Background: Recent studies have revealed that adiponectin, a novel adipocytokine, and its two receptors (AdipoR1 and AdipoR2) are involved in regulation of ovarian function in various farm animal species. The aim of this study was to investigate the gene expression pattern of Adiponectin and its receptors in ovarian cells of dominant (DFs) and non- dominant follicles (NDFs) in the bovine. Mater...

The follicular fluid environment surrounding the oocytes may play a critical role in fertilization and subsequent embryo development. The goal of our study was to evaluate the oxidative stress markers in the semen, blood serum, and follicular fluid of couples undergoing Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). Two hundred and eight infertile couples underwent ICSI and the levels of superoxide d...

The study of follicular dynamics began in the mid-20th century, but progress has been particularly rapid in the last two decades through the use of tools that have enabled serial, non-invasive examination. A brief overview of early oogenesis and folliculogenesis is provided as a backdrop to the evolution of our understanding of follicular dynamics during the bovine estrous cycle. Studies to dat...

Maternal heat stress reduces oocyte competence for fertilization and post-fertilization development, but the mechanism is unknown. The present experiment investigated two potential mechanisms: (1) reduced oxygen delivery to the preovulatory follicle (due to increased thermoregulatory vascular perfusion of skin and respiratory tract); (2) reduced follicular steroid synthesis. These hypotheses we...

BACKGROUND Despite its role in increasing the number of offspring during the lifetime of an individual animal, controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) may have detrimental effects on oocyte development, embryo quality and endometrial receptivity. Circulating miRNAs in bio-fluids have been shown to be associated with various pathological conditions including cancers. Here we aimed to investiga...

background: polycystic ovary syndrome (pcos) is related to obesity and to major metabolic alterations including both insulin resistance and beta-cell dysfunction. ghrelin was identified as the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue (ghs) receptor. the actions of ghrelin are carried out through interaction with specific receptor, named ghs-r. objective: in a case-control study, we...

Human follicular fluid, considered sterile, is aspirated as part of an in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. However, it is easily contaminated by the trans-vaginal collection route and little information exists in its potential to support the growth of microorganisms. The objectives of this study were to determine whether human follicular fluid can support bacterial growth over time, whether the...

Follicular fluid from women with endometriosis has been shown to induce a higher endometrial cell proliferation than that derived from women without the disease. To elucidate this issue further, the aims of the present study were to compare the ability of follicular fluid and peritoneal fluid to stimulate both endometrial and endometriotic cell proliferation and to verify whether the mitogenic ...