Welfare in horse breeding

Welfare problems related to the way horses are bred, whether by coitus or by the application of artificial reproduction techniques (ARTs), have been given no discrete consideration within the academic literature. This paper reviews the existing knowledge base about welfare issues in horse breeding and identifies areas in which data is lacking. We suggest that all methods of horse breeding are associated with potential welfare problems, but also that the judicious use of ARTs can sometimes help to address those problems. We discuss how negative welfare effects could be identified and limited and how positive welfare effects associated with breeding might be maximised. Further studies are needed to establish an evidence base about how stressful or painful various breeding procedures are for the animals involved, and what the lifetime welfare implications of ARTs are for future animal generations

Endometrial Thinning after Ovarian Stimulation using Letrozole or Clomiphene Citrate: A Randomized Trial

Objective: To compare endometrial thickness after three consecutive cycles of ovulation induction with clomiphene citrate versus letrozole. Methods: Eighty-four women with normal menstrual interval who attended the university infertility clinic from June 2016 to March 2017 were eligible for the study. After the endometrial thickness of baseline cycle was recorded, all participants were randomized into two groups of clomiphene citrate or letrozole treatment for three consecutive cycles. Endometrial thickness and estradiol level were measured when at least one follicle reached 17 mm in diameter. The differences in endometrial thickness relative to baseline of the two groups were compared. Results: A total of 62 patients completed three cycles of ovarian stimulation. Both drugs resulted in significantly thinner endometrium compared with the baseline cycle thickness. The mean endometrial thickness was significantly decreased in the clomiphene citrate group compared with letrozole group (7.46 ± 1.71 vs 8.88 ± 2.34 mm, p = 0.029). Estradiol level on the day of induced ovulation was significantly higher in the clomiphene citrate group than in the letrozole group (706.0 (207.9, 2209.0) vs 168.7 (30.0, 401.8), p < 0.001). The number of the follicles reaching 17 mm on the day of induced ovulation was higher in the clomiphene citrate group (1.9 ± 0.8 vs 1.4 ± 0.5, p = 0.002). Conclusion: Letrozole had less effect on endometrium thinning after three consecutive cycles of induced ovulation compared with clomiphene citrate

Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes of Singleton Pregnancies After in-vitro Fertilization in Siriraj Hospital, A Matched Case-Control Study

Objective: To compare obstetric and perinatal outcomes between singletons born after IVF and natural conception. Methods: A total of 141 singleton pregnancies conceived by IVF were included. Another 141 singleton pregnancies conceived naturally were randomly selected as comparison group, matched by age. Data were retrospectively extracted from medical records, including baseline characteristics and delivery data. Various characteristics, including pregnancy and neonatal outcomes were compared between groups. Results: Women in IVF group were more likely to be nulliparous and had previous miscarriage (88.7% vs. 76.6%, 0=0.003; and 26.2% vs. 14.8%, p=0.018, respectively). Underlying diseases and complications during pregnancy were comparable between the 2 groups. Mean gestational age was lower in IVF group (37.9 ± 2.0 vs. 38.4 ± 1.6, p=0.008), but without clinical significance. Primary cesarean section was significantly more common among women in IVF group (74.4% vs. 54.6%, p<0.001) and the majority were elective cases (61.9% vs. 23.4%, p<0.001). There were no significant differences in terms of rates of preterm labor, birth weight, low birth weight, small for gestational age, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and perinatal mortality. Conclusion: Singleton pregnancies after IVF were not associated with higher risks of adverse obstetric and perinatal outcomes, compared with naturally conceived group, but IVF pregnancies are associated with a high rate of cesarean sections

Transmission electron microscopy for characterization of acrosomal damage after Percoll gradient centrifugation of cryopreserved bovine spermatozoa

The objective of this study was to characterize acrosomal ultrastructure following discontinuous Percoll gradient centrifugation of cryopreserved bovine sperm. Semen was collected from six bulls of different breeds and three ejaculates per bull were evaluated. Frozen semen samples were thawed and the acrosomal region of sperm cells was evaluated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) before (n = 18) and after (n = 18) Percoll centrifugation. The evaluation of 20 sperm heads from each of the 36 samples analyzed ensured that a large number of cells were investigated. The data were subjected to analysis of variance at a level of significance of 5%. Percoll centrifugation reduced the percentage of sperm exhibiting normal acrosomes (from 61.77 to 30.24%), reduced the percentage of sperm presenting atypical acrosome reactions (from 28.38 to 4.84%) and increased the percentage of sperm exhibiting damage in the acrosome (from 6.14 to 64.26%). The percentage of sperm with typical acrosome reactions was not significantly different before (3.70%) and after (0.67%) centrifugation. TEM distinguished four different types of acrosomal status and enabled ultrastructural characterization of acrosomal injuries. The percentage of sperm exhibiting normal acrosomes decreased and damage in the acrosome was the most frequent acrosomal injury with the Percoll gradient centrifugation protocol utilized

Sperm preparation before freezing improves sperm motility and reduces apoptosis in post-freezing-thawing sperm compared with post-thawing sperm preparation

PURPOSE: To evaluate whether sperm preparation (swim-up technique) before freezing improves the percentages of sperm motility, sperm viability, and non-apoptotic spermatozoa after freezing-thawing process compared with preparation after cryopreservation. METHODS: Semen samples from 65 infertile males were equally divided into two aliquots one of which was processed for swim-up prior to cryopreservation and one of which was processed following cryopreservation. Sperm count, motility, and apoptosis index were measured in each group. RESULT (S): The total sperm count and the total motile sperm count decreased after thawing in both the pre-preparation and non-preparation groups compared with neat semen group (P < 0.001). Moreover, the percentage of apoptotic sperm in the pre-preparation group after cryopreservation was lower than that in the non-preparation group (P < 0.05), whereas the percentage of vital sperm with progressive motility was higher than that in the pre-preparation group (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION (S): Semen preparation by swim-up before freezing resulted in better sperm quality and fewer apoptotic sperm than sperm preparation after thawing. Therefore, sperm preparation before cryopreservation should be considered in routine sperm cryopreservation