Conocer el estado serológico de hembras bovinas a IBR, DVB, leucosis, leptospira y Neospora caninum en el departamento de Santander, Colombia. Materiales y métodos. Se realizó un muestreo por conveniencia en 460 fincas ganaderas de 23 municipios de Santander (Colombia), los sueros colectados fueron analizados mediante diferentes kits comerciales de ELISA siguiendo las instrucciones del fabricante.¿De qué se trata este ítem? ¿Qué lo hace interesante? Escribe una descripción interesante para atrapar la atención de tu audiencia...

Abstract: In cattle, the oviduct is a tubular organ that connects the ovary and the uterus. The oviduct
lumen stages a dynamic set of cellular and molecular interactions to fulfill the noble role of generating
a new individual. Specific anatomical niches along the oviduct lumen provide the appropriate
microenvironment for final sperm capacitation, oocyte capture and fertilization, and early embryo
development and transport. To accomplish such complex tasks, the oviduct undergoes spatially and
temporally-regulated morphological, biochemical, and physiological changes that are associated
with endocrine events of the estrous cycle.

Background: The brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) staining is a non-invasive test to select the best-suited
oocytes for embryonic development. This makes it a useful tool to select best-quality oocytes at the times
of the year when there is forage restriction.

Latinoamérica está entrando a grandes pasos en la utilización de biotecnologías
reproductivas, destacándose entre ellas las que involucran la producción de embriones
liderada por países como Brasil que, en la actualid ad, es considerado el
principal productor de embriones de FIV Fertilización in Vitro en el mundo. El
interés por las biotecnologías reproductivas en esta parte del mundo está cimentado
en la ventaja de que nuestra producción ganadera será alimentada casi con
exclusividad basada en gramíneas sin los riesgos inherentes al uso de materias
primas que puedan trasmitir enfermedades como la encefalitis espongiforme bovina.
En Colombia la producción de embriones aún es incipiente y se realiza principalmente
en grandes ganaderías, pero cada vez más las instituciones educativas
y gubernamentales están intentando democratizar dichas tecnologías para
ponerlas al servicio de medianos y pequeños productores.

The aim of the present study was to investigate breed variability of seminal quality, and antioxidant capacity of three sheep breed types under Colombian high tropic conditions. In addition, relationship between antioxidant enzymes and parameters of sperm quality were examined.

Introducción: na espécie bovina, o oviduto joga um papel fundamental nos processos de maturação, fertilização e aquisição de competências para o adequado desenvolvimento do embrião até blastocisto. Visto que as células do revestimento interno do oviduto proporcionam substancias que afetam positivamente o desempenho dos espermatozoides, à medida que os espermatozóides atravessam o trato genital da fêmea, os componentes da superfície celular são modificados ou removidos pelas secreções ali presentes, ditas modificações podem incluir depleção do colesterol na superfície espermática, alteração nos glicosaminoglicanos e mudanças nos íons. 

a b s t r a c t
The low efficiency of embryo production in Holstein cows during early lactation presents
many challenges for animal production. To improve its efficiency, the outcomes of single
GnRH injections 48 hours before each of three cycles of ovum pick up (OPU; weeks 2, 4,
and 6) were compared with three cycles of unstimulated OPU (controls; weeks 1, 3, and 5)
in 35 Holstein cows during 6 weeks of early lactation (40–80 days postpartum). More total
follicle numbers (19.5 vs. 16.0; P < 0.05) but fewer dominant follicles (0.5 vs. 1.4; P < 0.01)
were observed by ultrasound, and more cumulus–oocyte complexes were collected in a
single OPU in the treatment cycles compared with controls (15.3 vs. 11.5; P < 0.05). The
numbers of morphologically “good” cumulus–oocyte complexes graded A and B in the
stimulated OPUs were significantly greater than in controls (2.8 vs. 1.7 and 5.8 vs. 4.2,
respectively; P < 0.05). Significantly, more oocytes stained positively with brilliant cresyl
blue after GnRH treatment compared with the control cycles (13.7 vs. 9.6; P < 0.05). After
in vitro fertilization, embryos in the treatment cycles had improved development
(P < 0.01) during each developmental stage compared with the controls (9.0 vs. 6.2
two-cell embryos; 4.7 vs. 3.0 four-cell embryos; 3.3 vs. 2.0 morulae; and 3.0 vs. 1.7 blastocysts, respectively). Moreover, there was no significant difference in pregnancy rate of
the recipient cows after embryo transfer (57.1% vs. 42.1%; P > 0.05) no matter if the
embryos came from the GnRH-treated cycles or not. Thus, GnRH-stimulated OPUs
improved the efficiency of embryo production in Holstein cows during early lactation. This
novel method for in vitro embryo production should benefit the dairy industry.
 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The aim of this study was to evaluate pregnancy rates after artificial insemination in buffaloes receiving either the Ovsynch conventional protocol or presynchronization with prostaglandin. The relationship between pregnancy rate with weight and body condition, postpartum days and ovary status at the beginning of the protocol was evaluated. A total of 41 multiparous buffalo cows, calved, empty, cycling normally and with a body condition ≥ 3.3 were randomly assigned to each treatment. Experimental treatment were: (1) pre-synchronization with prostaglandin plus conventional Ovsynch protocol; (2) conventional Ovsynch protocol. Buffalo cows were inseminated with semen from one normal male, evaluated by conventional method and CASA (Computer Assisted Semen Analysis). The pregnancy was confirmed by ultrasound 45 days after timed-artificial insemination.

