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Analysis of Chromosome Segregation, Histone Acetylation, and Spindle Morphology in Horse Oocytes
Published on: May 11, 2017
Assessing the Influence of Maternal Age in Bovine Embryos and Oocytes: A Model for Human Reproductive Aging
Aleksander Franciszek Butkiewicz1, Ana Amaral2,3, Marta Cerveira-Pinto2,3
1Department of Basic and Preclinical Sciences, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska 1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
Abstract:
In the first weeks after fertilization, embryo mortality in cattle is significantly higher. It is well known that the age of the dam is one of the crucial factors affecting the quality of embryos and oocytes in many mammalian species. In older cattle, there are several evidences that embryo quality decreases, due to a decrease in ovarian reserve, a decrease in mtDNA and ATP, a decrease in progesterone levels, and due to susceptibility to genetic mutations. Herein, we intend to provide an updated summary of recent research on the effects of maternal age on embryos and oocytes of domestic cattle which are a widely used model species for human oocytes and early embryonic development.
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