Androgens act through the nuclear androgen receptor (AR) to regulate gonad differentiation and development. In mice, AR is necessary for spermatogenesis, testis development, and formation of external genitalia in males and oocyte maturation in females. However, the extent to which these phenotypes are conserved in nonmammalian vertebrates is not well understood. Here, we generate zebrafish with...

Background: In vitro culture of ovarian follicles may preserve fertility in women with premature ovarian failure due to cancer .It seems that creation a condition that could maintain cellular communications and supports growth of follicles to produce mature oocytes appear to be essential. Nitric oxide (NO) has been recently shown to act with a dual action in mouse oocyte meiotic maturation depe...

oocyte maturation and embryo development are controlled by intra-ovarian factors such as steroid hormones. progesterone (p4) exists in the follicular fluid that contributes to normal mammalian ovarian function and has several critical functions during embryo development and implantation, including endometrial receptivity, embryonic survival during gestation and transformation of the endometrial...

Objective DNA methylation is one the epigenetic mechanisms, which is critically involved in gene expression. This phenomenon is mediated by DNA methyl-transferases and is affected by environmental stress, including in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes. Melatonin, as an antioxidant, may theoretically be involved in epigenetic regulation via reductions of reactive oxygen species. This study was p...

In vitro maturation (IVM) is being increasingly used to treat human infertility, especially as rescue therapy for patients of polycystic ovarian syndrome and ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Quality control and the determination of optimal fertilization conditions—important to increase the use of IVM oocytes for embryo production and improve pregnancy success rates—require a detailed understa...

Since the pig is not only an important farm animal, but also a model animal for biomedical applications, the development of reproductive technologies in this species has been very important. In vitro oocyte maturation and fertilization (IVM-IVF) are basic techniques for a number of oocyte- or embryo-related technologies. The practical aspects for pig oocyte IVM-IVF have been reviewed, while the...

Background: Mitochondria are the most aboudent and small essential organelles found in eukaryotic cells. These are semiautonomous organelles for the production of cellular ATP that through its various biochemical pathways. The primary pathway for ATP production is OXPHOS via the electron transfer chain (ETC) which is encoded by nuclear DNA and mtdna genomes. Mitochondria consist of double stran...

The serpin peptidase inhibitor, clade E, member 2 (SERPINE2) inhibits urokinase-type plasminogen activator (PLAU) and tissue-type plasminogen activator. Higher SERPINE2 expression levels were detected in cumulus cells of human immature oocytes than in those of mature oocytes. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether high SERPINE2 levels in cumulus cells are associated with oocyte imm...

Some aspects of oxidative metabolism during cytoplasmic maturation of the Bufo arenarum oocyte have been studied. During the autumn-winter period (immature oocyte), carbohydrates are degraded through the glycolytic pathway, followed by the classical tricarboxylic acid cycle. During the spring--summer period (mature oocyte), carbohydrates are mainly used through the pentose phosphate cycle, whil...

The inhibitor CEP-33779 is a specific selective inhibitor of Janus kinase 2 (JAK2). In most somatic cells, JAK2 plays essential roles in cellular signal transduction and in the regulation of cell cycle. Little is known regarding the effects of JAK2 on mammalian oocyte maturation. In the present study, we investigated the effects of CEP-33779 on mouse oocytes' meiosis and the possible mechanisms...