Exogenous control of follicular wave emergence in cattle

Factors affecting oocyte quality and quantity in commercial application of embryo technologies in the cattle breeding industry.

Regulation of ovarian follicular dynamics in farm animals. Implications for manipulation of reproduction.

A multi-channel system for classifying particles in a mixture of particles according to one or more characteristics including a common source of electromagnetic radiation for producing a beam of electromagnetic radiation and a beam splitter for producing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation for directing multiple beams of electromagnetic radiation to each interrogation location associated with each flow channel of the multi-channel system.

Apparatus, methods and processes for sorting particles and for providing sex-sorted animal sperm

Endometritis, a major cause of mare infertility arising from failure to remove bacteria, spermatozoa and inflammatory exudate post-breeding, is often undiagnosed. Defects in genital anatomy, myometrial contractions, lymphatic drainage, mucociliary clearance, cervical function, plus vascular degeneration and inflamm-ageing underlie susceptibility to endometritis. Diagnosis is made through detecting uterine fluid, vaginitis, vaginal discharge, short inter-oestrous intervals, inflammatory uterine cytology and positive uterine culture. However, these signs may be absent in subclinical cases. Hypersecretion of an irritating, watery, neutrophilic exudate underlies classic, easy-to-detect streptococcal endometritis. In contrast, biofilm production, tenacious exudate and focal infection may characterize subclinical endometritis, commonly caused by Gram-negative organisms, fungi and staphylococci. Signs of subclinical endometritis include excessive oedema post-mating and a white line between endometrial folds on ultrasound. In addition, cultures of uterine biopsy tissue or of small volume uterine lavage are twice as sensitive as guarded swabs in detecting Gram-negative organisms, while uterine cytology is twice as sensitive as culture in detecting endometritis. Uterine biopsy may detect deep inflammatory and degenerative changes, such as disruption of the elastic fibres of uterine vessels (elastosis), while endoscopy reveals focal lesions invisible on ultrasound. Mares with subclinical endometritis require careful monitoring by ultrasound post-breeding. Treatments that may be added to traditional therapies, such as post-breeding uterine lavage, oxytocin and intrauterine antibiotics, include lavage 1-h before mating, carbetocin, cloprostenol, cervical dilators, systemic antibiotics, intrauterine chelators (EDTA-Tris), mucolytics (DMSO, kerosene, N-acetylcysteine), corticosteroids (prednisolone, dexamethasone) and immunomodulators (cell wall extracts of Mycobacterium phlei and Propionibacterium acnes).

Clinical and Subclinical Endometritis in the Mare: Both Threats to Fertility

Sperm-induced leukocytosis in the equine uterus.

Increased ovarian responses in the absence of a dominant follicle in superovulated cows

Sex diagnosis of equine preimplantation embryos using the polymerase chain reaction.

Insemination results with slow-cooled stallion semen stored for 70 or 80 hours.

Intrauterine fluid (IUF) was collected using a tampon from mid-oestrous mares (n = 57) with and without ultrasonically detectable accumulations of free intraluminal fluid Bacteria were cultured and neutrophils counted from all samples (n = 57) Total protein concentration, trypsin-inhibitor capacity (TIC), and plasmin, beta-glucuronidase (B-Gase) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAGase) activities were determined in 27 IUF samples The motility of spermatozoa in the presence of IUF, IUF extended with Kenney's medium (1:1) and Kenney's medium alone was analysed in 9 samples using a Hamilton-Thorn motility analyser Thirty-five mares were inseminated immediately after collection of IUF, and every second day until ovulation Embryos were recovered nonsurgically 6 days after ovulation After embryo transfer, fluid accumulations were recorded during oestrus and an endometrial biopsy specimen taken (n = 53) In the beginning of oestrus, fluid accumulations were detected in 39% (22/57) of mares, while on the day when IUF was collected, fluid accumulations were observed in 26% (15/57) of mares The fluid was anechogenic, and in 80% of the mares located in the uterine body None of the mares exhibited cytological or bacteriological evidence of acute endometritis Total protein concentrations, TIC and B-Gase activities in IUF were statistically significantly lower in mares with fluid accumulations (n = 14) than in mares without fluid accumulations (n = 13) (p < 001) The addition of undiluted IUF to extended semen significantly reduced total and progressive motilities, path velocities and percentages of rapid spermatozoa (p < 005) in vitro On endometrial biopsy, fibrosis was found to be more prominent (p = 0025) in mares with fluid accumulations (n = 9) than in mares without (n = 44) It was concluded that anechogenic fluid accumulations during oestrus were associated with compositional changes in IUF Although IUF had negative effects on spermatozoal motility in vitro, the presence of fluid accumulations at the time of insemination did not affect embryo recovery rates

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Mirja Huhtinen

Papers

Sperm-induced leukocytosis in the equine uterus.

Increased ovarian responses in the absence of a dominant follicle in superovulated cows

Sex diagnosis of equine preimplantation embryos using the polymerase chain reaction.

Insemination results with slow-cooled stallion semen stored for 70 or 80 hours.

Intrauterine fluid accumulation in oestrous mares