Artificial insemination

Within-breed artificial insemination and between-breed embryo transfer were carried out in small pony (P) and large Thoroughbred (Tb) mares to create 4 types of horse pregnancy in which the fetus experienced spatial and nutritional deprivation (Tb-in-P; n=8), luxury (P-in-Tb; n=7) or normality (Tb-in-Tb; n=7 and P-in-P; n=7) in utero. Measurement of equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG), total conjugated oestrogens and progestagen concentrations in serial peripheral serum samples recovered from all the mares throughout gestation showed that the amount of eCG produced during the first half of gestation was dependent upon the breed of the mare rather than the breed of the fetus being carried. In contrast, the mean total amounts of oestrogens produced, as measured by area under the curve, were significantly greater (P=0.003) in the two types of pregnancy in which a Thoroughbred fetus was being carried (Tb-in-Tb and Tb-in-P) than those in which a pony fetus was gestated (P-in-P and P-in-...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between conception rate (CR) and climate variables. Data consisted of 24,380 inseminations of Holstein dairy herd in Hidalgo, Mexico. Weather records, including daily temperature (T), relative humidity (RH), rainfall, wind speed, and solar radiation, were obtained from a nearby weather station. Means for each climatic variable from 2 days before artificial insemination (AI) to the AI day were calculated for each conception date represented in the study. A significant negative correlation was observed between the CR and mean and minimum T, mean and minimum RH, mean and minimum temperature–humidity index (THI), and rainfall. The overall mean CR was 34.3%. The CR in lactating dairy cows followed a seasonal pattern, lower CRs were observed in summer months than during winter (32.1% vs. 36.9%; P < 0.01). The variables that had the greatest influence on CR were minimum and maximum T, minimum RH, minimum THI, wind speed, and ...

Sex preselection of livestock offspring in cattle represents, nowadays, a big potential for genetic improvement and market demand satisfaction.Sperm sorting by flow cytometer provides a powerful tool for artificial insemination and production of predefined sexed embryos but, an accurate verification of the yield of sperm separation remains essential for a field application of this technique or for improvement and validation of other related semen sexing technologies.In this work a new method for the determination of the proportion of X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa in bovine semen sample was developed by real time PCR. Two sets of primers and internal TaqMan probes were designed on specific X- and Y-chromosome genes. To allow a direct quantification, a standard reference was established using two plasmid cDNA clones (ratio 1:1) for the specific gene targets. The method was validated by a series of accuracy, repeatability and reproducibility assays and by testing two sets of sorted and unsorted semen samples. A high degree of accuracy (98.9%), repeatability (CV = 2.58%) and reproducibility (CV = 2.57%) was shown.The results of X- and Y-sorted semen samples analysed by real time PCR and by flow cytometric reanalysis showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). The evaluation of X-chromosome bearing sperms content in unsorted samples showed an average of 51.11 ± 0.56% for ejaculates and 50.17 ± 0.58% for the commercial semen. This new method for quantification of the sexual chromosome content in spermatozoa demonstrated to be rapid and reliable, providing a valid support to the sperm sexing technologies.

The aim of the present study was to identify the deletion/insertion polymorphism of the bovine prion protein gene (PRNP) within the promoter sequence (23 bp), intron 1 (12 bp) and 3’ untranslated region (14 bp). DNA was isolated from blood of 234 randomly tested Polish Holstein-Friesian cows and from semen of 47 sires used for artificial insemination (AI) in 2004. No statistically significant differences were found in the frequency of genotypes and alleles between cows and breeding bulls in the 3 analysed polymorphic sites within thePRNP gene. Only 3 haplotypes were identified in sires and 4 haplotypes in cows.

