title: Ultrastructure of Cell Organelles in Pre-implantation Embryos from Cows with Different Body Condition Score.
abstract: Morphology of important cell organelles (mitochondria, lipid droplets, vacuoles, inclusion bodies and apoptotic bodies) in embryos derived from cows with different body condition score (BCS) was analysed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Embryos were recovered on 7th day after the insemination by a standard non-surgical flushing of the uterine horns from superovulated Holstein Friesian cows with BCS 2, 3, 4 and 5. Thereafter, the good quality blastocysts were processed for TEM. The electronograms were evaluated by stereological analysis. The relative volume of lipid droplets in BCS4 and BCS5 embryos increased significantly (18.53 and 22.40%) when compared to BCS3 embryos (5.46%). In the embryos from the BCS4 or BCS5 cows, we observed different morphological patterns of mitochondria, as well as the mitochondria containing vacuoles. BCS4 and BCS5 embryo cell nuclei showed the structure typical for low transcription activity (none or very few reticular nucleoli); also dilated inter-cellular spaces were often observed in these embryos. In conclusion, differences in the ultrastructural morphology of embryos from over-conditioned cows (BCS4 and BCS5), particularly the higher lipid content in the cytoplasm, can be a marker of their low quality, and this fact can be a contributing factor to subfertility in over-conditioned cows.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecka 2, 95141, Lužianky-near-Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Olexiková
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecka 2, 95141, Lužianky-near-Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pivko
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecka 2, 95141, Lužianky-near-Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Makarevich
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecka 2, 95141, Lužianky-near-Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kubovičová
authors.affiliation: Pavol Jozef Šafarik University in Košice, Clinics of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Tr. SNP 1, 040 11, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ostró
authors.affiliation: Technical University of Košice, Institute of Security and Biomedical Engineering, Letná 9, 042 00, Košice, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Živčák
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Animal Production Nitra, National Agricultural and Food Centre, Hlohovecka 2, 95141, Lužianky-near-Nitra, Slovak Republic.|Slovak University of Agriculture, Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science, Tr.A.Hlinku 1, 94901, Nitra, Slovak Republic.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chrenek
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002417:Cattle / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000502:physiology; D000067128:Extracellular Vesicles / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005260:Female; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D066292:Lipid Droplets / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D008854:Microscopy, Electron / Q000662:veterinary*; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D011247:Pregnancy; D014617:Vacuoles / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids