Biomedical subjects

K J McLaughlin

Publications and source records attributed to K J McLaughlin.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1990

In vitro embryo culture in the production of identical merino lambs by nuclear transplantation.

This study examined the viability of embryos developed in vitro from 8- to 16-cell stage blastomeres fused with enucleated oocytes. Of 209 blastomeres recovered and subjected to manipulation and electrofusion procedures, 190 (91%) fused successfully, with 86 (45%) of those undergoing cleavage up to the 4- to 16-cell stage when cultured for 66 h in a synthetic oviduct fluid medium. The viability of the embryos was examined by transferring them to recipient ewes and determining the ewes' pregnancy status by ultrasound on Day 45. Of 86 embryos transferred, 14 developed to fetuses in 8 of the 36 recipients, including four sets of identical twins and one set of quads. In contrast, with uncultured and unmanipulated embryos, 15 fetuses developed from 19 embryos transferred at a similar stage of development. The viability of embryos derived from manipulated zygotes cultured in vitro was comparable to that previously reported for studies employing in vivo culture, indicating the potential of in vitro culture systems based on a simple medium for nuclear-transplantation embryos.

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PubMed1990

In vitro assessment of the viability of sheep zygotes after pronuclear microinjection.

Microinjected sheep zygotes were cultured in synthetic oviduct fluid medium (SOFM) for either 1 or 3 days and their subsequent developmental capacity was compared with that of microinjected zygotes cultured in vivo. Two experiments were carried out, using zygotes microinjected with one of three gene constructs containing the CysE and CysM genes from Salmonella typhimurium. In Experiment 1, microinjected zygotes were allocated to one of three treatments: (1) immediate transfer to recipient ewes (in vivo culture) followed by recollection 1 or 3 days later and subsequent transfer of viable embryos to other recipient ewes, (2) culture in SOFM (in vitro culture) for either 1 or 3 days before transfer to recipient ewes, and (3) immediate transfer to recipient ewes without subsequent interference. Recipient ewes were slaughtered on Day 14 of pregnancy and the number of elongated conceptuses determined. Although fewer zygotes failed to divide during in vitro culture than during in vivo culture, there were, overall, no significant differences between treatments in the percentage of zygotes that developed into elongated conceptuses (32.6-50.0%). In Experiment 2, microinjected zygotes were transferred immediately to recipient ewes or cultured in vitro for either 1 or 3 days before transfer. The number of fetuses per ewe on Day 50 of pregnancy and the number of lambs delivered per ewe were recorded. Neither the percentage of recipient ewes that became pregnant (overall 114/166, 68.7%) nor the percentage of zygotes that developed into lambs (overall 186/803, 23.2%) was significantly influenced by the culture treatment or by the gene construct microinjected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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PubMed1989

Zona drilling increases the penetrability of rat oocytes matured in vitro.

Immature rat follicular oocytes were cultured either with cumulus cells intact (CI) or cumulus-free (CF) in bovine serum albumin (BSA)- or serum-supplemented medium under conditions in which meiotic maturation occurs spontaneously. After 12 h of culture to permit in vitro maturation (IVM), the cumulus cells were stripped from the CI group. Control oocytes recovered 2-4 h after ovulation from oviducts of pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin (PMSG)-treated rats were similarly stripped of cumulus cells. Half the oocytes in each group had holes "drilled" in their zonae pellucidae by topical application of acid Tyrode's solution with a micropipette to enable bypass of the zona barrier to penetration. They were cultured for a further 14-16 h with epididymal sperm and then were assessed for sperm penetration and pronuclear formation. In a preliminary study using various concentration of sperm, 50,000 sperm/ml was identified as an appropriate concentration and was used in all subsequent experiments. For oocytes matured in serum-supplemented medium, penetration rates of non-drilled oocytes-expressed as a percentage of oocytes exposed to sperm for CF, CI, and ovulated oocytes were 10%, 34%, and 80%, respectively (p less than 0.01). Drilling significantly increased the penetration rates of both IVM groups (CF: 40%, CI: 77%) but not of ovulated oocytes (78%). Forty-one percent of non-drilled CF oocytes failed to form normal pronuclei after penetration. This was significantly higher than either the CI (0%) or ovulated (1%) groups (p less than 0.001). Drilling increased the incidence of failure to form normal pronuclei in penetrated oocytes of the CF group (64%) but not of the CI or ovulated groups.2z=

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PubMed1988

Comparison of zona cutting and zona drilling as techniques for assisted fertilization in the mouse.

Zona cutting and zona drilling of the mouse oocyte significantly increased the fertilization rate (3.8-90%) at low sperm concentrations (less than 200,000/ml) compared with zona-intact controls (0-45%). More oocytes were fertilized after zona drilling. Zona cutting was associated with a low loss of oocytes (less than 1%), no increase in polyspermy and normal development in vitro and in vivo after fertilization. There was a 4% oocyte loss rate after zona drilling, mostly due to extrusion of the oocyte from the zona during the procedure. Hatching of blastocysts occurred about 12 h earlier for zona-drilled than for zona-cut and zona-intact control oocytes. Zona drilling was associated with a higher, but not statistically significant, rate of polyspermy at all sperm concentrations tested. The proportion of zygotes developing to the blastocyst stage was not different between the techniques (zona cut, 77%; zona drilled, 66%; control, 71%). Similarly, no difference was found in the percentage of embryos implanting after blastocyst transfer to the uterine horns of pseudopregnant female mice (zona cut, 67%; zona drilled, 68%; control, 77%). Transmission electron microscopy demonstrated the induced defects in the zona with no damage to the oocyte or oolemma. Parthenogenetic activation was not seen after either of the micromanipulative techniques. Both techniques have promise for application to the human.

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PubMed1984

A study of atherosclerosis regression in Macaca mulatta. V. Changes in abdominal aorta and carotid and coronary arteries from animals with atherosclerosis induced for 38 months and then regressed for 24 or 48 months at plasma cholesterol concentrations of 300 or 200 mg/dl.

Young adult male rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) were fed an atherogenic diet for 38 months. After 38 months of atherosclerosis induction, a baseline group was selected and necropsied to determine the extent and severity of atherosclerosis before regression regimens were begun. The remaining animals were fed diets that varied in cholesterol concentration in order to maintain plasma cholesterol concentrations of approximately 200 or 300 mg/dl for either 24 or 48 months. The progression or regression of atherosclerosis in coronary arteries, abdominal aorta, and carotid arteries was determined by comparing them to the baseline group. Coronary artery atherosclerosis regressed in the majority of animals after 4 years but not after 2 years when plasma cholesterol concentrations were about 200 mg/dl. Among the animals maintained at plasma cholesterol concentrations of about 300 mg/dl, about half the animals progressed in the extent of coronary artery atherosclerosis while about half regressed. The majority of the animals that progressed in lesion extent were genetic hyperresponders to dietary cholesterol whereas those that regressed were predominantly hyporesponders, even though their plasma lipid concentrations were equivalent during the regression phase. The changes seen in atherosclerosis extent in the abdominal aorta were quite similar to the changes seen in coronary arteries. Changes at this site were not pronounced after 2 years, but after 4 years animals with plasma cholesterol concentrations of about 300 mg/dl progressed while the animals at 200 mg/dl were mostly unchanged. No evidence for atherosclerosis regression was found in the common carotid arteries or in the carotid bifurcations.

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