Search results for "Sperm"
showing 10 items of 658 documents
Re-establishment of complement C6-deficient rabbit colony by cryopreserved sperm transported from abroad.
2007
Introducing rabbits as genetic materials into institutes for experimental animals from other colonies is essential for biomedical research. Currently, it is inconvenient to transport live rabbits from abroad, since they suffer from stress, are prone to accidents and must be inspected, as well as endure quarantine during the often long journey. To overcome these limitations of live animals, we transported sperm cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen. Rabbit sperm was collected from complement C6-deficient rabbits in Germany and then transported to Japan using a dry-shipper containing liquid nitrogen. After thawing the frozen semen and artificial insemination (AI), eleven live pups were born. Subse…
Sperm kinematic characterization of alpaca ( Vicugna pacos L.) during the reproductive season
2018
Semen analysis is a key factor when determining the fertility ability in males. South American camelids, and in particular the alpaca, have been studied very little when compared with other farm animals. The aim of this work was to perform the kinematic characterization of alpaca spermatozoa collected directly from the deferent duct by using CASA-Mot (Computer Assisted Semen Analysis for Motility) technology. Samples were obtained every three days throughout the reproductive season during two periods and with a break of seven days in the middle. During both periods, the quality of the sample's motility and kinematics increased over the first two days and then subsequently decreased. This pa…
Maternal overnutrition programs hedonic and metabolic phenotypes across generations through sperm tsRNAs
2019
There is a growing body of evidence linking maternal overnutri-tion to obesity and psychopathology that can be conserved acrossmultiple generations. Recently, we demonstrated in a maternalhigh-fat diet (HFD; MHFD) mouse model that MHFD inducedenhanced hedonic behaviors and obesogenic phenotypes thatwere conserved across three generations via the paternal lineage,which was independent of sperm methylome changes. Here, weshow that sperm tRNA-derived small RNAs (tsRNAs) partly contrib-ute to the transmission of such phenotypes. We observe increasedexpression of sperm tsRNAs in the F1 male offspring born to HFD-exposed dams. Microinjection of sperm tsRNAs from the F1-HFDmale into normal zygotes…
Puma (Puma concolor) epididymal sperm morphometry
2016
The Andean puma (Puma concolor) has not been widely studied, particularly in reference to its semen characteristics. The aim of the present study was to define the morphometry of puma sperm heads and classify their subpopulations by cluster analysis. Samples were recovered postmortem from two epididymides from one animal and prepared for morphological observation after staining with the Hemacolor kit. Morphometric data were obtained from 581 spermatozoa using a CASA-Morph system, rendering 13 morphometric parameters. The principal component (PC) analysis was performed followed by cluster analysis for the establishment of subpopulations. Two PC components were obtained, the first related to …
Male infertility: an obstacle to sexuality?
2016
International audience; Interactions between infertility and sexuality are numerous and complex. Infertile men may suffer from sexual dysfunction (SD) when undergoing an assisted reproductive technology programme. We undertook a review both in French and English of the available data on male SD when being diagnosed with a fertility problem with a specific focus on azoospermic men. The review was performed over a 30-year time period using PubMed/Medline. The sexual concerns and needs of infertile/sterile men for whom potential parenting can be compromised were evaluated. When diagnosed with infertility, men usually go through a crisis that can have a deleterious effect on their sexuality wit…
Asymmetries in reproductive anatomy : insights from promiscuous songbirds
2019
Directional asymmetry in gonad size is commonly observed in vertebrates and is particularly pronounced in birds, where the left testis is frequently larger than the right. The adaptive significance of directional asymmetry in testis size is poorly understood, and whether it extends beyond the testes (i.e. side-correspondent asymmetry along the reproductive tract) has rarely been considered. Using the Maluridae, a songbird family exhibiting variation in levels of sperm competition and directional testis asymmetry, yet similar in ecology and life history, we investigated the relative roles of side-correspondence and sperm competition on male reproductive tract asymmetry at both inter- and int…
Quantity Estimation Based on Numerical Cues in the Mealworm Beetle (Tenebrio molitor)
2012
In this study, we used a biologically relevant experimental procedure to ask whether mealworm beetles (Tenebrio molitor) are spontaneously capable of assessing quantities based on numerical cues. Like other insect species, mealworm beetles adjust their reproductive behavior (i.e., investment in mate guarding) according to the perceived risk of sperm competition (i.e., probability that a female will mate with another male). To test whether males have the ability to estimate numerosity based on numerical cues, we staged matings between virgin females and virgin males in which we varied the number of rival males the experimental male had access to immediately preceding mating as a cue to sperm…
Sometimes Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) Cannot Find Their Way Back to the High Seas: A Multidisciplinary Study on a Mass Stranding
2011
BackgroundMass strandings of sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus) remain peculiar and rather unexplained events, which rarely occur in the Mediterranean Sea. Solar cycles and related changes in the geomagnetic field, variations in water temperature and weather conditions, coast geographical features and human activities have been proposed as possible causes. In December 2009, a pod of seven male sperm whales stranded along the Adriatic coast of Southern Italy. This is the sixth instance from 1555 in this basin.Methodology/principal findingsComplete necropsies were performed on three whales whose bodies were in good condition, carrying out on sampled tissues histopathology, virology, bacter…
Spermophora senoculata on Sicily/Italy (Araneae: Pholcidae)
2019
The pholcid spider Spermophora senoculata (Duges, 1836) is recorded for the first time on the Mediterranean Island of Sicily (Italy) from indoor heated and non-heated habitats of two cities. This species is associated with mostly anthropogenic habitats around the globe. Uncertainty remains about where its native distribution range is located.
Bioactive metabolites from the endophytic fungus Ampelomyces sp. isolated from the medicinal plant Urospermum picroides
2007
Extracts of cultures grown in liquid or on solid rice media of the fungal endophyte Ampelomyces sp. isolated from the medicinal plant Urospermum picroides exhibited considerable cytotoxic activity when tested in vitro against L5178Y cells. Chromatographic separation yielded 14 natural products that were unequivocally identified based on their 1H and 13C NMR as well as mass spectra and comparison with previously published data. Six compounds (2, 4, 5, 7, 9 and 11) were natural products. Both fungal extracts differed considerably in their secondary metabolites. The extract obtained from liquid cultures afforded a pyrone (2) and sulfated anthraquinones (7 and 9) along with the known compounds …