The overall pregnancy rate was 26.8%; and that of the pre-synchronization group was 19%, whereas that of the conventional Ovsynch protocol group was 35%, with no statistically significant differences (p> 0.05). Pregnancy rate was not related to body condition, weight and lactation length, while the ovary status were determinant to obtain higher pregnancy rates. It is important to perform further studies to evaluate the follicular dynamics and other biological factors leading to improved pregnancy rates in Colombian buffaloes.

La inseminación artificial en búfalos de agua ( Bubalus bubalis) se está ampliando en el país con el uso de las técnicas de sincronización del celo e inseminación artificial a tiempo fijo. Se esta logrando una tasa de preñez del 30% en promedio, la cual es baja.
Objetivo: Evaluar el efecto de la pre-sincronización con prostaglandina, del peso y de la condición corporal (CC) en la tasa de preñez de búfalas en un programa de inseminación a tiempo fijo.

Nitric oxide (NO) derived from inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) works by stimulating the activity of the enzyme soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) to synthesise cGMP, which has action in metabolism of PDE3A. Thus, NO controls the concentration of cAMP in the oocyte. The intraoocyte concentration of these cyclic nucleotides is directly linked to the control of maturation in rodents. The follicular wall hemi-sections (HS) in maturation medium partially inhibit nuclear maturation of oocytes in culture, which allows us to study the mechanism of meiosis resumption in bovines. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of iNOS and sGC inhibition in the nuclear maturation. Twenty cumulus-oocytes complexes (COC)/treatment were cultured with 8 HS of follicular wall at 38.5°C and 5% CO2 in 200 µL of maturation medium (TCM 199/BSA) supplemented with different concentrations of aminoguanidine (AG), iNOS inhibitor (1,10, 50, 100, and 150 mM; n = 840), and the sGC inhibitor, 1H-[1,2,4] oxadiazole-[4,3-a] quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ; 10–3, 10–4, and 10–5 nM; n = 600). The COC groups cultured in the presence (control – ve) or absence of HS (control + ve) were used as controls. The stage of nuclear maturation of oocytes was assessed by staining with 2% acetic orcein and plasma membrane integrity of cumulus cells assessed with propidium iodite (PI) and hoechst (H33342). Statistical analyses of the 6 replicates were performed by ANOVA followed by Tukey test (P < 0.05) using SAEG software (Fundação Arthur Bernardes-UFV-Viçosa, Brazil). The integrity of cumulus cells from the group of oocytes cultured without HS (control + ve; 85.9 ± 2.3%) differed from control – ve (71.2 ± 3.7%) and other treatments, 1, 10, 50, 100, and 150 mM AG, (57.8 ± 12.1; 66.3 ± 4.2; 58.2 ± 4.6; 55.3 ± 4.3; 48.3 ± 3.3, respectively; P < 0.05). The same occurred when ODQ was used, the control + ve showed the highest cellular integrity (81.1 ± 1.6), differing from the control – ve (68.1 ± 1.8) and treatment with 10–5, 10–4, and 10–3 mM ODQ (72.0 ± 2.2; 64.6 ± 4.6; 49.6 ± 6.8, respectively; P < 0.05). The presence of HS (control – ve) decreased the percentage of oocytes that reached the metaphase II (MII) in both experiments (AG and ODQ; 41.0 ± 4.0; 39.1 ± 1.7, respectively) compared to control + ve (78.5 ± 3.9; 71.9 ± 16.6, respectively; P < 0.05). The addition of 100 and 150 mM AG inhibited the resumption of meiosis and progression to MII compared with other concentrations of AG and the controls + ve and – ve. The addition of ODQ stimulated resumption of meiosis, but at the concentration 10–3 nM there was a decrease in the number of COC that reached MII (21.8 ± 3.4) compared to control + ve (71.9 ± 16.6) and – ve (39.1 ± 1.7) and the other treatments (10–4 and 10–5 nM; 33.0 ± 1.8; 35.7 ± 2.5, respectively; P < 0,05). Using the model of in vitro maturation in which partial inhibition of meiosis resumption occurs, the results of this experiment show that (1) the iNOS/NO/cGMP pathway modulates plasma membrane integrity of cumulus cells and (2) that the activity of iNOS/NO pathway is important for the maintenance of the COC at the stage of germinal vesicle (GV) and progression of meiosis to MII.

In vitro fertilization does not occur readily in the horse. This may be related to failure of equine sperm to initiate hyperactivated motility, as treating with procaine to induce hyperactivation increases fertilization rates. In mice, hyperactivated motility requires a sperm-specific pH-gated calcium channel (CatSper); therefore, we investigated this channel in equine sperm. Motility was assessed by computer-assisted sperm motility analysis and changes in intracellular pH and calcium were assessed using fluorescent probes. Increasing intracellular pH induced a rise in intracellular calcium, which was inhibited by the known CatSper blocker mibefradil, supporting the presence of a pH-gated calcium channel, presumably CatSper. Hyperactivation was associated with moderately increased intracellular pH, but appeared inversely related to increases in intracellular calcium. In calcium-deficient medium, high-pH treatment induced motility loss, consistent with influx of sodium through open CatSper channels in the absence of environmental calcium. However, sperm treated with procaine in calcium-deficient medium both maintained motility and underwent hyperactivation, suggesting that procaine did not act via opening of the CatSper channel. CATSPER1 mRNA was identified in equine sperm by PCR, and CATSPER1 protein was localized to the principal piece on immunocytochemistry. Analysis of the predicted equine CATSPER1 protein revealed species-specific differences in structure in the pH-sensor region. We conclude that the CatSper channel is present in equine sperm but that the relationship of hyperactivated motility to calcium influx is weak. Procaine does not appear to act via CatSper in equine sperm, and its initial hyperactivating action is not dependent upon external calcium influx.