An age-dependent acceleration of apoptosis occurs in female germ cells (oocytes), and this requires communication between the oocyte and its surrounding somatic (cumulus) cells. Here we show in aged mice that ceramide is translocated from cumulus cells into the adjacent oocyte and induces germ cell apoptosis that can be prevented by sphingosine-1-phosphate. Trafficking of ceramide requires gap ...

background: linoleic acid (la) is a polyunsaturated fatty acid present in high concentrations in follicular fluid, when added to maturation culture media, it affects oocyte competence.objective: in the present study, we investigated effect of linoleic acid supplementation on in vitro maturation, embryo development and apoptotic related gene expression in ovinematerials and methods: the experime...

objective: this study examines the effects of hydrostatic pressure on in vitro maturation (ivm) of oocytes derived from in vitro grown follicles. materials and methods: in this experimental study, preantral follicles were isolated from 12-day-old female nmri mice. each follicle was cultured individually in alpha minimal essential medium (α-mem) under mineral oil for 12 days. then, follicles wer...

Background: Cherries are an important source of phyto- chemicals, especially anthocyanin. They have many potent biological Properties such as antioxidant activity. Oxidative stress is mainly insert their effect through decreasing of cell proliferation and viability. Infertility problem affect more than 15% of young couples in different societies. Oocyte expansion plays an important role in fert...

Background: The buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) is the animal with special production characteristics in producing milk and meat has a critical role in rural industry in Iran. The most problem of this specie is its low reproductive output. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of bovine cumulus co-culture on maturation rate of Buffalo oocyte.Materials and Methods: Ovaries were colle...

Mammalian fertilization requires sperm to penetrate the cumulus mass and egg zona pellucida prior to fusion with the egg. Although sperm penetration through these physical barriers is essential, the molecular mechanism has not yet been completely elucidated. In addition to sperm motility, hyaluronan-hydrolyzing and proteolytic enzymes of sperm have been suggested to participate in the penetrati...

Total inhibition of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) was observed in growing pig oocytes (internal diameter 80, 90 and 100 microns) when they were cultured in a medium conditioned by cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) of fully grown oocytes. In denuded growing oocytes, only partial inhibition was observed. The inhibitory effect was fully reversible. The addition of heparin (300 IU/ml) could overc...

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of donor cell passage, size and type on the development of nuclear transfer embryos. Porcine cumulus cells, fetal fibroblasts and oviductal epithelial cells from 1-2, 3-6 and 7-10 passages were used for the nuclear transfer. In the oocytes with the cumulus donor cells, fusion and cleavage rates of oocytes and cell numbers per blastocyst among...

BACKGROUND Vitrification has proven to be more effective than slow freezing methods to cryopreserve mammalian oocytes. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of vitrification on immature and in vitro matured, denuded and cumulus compact goat oocytes and their subsequent fertilization. METHODS Oocytes were either cryopreserved as immature cumulus compact (IMCC) (n=98 Exp 1; ...