher proportion of good-grade embryos in the hot season (p < 0.03). Cleaved embryos were categorized as either normal or abnormal, based on their first cleavage pattern. Normal cleavage was defined as when the first cleavage resulted in two equal blastomeres and further classified as either synchronous or asynchronous, according to their subsequent cleavages. Abnormal cleavage was defined as when the embryo directly cleaved into more than two blastomeres, it cleaved unequally into two unevenly sized blastomeres, or when the fusion of already divided blastomeres occurred. The proportion of abnormally cleaved embryos was higher in the hot season vs. the cold one (p < 0.01), reflected by a higher proportion of unequally cleaved embryos (p < 0.02). In the cold season, abnormally cleaved embryos had a lower potential to develop into blastocysts relative to their normally cleaved counterparts (p < 0.001). Blastocysts that developed in the cold and the hot seasons differed in the expression of genes that related to the cell cycle (STAT1; p < 0.01), stress (HSF1; p < 0.03), and embryo development (ZP3; p < 0.05). A higher expression level was recorded for the STAT1 and UHRF1 genes in blastocysts that developed from unequally vs. the synchronously cleaved embryos (p < 0.04). We provide the first evidence for a seasonal effect on embryo morphokinetics, which might explain the reduced embryo development during the hot season.

Association between the morphokinetics of in-vitro-derived bovine embryos and the transcriptomic profile of the derived blastocysts.

The time-lapse system is a non-invasive method that enables a continuous evaluation through embryo development. Here, we examined the association between the morphokinetics of the developing embryo and the transcriptomic profile of the formed blastocysts. Bovine oocytes were matured and fertilized in vitro; then, the putative zygotes were cultured in an incubator equipped with a time-lapse system. Based on the first-cleavage pattern, embryos were categorized as normal or abnormal (68.5±2.2 and 31.6±2.3%, respectively; P<0.001). A cleaved embryo was defined as normal when it first cleaved into two equal blastomeres; it was classified as synchronous or asynchronous according to its subsequent cleavages. An abnormal pattern was defined as direct, unequal, or reverse cleavage. Direct cleavage was classified as division from one cell directly into three or more blastomeres; unequal cleavage was classified as division that resulted in asymmetrically sized blastomeres; and reverse cleavage of the first division was classified as reduced number of blastomeres from two to one. Of the normally cleaving embryos, 60.2±3.1% underwent synchronous cleavage into 4, 8, and 16 blastomeres, and 39.7±3.1% cleaved asynchronously (P<0.001). The blastocyte formation rate was lower for the synchronously vs. the asynchronously cleaved embryos (P<0.03). The abnormally cleaved embryos showed low competence to develop to blastocysts, relative to the normally cleaved embryos (P<0.001). Microarray analysis revealed 895 and 643 differentially expressed genes in blastocysts that developed from synchronously and asynchronously cleaved embryos, respectively, relative to those that developed from directly cleaved embryos. The genes were related to the cell cycle, cell differentiation, metabolism, and apoptosis. About 180 differentially expressed genes were found between the synchronously vs. the asynchronously cleaved embryos, related to metabolism and the apoptosis mechanism. We provide the first evidence indicating that an embryo's morphokinetics is associated with the transcriptome profile of the derived blastocyst, which might be practically relevant for the embryo transfer program.

Natural scene sampling reveals reliable coarse-scale orientation tuning in human V1.

Orientation selectivity in primate visual cortex is organized into cortical columns. Since cortical columns are at a finer spatial scale than the sampling resolution of standard BOLD fMRI measurements, analysis approaches have been proposed to peer past these spatial resolution limitations. It was recently found that these methods are predominantly sensitive to stimulus vignetting - a form of selectivity arising from an interaction of the oriented stimulus with the aperture edge. Beyond vignetting, it is not clear whether orientation-selective neural responses are detectable in BOLD measurements. Here, we leverage a dataset of visual cortical responses measured using high-field 7T fMRI. Fitting these responses using image-computable models, we compensate for vignetting and nonetheless find reliable tuning for orientation. Results further reveal a coarse-scale map of orientation preference that may constitute the neural basis for known perceptual anisotropies. These findings settle a long-standing debate in human neuroscience, and provide insights into functional organization principles of visual cortex.

