Background: Cryopreservation of farm animal embryos is nowadays a widely used routine technique. Success in cryopreservation of form animal depends on many factors including: freezing medium, types of cryoproctants, melting process, lipid content in ooplasm and oocyte quality It has been found that immature Oocytes with reduced reproductive performance or slaughtered at the end of their use are...

OBJECTIVE Nutrients and antioxidants in the medium of immature oocyte have a profound effect on maturation, fertilization and development of resulting embryos. In this study the effects of melatonin as an antioxidant agent on maturation, glutathione level and expression of High mobility group box-1 (HMGB1) gene were evaluated in immature oocytes of mice stained with brilliant cresyl blue (BCB)....

By PHAEDON FESSAS F EW EXAMPLES of erythrocytic inclusions due to abnormalities of the hemoglobin molecule are known. The first concerns Hb H.”2 Although the precipitates of Hgb H, such as is observed in the usual test employing brilliant cresyl blue, are produced artificially, there is evidence that some are formed spontaneously in vivo.’4 The second example is that of Hb Zurich; the precipita...

The rate of penetration of brilliant cresyl blue into the living cells of Nitella indicates that the dye enters only in the form of the undissociated molecule. At equilibrium the total concentration of the dye in the sap is proportional to the concentration of the free base in the outside solution.

By PHAEDON FESSAS F EW EXAMPLES of erythrocytic inclusions due to abnormalities of the hemoglobin molecule are known. The first concerns Hb H.”2 Although the precipitates of Hgb H, such as is observed in the usual test employing brilliant cresyl blue, are produced artificially, there is evidence that some are formed spontaneously in vivo.’4 The second example is that of Hb Zurich; the precipita...

A glass electrode apparatus is described with which pH measurements can be made with as small volumes as 2 drops (about 0.14 cc.) of solution. Using this apparatus the change of pH of the vacuolar sap of Nitella, due to the penetration of brilliant cresyl blue, has been readily followed. The sap and the dye have been found to poison the usual type of hydrogen electrode.

Cellular ATP is mainly generated through mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, which is dependent on mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). We have previously demonstrated the importance of oocyte mtDNA for porcine and human fertilization. However, the role of nuclear-encoded mitochondrial replication factors during oocyte and embryo development is not yet understood. We have analyzed two key factors, m...

Background: This study was conducted in order to determine whether BCB staining performed on immature bovine oocytes to assess G6pdhlevel has an impact on ivf/ivp technology in bovine embryos. Both spermatozoa and oocytes metabolize glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), and NADPH appears necessary for gamete fusion. Activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), the key e...

When the living cells of Nitella are placed in a solution of brilliant cresyl blue containing NH(4)Cl, the rate of accumulation of the dye in the sap is found to be lower than when the cells are placed in a solution of dye containing no NH(4)Cl and this may occur without any increase in the pH value of the cell sap. This decrease is found to be primarily due to the presence of NH(3) in the sap ...