Background: In recent years, the widespread use of microwave producing instruments specially mobile phones; result in growing concern regarding the possible effects associated with these waves on human health. Some studies highlight the possible health hazards of electromagnetic fields (EMF), while others contest the hypothesis of biological impact of EMF. The aim of this study was to evaluate ...

The germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF) is a member of the nuclear receptor super family of transcription factors. GCNF expression during gastrulation and neurulation is critical for normal embryogenesis in mice. GCNF represses expression of the POU domain transcription factor Oct4 during mouse post-implantation development in vivo. Oct4 is thus down-regulated during female gonadal development, whe...

BACKGROUND The gonadotropin-induced resumption of oocyte meiosis in preovulatory follicles is preceded by expression of epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like peptides, amphiregulin (AREG) and epiregulin (EREG), in mural granulosa and cumulus cells. Both the gonadotropins and the EGF-like peptides possess the capacity to stimulate resumption of oocyte meiosis in vitro via activation of a broad sign...

The effects of a progesterone antagonist (onapristone) on heat synchronization, luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, ovulation, oocyte maturation and fertilization of superovulated ewes were studied. Its effects on in vitro bovine oocyte maturation and fertilization were also studied. Estrus synchronization and superovulation treatments were applied to 39 adult ewes using an intravaginal sponge with...

A long-standing tradition uses strings of poppit beads different colors to model meiosis, especially show how segments paired homologous chromosomes are recombined. Our use orthodontic latex bands cohesion sister chromatids, and plastic coffee stirrers as microtubules, extends what can normally be achieved with ‘standard’ commercial kits beads, so emphasizing the importance four key...

Oroxylum indicum (L.) Kurz a well know and pharmaceutically explored medicinal plant of the family Bignoniaceae but in context cytological work, meagre information is available on same plant. During present investigation six accessions O. were studied for understanding male meiosis related events using standard techniques. Although, meiotic course was found to be regular, anomalies such as chro...

Background: Studies of preimplantation stage embryos by classic cytogenetic techniques have limitations, starting with the need for good metaphase stage when only one third of all analyzed embryos may show good quality metaphases. The incidence of chromosome anomalies in embryos produced by in vitro procedures is generally higher than that of embryos formed in vivo. Pressure specifically affect...

Soma-germline interactions control fertility at many levels, including stem cell proliferation, meiosis and gametogenesis, yet the nature of these fundamental signaling mechanisms and their potential evolutionary conservation are incompletely understood. In C. elegans, a sperm-sensing mechanism regulates oocyte meiotic maturation and ovulation, tightly coordinating sperm availability and fertil...