ExAgBov: A public database of annotated variations from hundreds of bovine whole-exome sequencing samples.

Large reference datasets of annotated genetic variations from genome-scale sequencing are essential for interpreting identified variants, their functional impact, and their possible contribution to diseases and traits. However, to date, no such database of annotated variation from broad cattle populations is publicly available. To overcome this gap and advance bovine NGS-driven variant discovery and interpretation, we obtained and analyzed raw data deposited in the SRA public repository. Short reads from 262 whole-exome sequencing samples of Bos Taurus were mapped to the Bos Taurus ARS-UCD1.2 reference genome. The GATK best practice workflow was applied for variant calling. Comprehensive annotation of all recorded variants was done using the Ensembl Variant Effect Predictor (VEP). An in-depth analysis of the population structure revealed the breeds comprising the database. The Exomes Aggregate of Bovine- ExAgBov is a comprehensively annotated dataset of more than 20 million short variants, of which ~2% are located within open reading frames, splice regions, and UTRs, and more than 60,000 variants are predicted to be deleterious.

Progesterone supplementation to improve fertility of selected subgroups of lactating cows during the summer and fall.

One major cause of low fertility of cows in the summer is progesterone deficiency. We found that insertion of a controlled intravaginal drug-releasing (CIDR) device containing progesterone after artificial insemination (AI) increases pregnancy per AI (P/AI) in cows with uterine disease and low body condition score after calving. Here, we treated only these two subgroups, during the summer and autumn. Control (n = 191 AI) and treatment (n = 230 AI) cows were inseminated at estrus and the treated group received a CIDR device on day 5 post-AI, for 14 days. Overall analysis of data during the summer and autumn indicated no significant differences between treatment and control groups. Analysis of the summer data only indicated a significant effect of treatment: P/AI was higher in CIDR-treated vs. control groups (34.2% vs. 19.3%; p < .038). Results indicated a 15% increase in P/AI during the summer for CIDR-treated cows in subgroups that had responded positively to the progesterone treatment.

Task-related hemodynamic responses in human early visual cortex are modulated by task difficulty and behavioral performance.

Early visual cortex exhibits widespread hemodynamic responses in the absence of visual stimulation, which are entrained to the timing of a task and not predicted by local spiking or local field potential. Such task-related responses (TRRs) covary with reward magnitude and physiological signatures of arousal. It is unknown, however, if TRRs change on a trial-to-trial basis according to behavioral performance and task difficulty. If so, this would suggest that TRRs reflect arousal on a trial-to-trial timescale and covary with critical task and behavioral variables. We measured functional magnetic resonance imaging blood-oxygen-level-dependent (fMRI-BOLD) responses in the early visual cortex of human observers performing an orientation discrimination task consisting of separate easy and hard runs of trials. Stimuli were presented in a small portion of one hemifield, but the fMRI response was measured in the ipsilateral hemisphere, far from the stimulus representation and focus of spatial attention. TRRs scaled in amplitude with task difficulty, behavioral accuracy, reaction time, and lapses across trials. These modulations were not explained by the influence of respiration, cardiac activity, or head movement on the fMRI signal. Similar modulations with task difficulty and behavior were observed in pupil size. These results suggest that TRRs reflect arousal and behavior on the timescale of individual trials.

Carryover effects of feeding bulls with an omega-3-enriched-diet-From spermatozoa to developed embryos.

The impact of omega-3 nutritional manipulation on semen cryosurvival and quality post thawing is controversial. Our aim was to examine how feeding bulls with omega-3 supplementation from different sources affects the spermatozoa quality parameters. Fifteen Israeli Holstein bulls were fed for 13 weeks with a standard ration top-dressed with encapsulated-fat supplementation: fish or flaxseed oil or saturated fatty acids (control). Ejaculates were collected before, during, and after the feeding trial. Frozen-thawed samples were evaluated by a flow cytometer for spermatozoa viability, mitochondrial membrane potential, the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS), acrosome membrane integrity, DNA fragmentation, phosphatidylserine translocation, and membrane fluidity. Both fish and flaxseed oil treatment resulted in lower ROS levels vs. control groups, during and after the feeding trial. Fewer spermatozoa with damaged acrosomes were observed in the fish oil group after the feeding trial. The spermatozoa membrane fluidity was altered in both the fish and flaxseed oil groups throughout the feeding trial, but only in the flaxseed oil group after the feeding trial. The proportion of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA was lower in the flaxseed oil group after the feeding trial. The spermatozoa fertilization competence did not differ between groups however, blastocyst formation rate was higher in the fish and flaxseed oil groups relative to the control. This was associated with differential gene expression in the blastocysts. Overall, the omega-3-enriched food improved the spermatozoa characteristics; this was further expressed in the developing blastocysts, suggesting a carryover effect from the spermatozoa to the embryos.

Spatiotopic and retinotopic memory in the context of natural images.

Neural responses throughout the visual cortex encode stimulus location in a retinotopic (i.e., eye-centered) reference frame, and memory for stimulus position is most precise in retinal coordinates. Yet visual perception is spatiotopic: objects are perceived as stationary, even though eye movements cause frequent displacement of their location on the retina. Previous studies found that, after a single saccade, memory of retinotopic locations is more accurate than memory of spatiotopic locations. However, it is not known whether various aspects of natural viewing affect the retinotopic reference frame advantage. We found that the retinotopic advantage may in part depend on a retinal afterimage, which can be effectively nullified through backwards masking. Moreover, in the presence of natural scenes, spatiotopic memory is more accurate than retinotopic memory, but only when subjects are provided sufficient time to process the scene before the eye movement. Our results demonstrate that retinotopic memory is not always more accurate than spatiotopic memory and that the fidelity of memory traces in both reference frames are sensitive to the presence of contextual cues.

Cooling is the predominant strategy to alleviate the effects of heat stress on dairy cows.

Reduced reproductive performance of lactating cows during the summer is associated mainly with intensive genetic selection for high milk production, which places a great load on the thermoregulatory mechanism. In the last decades, a big effort has been made to explore the mechanism by which heat stress compromises fertility. The data gained so far revealed that the effect of thermal stress on the female reproductive tract is multifactorial in nature. Based on this understanding, new strategies to mitigate the effect of heat stress have been developed. The review summarizes some of the physiological responses of the cow to elevated temperature and discusses its limitations to maintain normothermia. The review emphasizes that cooling is the predominant strategy used today to alleviate the effects of heat stress. Findings from the Israel dairy herd indicate that efficient cooling management can improve milk production during the summer to a similar level of the winter, expressed by summer to winter ratio of 0.98. However, cooling as a singular approach cannot eliminate the decline in reproduction. Nonetheless, an efficient cooling system is a prerequisite for any other strategy. The review suggests additional hormonal treatments to improve reproductive performance during the summer. Given the complexity of heat stress effects on reproduction, comprehensive reproductive management during the summer is suggested, that is combining two or more strategies in a programme, might be more beneficial.

New evidence for deleterious effects of environmental contaminants on the male gamete.

The decreasing trend in human and domestic animal fertility in recent decades has resulted in the question of whether reduced sperm quality is associated with changes in global climate and the environment. Proposed causes for reduced sperm quality include environmental contaminants, which enter into the body of animals through the food chain and are transported to the reproductive tract, where contaminating agents can have effects on fertilization capacities of gametes. In this review, there is a focus on various environmental contaminants and potential effects on male fertility. Human-derived contaminants, particularly endocrine-disrupting phthalates and the pesticide atrazine, are discussed. Naturally occurring toxins are also addressed, in particular mycotoxins such as aflatoxin which can be components in food consumed by humans and animals. Mechanisms by which environmental contaminants reduce male fertility are not clearly defined; however, are apparently multifactorial (i.e., direct and indirect effects) with there being diverse modes of action. Results from studies with humans, rodents and domestic animals indicate there are deleterious effects of contaminants on male gametes at various stages of spermatogenesis (i.e., in the testis) during passage through the epididymis, and in mature spermatozoa, after ejaculation and during capacitation. Considering there is never detection of a single contaminant, this review addresses synergistic or additive effects of combinations of contaminants. There is new evidence highlighted for the long-lasting effects of environmental contaminants on spermatozoa and developing embryos. Understanding the risk associated with environmental contaminants for animal reproduction may lead to new management strategies, thereby improving reproductive processes.

