Summary: MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small endogenous molecules that are involved in a diverse of cellular process. However, little is known about their abundance in bovine oocytes and their surrounding cumulus cells during oocyte development. To elucidate this situation, we investigated the relative expression pattern of sets of miRNAs between bovine oocyte and the surrounding cumulus cells duringin vitromaturation using miRNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR) array. Results revealed that a total of 47 and 51 miRNAs were highly abundant in immature and matured oocytes, respectively, compared with their surrounding cumulus cells. Furthermore, expression analysis of six miRNAs enriched in oocyte miR-205, miR-150, miR-122, miR-96, miR-146a and miR-146b-5p at different maturation times showed a dramatic decrease in abundance from 0 h to 22 h of maturation. The expression of the same miRNAs in preimplantation stage embryos was found to be highly abundant in early stages of embryo development and decreased after the 8-cell stage to the blastocyst stage following a typical maternal transcript profile. Similar results were obtained by localization of miR-205 in preimplantation stage embryos, in which signals were higher up to the 4-cell stage and reduced thereafter. miR-205 and miR-210 were localizedin situin ovarian follicles and revealed a spatio-temporal expression during follicular development. Interestingly, the presence or absence of oocytes or cumulus cells during maturation was found to affect the expression of miRNAs in each of the two cell types. Hence, our results showed the presence of distinct sets of miRNAs in oocytes or cumulus cells and the presence of their dynamic degradation during bovine oocyte maturation.

The present study aims to investigate the protective effects of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) on doxorubicin-induced testicular injury. Forty mature male rats were randomly allocated into four equal groups: G1 (control), G2 (3 mg per kg BW of zinc oxide nanoparticles was administered), G3 (6 mg per kg BW of doxorubicin was intraperitoneally injected), and G4 (doxorubicin + ZnO NPs). Some fertility parameters, antioxidant status, genotoxicity assay, and a histopathological examination were used for this investigation. The doxorubicin-treated group showed a significant decrease in the index weight of reproductive organs, epididymal sperm count, motility%, and live sperm% and a significant increase in sperm abnormalities. Moreover, GSH and CAT activities were significantly decreased, and MDA content was significantly increased in the doxorubicin-treated group. Interestingly, co-administration of ZnO NPs significantly reduced the doxorubicin-induced changes in the investigated parameters. In addition, ZnO NPs alone did not show any undesirable effects on the sperm parameters, testis or DNA. However, its administration improves the reproductive parameters and significantly increases the testosterone level. We concluded that the administration of ZnO NPs at 3 mg per kg BW ameliorated the testicular toxicity and genotoxicity caused by doxorubicin through its antioxidant and androgenic activity.

Epidemiological studies showed the association between air pollution and dementia. A soluble fraction of particulate matters including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is suspected to be involved with the adverse effects of air pollution on the central nervous system of humans. It is also reported that exposure to benzopyrene (B[a]P), which is one of the PAHs, caused deterioration of neurobehavioral performance in workers. The present study investigated the effect of B[a]P on noradrenergic and serotonergic axons in mouse brains. In total, 48 wild-type male mice (10 weeks of age) were allocated into 4 groups and exposed to B[a]P at 0, 2.88, 8.67 or 26.00 µg/mice, which is approximately equivalent to 0.12, 0.37 and 1.12 mg/kg bw, respectively, by pharyngeal aspiration once/week for 4 weeks. The density of noradrenergic and serotonergic axons was evaluated by immunohistochemistry in the hippocampal CA1 and CA3 areas. Exposure to B[a]P at 2.88 µg/mice or more decreased the density of noradrenergic or serotonergic axons in the CA1 area and the density of noradrenergic axons in the CA3 area in the hippocampus of mice. Furthermore, exposure to B[a]P dose-dependently upregulated Tnfα at 8.67 µg/mice or more, as well as upregulating Il-1β at 26 µg/mice, Il-18 at 2.88 and 26 µg/mice and Nlrp3 at 2.88 µg/mice. The results demonstrate that exposure to B[a]P induces degeneration of noradrenergic or serotonergic axons and suggest the involvement of proinflammatory or inflammation-related genes with B[a]P-induced neurodegeneration.

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of dietary supplementation of different levels of vitamin C (VC) in broiler chicken reared under high stocking density on the growth performance, blood biochemical parameters and the expression of heat shock protein genes. A total of 150, one day old mixed sex broiler chicks (Cobb 500) were randomly distributed in five equal groups. Group1 was reared in normal stocking density (10.6 birds/m2) and fed on the basal diet (BD) without VC (control). While, chicks in other groups (2, 3, 4 and 5) reared in high stocking density (15.6 birds/m2) and fed on BD supplemented with VC at 0, 200, 400 and 600 mg / kg diet, respectively. Birds reared in high stocking density showed a reduction of the final body weight and total feed intake, with high mortality (6.6%). Moreover, they revealed a significant up-regulation of HSP70 mRNA and elevated HSP90 and HSF1 mRNA expression in heart and liver tissue. Graded dietary levels of VC provided variable protection against the hazard of high density through improved final body weight and total feed intake, decreased the mortality % and downregulated liver HSP70 expression level. However, the best performance was observed in birds supplemented with 200 mg/kg VC (group 3).Key words: chicks' growth performance; gene expression; stocking density; vitamin C

| Goats are preferred as a source of good quality meat and milk. Their production efficiency can be improved and increased by introducing highly fecundity goats. The aim of this study was to investigate the polymorphism of BMP15 fecundity gene by PCR-RFLP and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in four goat breeds in Egypt (Zaraibi, Baladi, Damascus, and Alpine) and their association with litter size. The genomic DNA was extracted from the whole blood, and 141 base pair fragment encoding BMP15 exon 2 was amplified, purified and sequenced. The sequencing data analysis revealed four SNPs for high litter size does and three SNPs in low litter size. Three SNPs in BMP15 exon 2 at nucleotide position 757 A>C, 762 G>A and 769 G>C in Alpine, Zaraibi, and Baladi respectively. These nucleotide changes associated with amino acid substitution. Furthermore, one novel non-synonymous mutation has been detected in all higher litter size studied goat breeds and lead to change amino acid where Glutamic acid>Glutamine. The SNPs and amino acid substitutions were detected and repeated in higher and lower litter size animals, which can be used as marker-assisted selection for both traits in the four goat breeds under study.