BACKGROUND The intensive use of anthelmintics for the control of helminthic infections has resulted in the development of anthelmintic resistance, which has become a major practical problem in many countries. A variety of tests are available to monitor anthelmintic resistance but most of them are expensive, laborious and time consuming and therefore unpractical for large field surveys. The main...

Polyspermy or the penetration of more than one sperm cell remains a problem during porcine in vitro fertilization (IVF). After in vitro culture of porcine zygotes, only a low percentage of blastocysts develop and their quality is inferior to that of in vivo derived blastocysts. It is unknown whether the cytoplasmic maturation of the oocyte is sufficiently sustained in current in vitro maturatio...

Parthenogenetic embryonic stem cells (pESCs) have been generated in several mammalian species from parthenogenetic embryos that would otherwise die around mid-gestation. However, previous reports suggest that pESCs derived from in vivo ovulated (IVO) mature oocytes show limited pluripotency, as evidenced by low chimera production, high tissue preference and especially deficiency in germline com...

BACKGROUND Supplementation of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes during in vitro maturation (IVM) with 1 μM of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), C22:6 n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, was reported to improve in vitro embryo development. The objective of this paper was to decipher the mechanisms of DHA action. RESULTS Transcriptomic analysis of 1 μM DHA-treated and control cumulus cells after 4 h IVM sh...

Metastasis, the process by which cells spread from the primary tumor to a distant site to form secondary tumors, is still not fully understood. Although histological techniques have provided important information, they give only a static image and thus compromise interpretation of this dynamic process. New advances in intravital microscopy (IVM), such as two-photon microscopy, imaging chambers,...

Two morphologically marked strains of Haemonchus contortus, CAVRS (smooth-macrocyclic lactone resistant) and McMaster (linguiform-macrocyclic lactone susceptible), were used to investigate the selection for anthelmintic resistance following exposure to ivermectin (IVM), a non-persistent anthelmintic. and a more persistent anthelmintic, oral moxidectin (MOX). Three types of selection were invest...

The objective of this study was to determine if the presence of porcine growth hormone (pGH) during porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) affected subsequent embryo development. Pig cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) (n=987) were aspirated from slaughterhouse derived ovaries and cultured in BSA-free NCSU-23 medium containing porcine follicular fluid (10% v/v), cysteine (0.1 mg/ml) and hormonal s...

In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes is a promising technology for both the treatment of human infertility and in animal production as a means of improving genetic gain. However, IVM derived oocytes remain inferior to those matured in vivo with reduced developmental potential. The environment in which an oocyte matures in vitro is vastly different to in vivo where maturation takes place within ...

BACKGROUND Crocin is an active ingredient of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) and its antioxidant properties have been previously investigated. This carotenoid scavenges free radicals and stimulates glutathione (GSH) synthesis; consequently, it may protect cells against oxidative stress. The aim of this research is to protect oocytes from oxidative stress by the addition of a natural source antioxid...

A study was conducted to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two injectable formulations of ivermectin (IVM-1 and IVM-2) at a dose rate of 0.3 mg/kg bodyweight versus placebo in the treatment and control of larval and adult stages of Ascaris suum and Oesophagostomum spp. in experimentally infected pigs. Seventy helminth free pigs were allocated on a liveweight basis to 7 groups each comprising...