Association between Fatty Acid Composition, Cryotolerance and Fertility Competence of Progressively Motile Bovine Spermatozoa.

An association between progressive motility (PM) and spermatozoa fertility competence has been suggested. However, the mechanism that underlies PM is not clear enough. We examined physiological characteristics and fatty acid composition of fresh spermatozoa with high and low PM. Additional analysis of fatty acid composition and structural characteristics was performed on spermatozoa samples with high and low progressively motile spermatozoa's survival (PMSS), i.e., the ratio between the proportion of progressively motile spermatozoa after and before cryopreservation. Finally, a fertility field trial was conducted to examine the association between the number of PM spermatozoa within the insemination straw post thawing and conception rate. Analysis of fresh spermatozoa revealed a higher omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in ejaculates with low PM relative to those with high PM (p < 0.01). The proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids was higher in low-PMSS fresh samples (p < 0.05) relative to their high-PMSS counterparts. Fresh samples with high-PMSS expressed a higher mitochondrial membrane potential (p < 0.05) and a higher proportion of viable cells that expressed reactive oxygen species (ROS; p < 0.05). Post-thawing evaluation revealed a reduced proportion of progressively motile sperm, with a prominent effect in samples with high PM relative to low PM, defined before freezing (p < 0.01). No differences in spermatozoa mitochondrial membrane potential or ROS level were found post-thawing. A fertility study revealed a positive correlation between the number of progressively motile spermatozoa within a standard insemination straw and conception rate (p < 0.05). Considering these, the bull PMSS is suggested to be taken into account at the time of straw preparation.

Administration of GnRH at Onset of Estrus, Determined by Automatic Activity Monitoring, to Improve Dairy Cow Fertility during the Summer and Autumn.

We examined gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) administration at onset of estrus (OE), determined by automatic activity monitoring (AAM), to improve fertility of dairy cows during the summer and autumn. The study was performed on two dairy farms in Israel. The OE was determined by AAM recorded every 2 h, and a single im dose of GnRH analogue was administered shortly after OE. Pregnancy was determined by transrectal palpation, 40 to 45 d after artificial insemination (AI). Conception risk was analyzed by the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Brief visual observation of behavioral estrus indicated that about three-quarters of the events (n = 40) of visually detected OE occurred within 6 h of AAM-detected OE. Accordingly, the GnRH analogue was administered within 5 h of AAM-detected OE, to overlap with the expected endogenous preovulatory LH surge. Overall, pregnancy per AI (P/AI) was monitored over the entire experimental period (summer and autumn) in 233 first, second or third AI (116 and 117 AI for treated and control groups, respectively). Least square means of P/AI for treated (45.8%) and control (39.4%) groups did not differ, but group-by-season interaction tended to differ (p = 0.07), indicating no effect of treatment in the summer and a marked effect of GnRH treatment (n = 58 AI) compared to controls (n = 59 AI) on P/AI in the autumn (56.6% vs. 28.5%, p < 0.03). During the autumn, GnRH-treated mature cows (second or more lactations), and postpartum cows exhibiting metabolic and uterine diseases, tended to have much larger P/AI than their control counterparts (p = 0.07-0.08). No effect of treatment was recorded in the autumn in first parity cows or in uninfected, healthy cows. In conclusion, administration of GnRH within 5 h of AAM-determined OE improved conception risk in cows during the autumn, particularly in those exhibiting uterine or metabolic diseases postpartum and in mature cows. Incorporation of the proposed GnRH treatment shortly after AAM-detected OE into a synchronization program is suggested, to improve fertility of positively responding subpopulations of cows.

