Predictors of male insemination success in the mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki).
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Head ML
PROVIDER: S-EPMC4662323 | biostudies-other | 2015 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-other
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Project description:To identify risk factors for pregnancy outcomes in couples treated with intracervical or intrauterine insemination, with or without superovulation for unexplained or male-factor infertility.Secondary analysis of data from a randomized superovulation and intrauterine insemination trial.Academic medical centers.Treatment continued for four cycles unless pregnancy was achieved.Out of 932 couples randomized to four treatment groups, 664 couples who had completed the lifestyle questionnaires were assessed for occurrence of pregnancy and live birth.Pregnancy and live birth.The pregnancy and live birth rates were significantly higher in couples in which the female partners reported that they had consumed coffee or tea in the past or drank alcoholic beverages in the past (past users) compared with those who had never consumed coffee, tea, or alcoholic beverages. Past users also had significantly higher pregnancy and live birth rates than those currently consuming coffee or tea or alcoholic beverages. Demographic, occupational exposure, and other lifestyle factors were not significant.Couples in which the female partners drank coffee, tea, or alcoholic beverages in the past had higher pregnancy and live birth rates compared with never or current users. When discontinuing these habits, they might have made other lifestyle changes to improve the pregnancy outcome.
| S-EPMC3319287 | biostudies-other
Project description:In asses, semen collection, cryopreservation, and artificial insemination (AI) with frozen-thawed semen have been scarcely described and success rate, particularly following AI, is reportedly low. In the absence of reliable protocols, assisted reproductive technologies cannot support the conservation efforts aimed at endangered wild ass species and domestic donkey breeds. Two experiments were conducted in this study. In experiment 1 we evaluated freezing Abyssinian donkey (N = 5, 4 ejaculates each) spermatozoa using three freezing extenders (Berliner Cryomedium + glycerol, BC+G; BotuCrio, BOTU; INRAFreeze, INRA) and two cryopreservation techniques (liquid nitrogen vapour, LNV; directional freezing, DF). Post-thaw evaluation indicated that BOTU and INRA were similar and both superior to BC+G (P ? 0.004 for all motility tests), and that DF was superior to LNV (P < 0.002 for all evaluation parameters). In experiment 2, relying on these results, we used Abyssinian donkey sperm frozen in BOTU and INRA by DF for AI (N = 20). Prior to AI, thawed samples were diluted in corresponding centrifugation media or autologous seminal fluids at 1:1 ratio. No difference was found between BOTU and INRA or between the addition of seminal fluids or media, all resulting in ~50% pregnancy, and no differences were noted between males (N = 4). The size of pre-ovulatory follicle was a significant (P = 0.001) predictor for AI success with 9/10 pregnancies occurring when follicular size ranged between 33.1-37.4 mm, no pregnancy when it was smaller, and only one when larger. A number of ass species face the risk of extinction. Knowledge gained in this study on the Abyssinian donkey can be customised and transferred to its closely related endangered species and breeds.
| S-EPMC5435134 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Intrauterine insemination (IUI) has latterly become less important in reproductive medicine. The aim of this retrospective analysis was to identify and evaluate the success rates of repeated insemination cycles in women of different ages. All women who underwent intrauterine insemination in the Wiesbaden Fertility Clinic between 1998 and 2010 were included in the analysis. Additional inclusion criteria were: not more than 45 years old, previous FSH stimulation and slight to moderate subfertility of the male partner. A total of 4246 insemination cycles in 1612 patients were included in the analysis. The average number of IUI cycles per patient was 2.24 (1-14). Patient age ranged from 19 to 45 years (mean: 33.9 years). Logistic regression analysis showed a drop in pregnancy rates with increasing age (p?=?0.000). However, for the first three cycles the pregnancy rates for women aged 40 and 41 did not differ from those of women aged between 35 and 39 years. Overall pregnancy rates were stable in women up to the age of 40, even after several insemination cycles (7.5 and 10?%). Insemination is therefore still an effective procedure in selected patients. Stable pregnancy rates were recorded even after more than 3 cycles. After 3 cycles, the success rates for women aged 40 and 41 did not differ from those of women below the age of 40.
