ABSTRACT
The collection of extra numbers of bovine embryos by superstimulation of donors underlies variation concerning yield of morulae and blastocysts. Our study aimed at establishing a correlation between hormonal treatment and embryo development during oviductal passage including repeated flushing. A transvaginal endoscopic procedure was used to flush the oviducts at six different time intervals (beginning at 24 h until 105 h) after artificial insemination. In total, 119 animals were superovulated using either FSH or eCG. The hormonal treatment resulted in the stimulation of 2076 follicles of which 77% (1590 CL) ovulated. The bilateral flushing resulted in the collection of 1411 complexes (collection rate: 89%), of which 78% (1098) were assessed as viable embryos. The use of FSH resulted in significantly more stimulated follicles and ovulation sites compared with eCG (p < 0.001). Generally, the embryo kinetics were similar among the FSH and eCG treated animals. However, the embryo cleavage of the eCG treated animals was ahead of that of the FSH group comparing the different collection time points. The overall proportions of non-viable embryos in both groups were similar. Regarding the embryo collection intervals in the eCG group, this proportion significantly increased during 51-105 h compared to 24-50 h (p < 0.05), whereas FSH delivered constant results. It was shown that the repeated endoscopic collection of oviductal stage embryos had no negative influence on the collection parameters. It is concluded that the introduced transvaginal endoscopic technique could have main impact on further studies focusing on early embryo development.
Subject(s)
Cattle/embryology , Chorionic Gonadotropin/pharmacology , Follicle Stimulating Hormone/pharmacology , Superovulation/drug effects , Tissue and Organ Harvesting/veterinary , Animals , Blastocyst , Embryo Culture Techniques/veterinary , Embryo Transfer/veterinary , Embryo, Mammalian/drug effects , Embryo, Mammalian/physiology , Endoscopy/methods , Endoscopy/veterinary , Female , Insemination, Artificial/veterinary , Pregnancy , Time Factors , Tissue and Organ Harvesting/methodsABSTRACT
It may be possible to avoid inadequate in vitro culture conditions by incubating gametes or embryos in the oviducts for a short time. Ideally, an optimized procedure should be devised, combining in vitro and in vivo systems, in order to achieve synchronization in cattle. We transferred gametes as well as embryos in various stages of development and placed them into the oviducts. Embryos were recovered on Day 7 by flushing of oviducts and uterine horns. Blastocyst rates were determined on Day 7 and on Day 8. Experimental designs included transfer of in vitro matured cumulus oocyte complexes into previously inseminated heifers (COCs group), transfer of in vitro matured COCs simultaneously with capacitated spermatozoa (GIFTs group), transfer of four to eight cell stage embryos developed in vitro after IVM/IVF (Cleaved Stages group) and a group of solely in vitro produced embryos (IVP control group). Our results indicate that in vivo culture of IVM/IVF embryos in the homologous bovine oviduct has a positive influence on subsequent pre-implantation development. In addition, we have evidence that in vitro maturation and in vivo fertilization cannot be synchronized.
Subject(s)
Cattle , Gamete Intrafallopian Transfer/veterinary , Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer/veterinary , Animals , Blastocyst/physiology , Cell Culture Techniques , Embryo Culture Techniques/veterinary , Embryo Transfer/veterinary , Female , Fertilization in Vitro/veterinary , Oocytes/physiology , Ovarian Follicle/cytology , Pregnancy , Time Factors , Tissue and Organ Harvesting/veterinaryABSTRACT
Evidence has begun to accumulate which suggests that lack of awareness of illness in schizophrenia is related to and possibly the result of a cognitive deficit involving prefrontal cerebral dysfunction. This study further explores this relationship along with other domains of self-awareness in chronic schizophrenics and other subjects with serious mental disorders. One hundred eight schizophrenics and 21 bipolar subjects from three separate sites in Britain, Germany, and Canada were administered the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and three measures of self-awareness. Lack of illness awareness and other domains of self-knowledge were significantly more related to poorer neuropsychological performance in schizophrenia patients than in the other subjects. The results support the hypothesis that lack of illness awareness is related to defective frontal lobe functioning as indexed by neuropsychological measures.
Subject(s)
Awareness , Cognition Disorders/diagnosis , Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Neuropsychological Tests , Schizophrenia/diagnosis , Activities of Daily Living , Adult , Ambulatory Care , Bipolar Disorder/diagnosis , Bipolar Disorder/psychology , Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale/statistics & numerical data , Chronic Disease , Cognition Disorders/physiopathology , Cognition Disorders/psychology , Cohort Studies , Frontal Lobe/physiopathology , Health Status , Hospitalization , Humans , MMPI , Male , Mental Disorders/psychology , Schizophrenia/physiopathology , Schizophrenic Psychology , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
The locus D1S80 is a very useful genetic marker system for forensic DNA analysis. It consists of a variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and can be analyzed by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). As accurate data about the distribution of the alleles is one of the most important prerequisites for the application in forensic biology we studied the allele distribution in the German population.
Subject(s)
DNA/analysis , Forensic Medicine , Gene Frequency , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid , Base Sequence , Evaluation Studies as Topic , Forensic Medicine/instrumentation , Germany , Humans , Molecular Sequence Data , Phenotype , Polymerase Chain Reaction/instrumentation , Reagent Kits, Diagnostic/standardsABSTRACT
A hypervariable region has been described 3' to the human apolipoprotein B (apo B) gene. Using the polymerase chain reaction amplification followed by agarose gel electrophoresis, at least 16 different alleles can be distinguished. In order to introduce this system into forensic DNA analysis detailed knowledge of the allele frequency is one of the most important prerequisites. For this reason we studied the allele distribution of 340 unrelated individuals originating predominantly from Southern Germany.