Task-related activity in human visual cortex.

The brain exhibits widespread endogenous responses in the absence of visual stimuli, even at the earliest stages of visual cortical processing. Such responses have been studied in monkeys using optical imaging with a limited field of view over visual cortex. Here, we used functional MRI (fMRI) in human participants to study the link between arousal and endogenous responses in visual cortex. The response that we observed was tightly entrained to task timing, was spatially extensive, and was independent of visual stimulation. We found that this response follows dynamics similar to that of pupil size and heart rate, suggesting that task-related activity is related to arousal. Finally, we found that higher reward increased response amplitude while decreasing its trial-to-trial variability (i.e., the noise). Computational simulations suggest that increased temporal precision underlies both of these observations. Our findings are consistent with optical imaging studies in monkeys and support the notion that arousal increases precision of neural activity.

Progesterone Regulation of Milk Fat Globule Size Is VLDL Dependent.

Progesterone plays a pivotal role during mammogenesis and serves as an inhibitor of the secretory activation of mammary cells in the last days of gestation. However, its role during lactogenesis, in particular its involvement in lipid metabolism, and milk fat content and composition, is unknown. Here, we provide new evidence of progesterone's involvement in the regulation of milk fat globule (MFG) synthesis and secretion. Findings from both in vivo and in vitro studies indicated that the concentration and the direction (increase vs. decrease) of progesterone concentration to which the mammary epithelial cells (MECs) are exposed affect MFG size. This was found to be very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) dependent: in the presence of VLDL, the proportion of MEC with small lipid droplets (<1 µm) increased 2.4-fold, and the proportion of large lipid droplets (>1 µm) increased 4-fold; in the absence of VLDL, no differences were found. The findings add to our understanding of the mechanism underlying the regulation of MFG size and provide new evidence for progesterone's role in lipid metabolism in the mammary gland during lactogenesis. The fact that the size, synthesis, and composition of MFG are affected by the cyclic pattern of progesterone concentration in the circulation might have physiologically relevant consequences, in particular on milk as a nutritional source.

Effect of environmental contamination on female and male gametes - A lesson from bovines.

Endocrine-disrupting compounds (EDCs) and foodborne contaminants are environmental pollutants that are considered reproductive toxicants due to their deleterious effects on female and male gametes. Among the EDCs, the phthalate plasticizers are of growing concern. In-vivo and in-vitro models indicate that the oocyte is highly sensitive to phthalates. This review summarizes the effects of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and its major metabolite mono(2-ethyhexyl) phthalate (MEHP) on the oocyte. MEHP reduces the proportion of oocytes that fertilize, cleave and develop to the blastocyst stage. This is associated with negative effects on meiotic progression, and disruption of cortical granules, endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial reorganization. MEHP alters mitochondrial membrane polarity, increases reactive oxygen species levels and induces alterations in genes associated with oxidative phosphorylation. A carryover effect from the oocyte to the blastocyst is manifested by alterations in the transcriptomic profile of blastocysts developed from MEHP-treated oocytes. Among foodborne contaminants, the pesticide atrazine (ATZ) and the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) are of high concern. The potential hazards associated with exposure of spermatozoa to these contaminants and their carryover effect to the blastocyst are described. AFB1 and ATZ reduce spermatozoa's viability, as reflected by a high proportion of cells with damaged plasma membrane; induce acrosome reaction, expressed as damage to the acrosomal membrane; and interfere with mitochondrial function, characterized by hyperpolarization of the membrane. ATZ and AFB1-treated spermatozoa show a high proportion of cells with fragmented DNA. Exposure of spermatozoa to AFB1 and ATZ reduces fertilization and cleavage rates, but not that of blastocyst formation. However, fertilization with AFB1- or ATZ-treated spermatozoa impairs transcript expression in the formed blastocysts, implying a carryover effect. Taken together, the review indicates the risk of exposing farm animals to environmental contaminants, and their deleterious effects on female and male gametes and the developing embryo.