BACKGROUND This study aimed to investigate the maturation and fertilization rates of immature mouse oocytes using Embryonic Stem Cell Conditioned Medium (ESCM). METHODS Germinal Vesicle (GV) stage oocytes were observed in 120 NMRI mice, aged 4-6 weeks. GV oocytes with or without cumulus cells were subjected to IVM in either ESCM, Embryonic Stem Cell Growth Medium (ESGM), or α-minimum essentia...

objective: this study evaluated in vitro maturation (ivm) of oocytes in the germinal vesicle (gv) stage in stimulated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (icsi) cycles. materials and methods: a total of 26 women, aged 18 -37 years, who were candidates for icsi at the fatemeh zahra infertility and health reproductive research center in 2007 were recruited for this study. we used the standard long p...

Prevalence of keratinophilic fungi was observed in paddy field soil during different stages of cultivation viz., transplanting, tillering, milking and maturation. Out of total 76 soil samples, 65 soil samples were found to be positive for the keratinophilic fungi. Fourteen species belonging to a single genus Chrysosporium were isolated through out the cropping season. C. keratinophilum (17.1%) ...

The crowns of matrix metalloproteinase 20 (Mmp20) null mice fracture at the dentino-enamel junction (DEJ), whereas the crowns of kallikrein-related peptidase 4 (Klk4) null mice fracture in the deep enamel just above the DEJ. We used backscatter scanning electron microscopy to assess enamel mineralization in incisors from 9-wk-old wild-type, Klk4 null, and Mmp20 null mice, and in developing pig ...

Primary cultures of fetal rat calvarial osteoblasts undergo a developmental sequence with respect to the temporal expression of genes encoding osteoblast phenotypic markers. Based on previous suggestions that gene-nuclear matrix associations are involved in regulating cell- and tissue-specific gene expression, we investigated the protein composition of the nuclear matrix during this development...

To investigate the protein profiling of buffalo oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage and metaphase II (MII) stage, an iTRAQ-based strategy was applied. A total of 3,763 proteins were identified, which representing the largest buffalo oocytes proteome dataset to date. Among these proteins identified, 173 proteins were differentially expressed in GV oocytes and competent MII oocytes, and 14...

The evaluation of medium for in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes has progressed towards more defined conditions for the studies evaluating effect of specific components in the medium. Therefore, aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of fatty acid free-bovine serum albumin (FAF-BSA) alone or supplemented with epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the in vitro maturation medium on in ...

We examined the effect of fetal calf serum (FCS) on meiotic division, subsequent fertilization, and first cleavage to the 2-cell stage of rat oocytes during in vitro maturation. FCS had no effect on the nuclear progression from dictiate to metaphase of the second maturation in vitro and, FCS had no effect on the first cleavage to the 2-cell stage of fertilized oocytes. However, FCS efficiently ...

VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) is the master regulator of blood vessel growth. However, it displayed substantial limitations when delivered as a single gene to restore blood flow in ischaemic conditions. Indeed, uncontrolled VEGF expression can easily induce aberrant vascular structures, and short-term expression leads to unstable vessels. Targeting the second stage of the angiogenic...

OBJECTIVE: To present the methods for clinical evaluation of sexual maturation in adolescents. METHODS: Bibliographic review concerning the practice of pubertal staging. RESULTS: The assessment of sexual maturation is an essential step in the comprehensive health care of adolescents, allowing for the evaluation of their developmental stage. In addition, this assessment allows establishing a cor...