Cloned foal derived from in vivo matured horse oocytes aspirated by the short disposable needle system

Transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration is one method of obtaining recipient oocytes for equine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). This study was conducted: (1) to evaluate the possibility of oocyte aspiration from pre-ovulatory follicles using a short disposable needle system (14-G) by comparing the oocyte recovery rate with that of a long double lumen needle (12-G); (2) to investigate the developmental competence of recovered oocytes after SCNT and embryo transfer. The recovery rates with the short disposable needle vs. the long needle were not significantly different (47.5% and 35.0%, respectively). Twenty-six SCNT embryos were transferred to 13 mares, and one mare delivered a live offspring at Day 342. There was a perfect identity match between the cloned foal and the cell donor after analysis of microsatellite DNA, and the mitochondrial DNA of the cloned foal was identical with that of the oocyte donor. These results demonstrated that the short disposable needle system can be used to recover oocytes to use as cytoplasts for SCNT, in the production of cloned foals and for other applications in equine embryology

Effects of anti-glaucoma drugs on resistive index of the medial long posterior ciliary artery using color Doppler imaging in Beagle dogs

Color Doppler imaging (CDI) was carried out to evaluate the effects of anti-glaucoma drugs on ophthalmic circulation using CDI-derived resistive index (RI) values. CDI was performed on nine Beagle dogs, and RI values were calculated for the medial long posterior ciliary artery before and after the administration of anti-glaucoma drugs. A significant increase in RI values was found after topical administration of levobunolol (p < 0.05) or dipivefrin (p < 0.05). Pilocarpine showed no effects on RI values after topical administration. The results suggest that some anti-glaucoma drugs could affect ophthalmic blood flow.