| S-EPMC3859121 | biostudies-literature
Project description:PurposeWe aimed to define intrauterine insemination (IUI) cycle characteristics associated with viable birth, identify thresholds below which IUI treatments are consistent with very poor prognosis and futile care, and develop a nomogram for individualized application.MethodsThis retrospective cohort study evaluated couples using fresh partner ejaculate for IUI from January 2005 to September 2017. Variables included female age, semen characteristics, and ovarian stimulation type. Using cycle-level data, we evaluated the association of these characteristics with the probability of viable birth by fitting generalized regression models for a binary outcome with a logit link function, using generalized estimating equation methodology to account for the correlation between cycles involving the same patient.ResultsThe cohort consisted of 1117 women with 2912 IUI cycles; viable birth was achieved in 275 (9.4%) cycles. Futile care (viable birth rate < 1%) was identified for women age > 43, regardless of stimulation type or inseminate motility (IM). Very poor prognosis (viable birth rate < 5%) was identified for women using oral medications or Clomid plus gonadotropins who were (1) age < 35 with IM < 49%, (2) age 35-37 with IM < 56%, or (3) age ≥ 38, and (4) women age ≥ 38 using gonadotropins only with IM < 60%. A clinical prediction model and nomogram was developed with an optimism-corrected c-statistic of 0.611.ConclusionsThe present study highlights the impact of multiple clinical factors on IUI success, identifies criteria consistent with very poor prognosis and futile care, and provides a nomogram to individualize counseling regarding the probability of a viable birth.
| S-EPMC7550501 | biostudies-literature
Project description:When predicting success, how important are personal attributes other than cognitive ability? To address this question, we capitalized on a full decade of prospective, longitudinal data from n = 11,258 cadets entering training at the US Military Academy at West Point. Prior to training, cognitive ability was negatively correlated with both physical ability and grit. Cognitive ability emerged as the strongest predictor of academic and military grades, but noncognitive attributes were more prognostic of other achievement outcomes, including successful completion of initiation training and 4-y graduation. We conclude that noncognitive aspects of human capital deserve greater attention from both scientists and practitioners interested in predicting real-world success.
| S-EPMC6876246 | biostudies-literature
Project description:The objective of this research was to identify a set of genes whose transcript abundance is predictive of a cow’s ability to become pregnant following artificial insemination (AI). Endometrial epithelial cells from the uterine body were collected for RNA sequencing using the cytobrush method from 193 first-service Holstein cows at estrus prior to AI (day 0). A group of 253 first-service cows not used for cytobrush collection were controls. There was no effect of cytobrush collection on pregnancy outcomes at day 30 or 70, or on pregnancy loss between day 30 and 70. There were 2 upregulated and 214 downregulated genes (FDR < 0.05, absolute fold change > 2-fold) for cows pregnant at day 30 versus those that were not pregnant. Functional terms overrepresented in the downregulated genes included those related to immune and inflammatory responses. Machine learning for fertility biomarkers with the R package BORUTA resulted in identification of 57 biomarkers that predicted pregnancy outcome at day 30 with an average accuracy of 77%. Thus, machine learning can identify predictive biomarkers of pregnancy in endometrium with high accuracy. Moreover, sampling of endometrial epithelium using the cytobrush can help understand functional characteristics of the endometrium at AI without compromising cow fertility.
2024-04-10 | GSE248266 | GEO
Project description:The aim of the study was to compare the morphometric features of sperm head size and shape from the Pietrain line and the Duroc × Pietrain boar crossbred terminal lines, and to evaluate their relationship with reproductive success after artificial insemination of sows produced from crossbreeding the York, Landrace and Pietrain breeds. Semen samples were collected from 11 sexually mature boars. Only ejaculates with greater than 70% motility rate and <15% of abnormal sperm were used for artificial inseminations (AI) and included in the study. Samples were analyzed using an ISAS®v1 computer-assisted sperm analysis system for eight morphometric parameters of head shape and size (CASA-Morph). Sub-populations of morphometric ejaculates were characterized using multivariate procedures, such as principal component (PC) analysis and clustering methods (k-means model). Four different ejaculate sub-populations were identified from two PCs that involved the head shape and size of the spermatozoa. The discriminant ability of the different morphometric sperm variables to predict sow litter size was analyzed using a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. Sperm head length, ellipticity, elongation, and regularity showed significant predictive capacity on litter size (0.59, 0.59, 0.60, and 0.56 area under curve (AUC), respectively). The morphometric sperm sub-populations were not related to sow litter size.