The liberalization of European animal breeding legislation and an increasing diversity of equestrian sports have led to a constant rise in the number of horse breeds and breed registries. In addition to the trend towards more and smaller breed registries, there is another trend towards an international expansion of the bigger established sport horse breeds. Regional breeds, at least in smaller countries, may no longer be able to run an independent breeding programme. The typical horse breeder, in the future, will be a female and qualified in equestrian sports. Artificial insemination (AI) mainly with fresh or cooled-transported semen has become a major breeding tool, allowing breeders all over Europe to benefit from the best stallions of most breeds. New AI techniques such as low-dose insemination may remain restricted to individual stallions and also the interest of breeding programmes in sex determination of foals via semen sorting is limited. Embryo transfer and associated techniques, although allowed by most breeds, have not contributed significantly to genetic progress in European sport horses so far. A potential use of cloning may be to produce gonad-intact copies from geldings that have performed to a superior level. With a more open and international structure of horse breeding and increased use of AI, equine reproduction and biotechnology should be emphasized by veterinary curricula and continuing professional education programmes.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) essential oil on rooster sperm motility during 4°C short-term storage. Materials and Methods: R. officinalis essential oil was analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to identify the active components. 10 of 45-week-old Hubbard commercial broilers were subjected to biweekly semen collections during 3 weeks. At each collection, sperm was pooled and divided into four aliquots and then diluted with Tris extender supplemented with 870, 87, or 8.7 µg/ml of R. officinalis essential oil, identified as treatments R, R5, and R10, respectively. Tris-based extender without any supplementation was considered as a control group. Diluted sperm was then stored at 4°C in the refrigerator and analyzed at 0, 6, 24, and 48 h using a computer-assisted sperm analyzer. Different semen parameters were measured including total motility, progressive motility, gametes velocities (straight line velocity [VSL], curvilinear velocity [VCL], and average path velocity [VAP]), amplitude of the lateral head displacement [ALH], and beat-cross frequency [BCF]. Results: The phytochemical analysis of R. officinalis essential oil revealed the presence of 25 active components including seven major molecules: Camphor (18.88%), camphene (5.17%), 1,8-cineole (7.85%), β-thujene (13.66%), α-thujene (4.87%), chrysanthenone (12.05%), and β-cubenene (7.97%). The results showed a beneficial effect of R. officinalis essential oil on sperm cells motility, particularly when using the lowest concentrations, 8.7 and 87 µg/ml. Progressive motility and gametes velocities (VCL, VSL, and VAP), materializing the quality of gametes motility, showed highly statistically significant values (p<0.01) in 8.7 and 87 µg/ml treatments, especially from 6 h of storage at 4°C. Conversely, the highest concentration (870 µg/ml) showed harmful effects with a total spermicidal activity after 24 h of storage. Conclusion: The current results revealed the positive impact of R. officinalis essential oil on rooster sperm at 4°C short-term storage probably through fighting against oxidative stress and cold shock damages.

As the law of parentage is striving to meet the challenges of new reproductive technologies, dealing with cross-border surrogacies emerges as one of the most pressing topics in international family law. The current legal situation as regards surrogacy is quite diverse – throughout the world but also within Europe. Legal diversity has recently made a lot of people engage in so-called “procreative tourism”: Coming from a country with a rather strict approach, they commission women in one of the more liberal countries to carry a child for them, and once the baby is born, they try to take it to their home country, thereby obviating the surrogacy ban that prevents them from entrusting a surrogate mother at home. European courts struggle with a coherent approach on how to treat those citizens who went abroad to have a baby. Meanwhile, legal research and the Hague Conference on Private International Law think about a convention in order to ease cross-border recognition of surrogacy.

A critical analysis of posthumous conception African style (“PPAS”) and posthumous conception Western style (“PPWS”) reveals inconsistencies between the two practices and sheds light on similarities in practices across cultures and civilizations -- similarities that are seemingly ignored by international human rights bodies and human rights activists. Under PPAS, there are at least four ways in which a child can be conceived posthumously. A commonality among all four is that no genetic link exists between the dead man and any children attributable to him. PPAS has and continues to be used in many patrilineal African cultures in order to ensure societal stability. Over the years, Nigerian courts have concluded that the various customary practices relating to posthumous procreation are invalid and unenforceable under the repugnancy principle. However, a hasty application of international human rights law (“IHRL”) and the repugnancy test to PPAS could be problematic and ultimately counterproductive. PPAS creates many concerns with the children and women involved in the practice as well as overall public health. In contrast to PPAS, PPWS provides that the dead man is the genetic father of the any children attributable to him. PPWS is achieved through the cryopreservation of sperm and the subsequent artificial insemination of a woman. PPWS, like PPAS, also causes concerns related to children resulting from a posthumous conception. A comparative study of both ancient and modern practices of posthumous procreation shows many similarities between cultures and raises important questions about marriage, paternity, and mortality in both Africa and the West.