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Abstract: This study investigates the effects of glycerol, 1,2 propanediol, sucrose, and trehalose on post-thaw motility, morphology, and genome integrity of Awassi ram semen. Ejaculates of thick consistency with rapid wave motion (>+++) and >70% initial motility were pooled. Sperm were diluted to a final concentration of 1/5 (semen/extender) in 0% cryoprotectant, 6% glycerol, 6% 1,2 propanediol, 62.5mM sucrose or 62.5mM trehalose using a two-step dilution method. The equilibrated semen was frozen in 0.25-ml straws. Semen samples were examined for sperm motility, defective acrosomes (FITC-Pisum sativum agglutinin (FITC PSA)), DNA integrity (acridine orange staining (AO)) and apoptotic activity (terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) and Caspase-3 activity) at four time points: after dilution with extender A, after cooling to 5°C, after equilibration and post-thaw. Freezing and thawing procedures (cooling at 5°C, dilution, equilibration, and thawing) had negative effects on motility (P<0.001), acrosome integrity (P<0.001), and DNA integrity as determined by AO (P<0.001) and TUNEL (P<0.001) assays. There were positive correlations between sperm with defective acrosomes and apoptotic (AO- and TUNEL-positive) spermatozoa. In contrast, a significant negative correlation was found between sperm motility and defective acrosomes and AO- and TUNEL positivity (P<0.01). The cryopreservation process acts as an apoptotic inducer in ram semen; all cryoprotectants used in the present study allowed apoptosis to some extent, with negative effects on sperm morphology and DNA integrity. The glycerol group performed better than the propanediol, sucrose, trehalose, and control groups in terms of post-thaw sperm motility but not DNA integrity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The efficiency of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) and fluorogestone acetate (FGA) sponges for synchronizing oestrus in lactating Saanen goats was investigated during the transition from non-breeding to natural breeding season. Does were treated for 11 days with 60 mg MAP (n=19) or 40 mg FGA (n=24) sponges. All does received intramuscular injections of 750 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) and 125 µg cloprostenol (PGF2α) 48 h prior to sponge removal. Cervical artificial insemination (AI) with fresh diluted semen was performed at a fixed time (36 and 48 h) followed progestagen withdrawal. The two progestagen treatments showed no significant difference in oestrous response (100% both for MAP and FGA groups), time to the onset (15.8±09 and 15.0±06 h for the MAP and FGA groups, respectively), duration (30.5±1.9 and 34.0±1.4 h for MAP and FGA, respectively) and cessation (42.32±1.6 and 43.25±1.3 h for MAP and FGA, respectively) of the induced oestrus period. No significant difference was observed with respect to pregnancy rates determined at the 53rd day after AI (52.6 and 50.0% for MAP and FGA, respectively). These dates indicate that the use of MAP and FGA intravaginal progestagen treatments are equally efficient in synchronizing oestrus in lactating goats during the transition from the non-breeding to the natural breeding season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 25 year old, short stature man of non-consanguineous parents, attended with acute respiratory tract infection along with progressive difficulties in walking, hearing and vision. He had the complaints of growth retardation, poor feeding, listless attitude and delayed milestones of development since one year of age. At presentation, he was non cooperative, IQ below 50; height and weight were below 5th percentile. He had progeria with enophthalmos, cataract, corneal opacity, miotic pupils, tremor, ataxia, in-coordination of movement, diminished tendon reflexes, unsteady gait, bilateral sensory neural deafness and hepatomegaly. Lateral skull X-ray showed cortical calcification. MRI of brain revealed bilateral dentate nucleus and basal ganglia calcification, generalized cerebral and cerebellar atrophy and ventricular dilatation. Typical clinical and imaging findings clinched the diagnosis of classic Cockayne Syndrome; which is a rare, autosomal recessive, DNA repair deficient, multisystem disorder. It has no cure and the prognosis is poor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of both the removal of seminal plasma (SP) and the pre‐freezing addition of seminal plasma collected during the breeding or nonbreeding season on goat sperm survival after thawing. Semen samples were pooled. One aliquot of pooled semen was used as a control group. Four aliquots were then centrifuged, and the SP was removed in Group I, pipetted but not removed in Group II, removed and then pooled for animals collected in the breeding season in Group III and removed and pooled for animals collected in the nonbreeding season in Group IV. Group samples were frozen and then were assessed for rates of sperm motility, plasma membrane functional integrity hypo‐osmotic swelling test (HOST), defective acrosomes (FITC‐PSA), DNA fragmentation (TUNEL) and mitochondrial membrane damage (Rhodamine 123). The results showed that pre‐freezing addition of SP collected in breeding season maintained post‐thaw sperm characteristics at 0 hr better than SP removal group, but removing seminal plasma showed positive effects on spermatozoa, as incubation time increased to 5 hr. In conclusion, the pre‐freezing addition of seminal plasma did not maintain post‐thaw goat sperm characteristics as successfully as in the groups with seminal plasma removed after an incubation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]