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Project description:Two experiments investigated the effects of supplementing Ca salts of soybean oil (CSSO) during early gestation on reproductive function and pregnancy rates to AI in Bos taurus beef cows. In Exp. 1, 771 suckled, lactating, multiparous Angus cows were divided into 22 groups of approximately 35 cows per group and timed inseminated on day 0. After AI, groups were assigned randomly to receive (as-fed basis) 100 g of ground corn + 100 g of soybean meal per cow/d, in addition to 1) 100 g/cow daily of CSSO (n = 11) or 2) 87 g of prilled saturated fat + 13 g of limestone per cow/d (CON; n = 11). Groups were maintained in individual tall fescue-dominated pastures and offered treatments from day 0 to 21. Pregnancy status was determined between days 45 and 55 via transrectal ultrasonography. Cows receiving CSSO had greater (P = 0.01) pregnancy rates to timed AI compared with CON (60.2 vs. 51.7%; SEM = 4.2). In Exp. 2, 90 suckled, lactating, multiparous Angus × Hereford cows housed in 18 drylot pens (5 cows per pen) were assigned to the same timed AI program and treatments from Exp. 1 (9 pens per treatment) and received 20 kg/d (DM basis) of grass-alfalfa hay. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed to verify ovulation and corpus luteum (CL) volume before AI (day 0), on days 7 and 15. After ultrasonography on day 15, cows diagnosed without a CL on day 0, but with a CL greater than 0.38 cm3 in volume on days 7 and 15 (2 or 3 cows per pen; CSSO, n = 20; CON, n = 24), were assigned to conceptus collection via transcervical flushing and endometrial biopsy in the uterine horn ipsilateral to the CL. Blood samples were collected for FA analysis on days 0, 7, and 15. Blood was collected from cows not assigned to conceptus collection for whole-blood RNA extraction on day 20 and for pregnancy diagnosis on day 30 by measuring concentrations of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins. Cows receiving CSSO had greater (P ≤ 0.04) mean plasma concentrations of linoleic acid and ω-6 FA compared with CON on days 7 and 15. Moreover, CSSO supplementation increased (P = 0.05) mRNA expression of interferon-tau by the conceptus and blood mRNA expression of interferon-stimulated gene 15 and 20,50-oligoadenylate synthetase on day 20 in gestating cows. Hence, post-AI CSSO supplementation to B. taurus beef cows improved pregnancy rates to timed AI, which can be associated with increased mRNA expression of interferon-tau by the conceptus when CSSO is supplemented during early gestation.
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Project description:Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype of breast cancer, with approximately 50% of patients having residual disease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT) and worse prognosis with higher residual cancer burden (RCB). Patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models of breast cancer are an effective discovery platform and tool for preclinical pharmacologic testing and biomarker identification. There is a need for PDX models encompassing the heterogeneity of TNBC both pre- and post- therapy and for identifying clinical and molecular features of patient’s tumors that are associated with success in establishing these models. Using fine-needle aspirates (FNAs), we established orthotopic PDX models of TNBC from the primary breast tumors of patients prior to and following neoadjuvant systemic therapy while enrolled in the ARTEMIS trial (NCT02276443). ARTEMIS is a prospective neoadjuvant clinical trial for women with primary TNBC who are treated with four cycles of Adriamycin combined with cyclophosphamide (AC) followed by taxane +/- different experimental therapies. Serial biopsies were obtained from patients prior to treatment (pre-therapy), from poorly responsive disease after four cycles of AC (mid-NACT), and in cases of AC-resistance, after a three-month course of different experimental therapies and/or additional chemotherapy (post-NACT). Our study cohort includes a total of 269 FNA biopsies from 217 women, generating a total of 62 successful PDX models (overall success-rate = 23%). This cohort includes five serial pre- and mid-NACT PDX pairs, as well as one serial pre-, mid-, post-NACT triplet. Success of PDX engraftment was generally higher from cancers that proved to be treatment-resistant: whether poor response to AC determined by ultrasound measurements mid-NACT (p=0.063), RCB II/III status after NACT (p=0.046), or metastatic relapse within two years of surgery (p=0.008). TNBC molecular subtype determined from gene expression microarrays of pre-NACT tumor revealed no significant association with PDX engraftment rate (p=0.877). Finally, we developed a statistical model predictive of PDX engraftment using percent Ki67 positive cells in the patient’s diagnostic biopsy, positive lymph node status at diagnosis, and low volumetric reduction of the patient’s tumor following AC treatment. This novel bank of 62 PDX models of TNBC provides a valuable resource for biomarker discovery and preclinical therapeutic trials aimed at improving neoadjuvant response rates for patients with TNBC.
2023-01-12 | GSE216333 | GEO
Project description:Postcopulatory sexual selection can select for sperm allocation strategies in males [1, 2], but males should also strategically allocate nonsperm components of the ejaculate [3, 4], such as seminal fluid proteins (Sfps). Sfps can influence the extent of postcopulatory sexual selection [5-7], but little is known of the causes or consequences of quantitative variation in Sfp production and transfer. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we demonstrate that Sfps are strategically allocated to females in response to the potential level of sperm competition. We also show that males who can produce and transfer larger quantities of specific Sfps have a significant competitive advantage. When males were exposed to a competitor male, matings were longer and more of two key Sfps, sex peptide [8] and ovulin [9], were transferred, indicating strategic allocation of Sfps. Males selected for large accessory glands (a major site of Sfp synthesis) produced and transferred significantly more sex peptide, but not more ovulin. Males with large accessory glands also had significantly increased competitive reproductive success. Our results show that quantitative variation in specific Sfps is likely to play an important role in postcopulatory sexual selection and that investment in Sfp production is essential for male fitness in a competitive environment.
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