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Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals

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A special issue of Veterinary Sciences (ISSN 2306-7381). This special issue belongs to the section "Veterinary Reproduction and Obstetrics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 February 2025 | Viewed by 13435

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Dr. Debora Groppetti

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Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan, Via dell’ Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy
Interests: small animal reproduction; gynecology; andrology and obstetric; environmental impact on reproduction; neonatology; fetal biometry and pregnancy monitoring; mammary tumors; acupuncture in veterinary reproduction; sexual development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The planet's environmental conditions are attracting more and more attention in public opinion. Particularly concerning consequences on human and animal health are due to changes in the climate and pollution exposure. It is well known that global warming and environmental pollutants, e.g., plastic derivatives such as endocrine disruptor chemicals, besides to acting as predisposing factors for certain types of disfunctions and tumors, also negatively affect reproductive processes. In fact, environment can interfere with the development of sperm, oocytes, fetus and placenta, resulting in reduced pregnancy rate, subfertility and cryptorchidism. Despite its relevance, to date only few studies in animals focused on this topic. To fill the gap, this Special Issue aims to gather scientific evidence on the environmental impact on the reproductive parameters of domestic animals (both of zootechnical interest or pet), allowing for a better understanding of the risks related to environmental exposure on fertility. An increasing awareness of potential environmental hazards can contribute to implement strategies to mitigate their effects on animals which in turn can represent a study model for humans.

Dr. Debora Groppetti
Guest Editor

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Keywords

environment
reproduction
ferility
cryptorchidism
pollution
endocrine disruptor chemicals
phthalates
bisphenol
plastic
season
temperature
umidity
sheep
goat
cattle
dog
cat
horse
pig

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 696 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Color Doppler Ultrasonographic Examination of Ovarian Grafts in Goats

by Antonio Renilson Sousa Vieira, Francisco Carlos de Sousa, Celso Henrique Souza Costa Barros, Maria Janiele Santana, Benner Geraldo Alves and Dárcio Ítalo Alves Teixeira

Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(11), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11110580 - 19 Nov 2024

Viewed by 472

Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of color Doppler ultrasonography for examination of the blood flow areas in superficial grafts after 7 or 15 days of heterotopic allotransplantation, comparing an in-ear subcutaneous area (IE) with an in-neck cervical intramuscular area (IN) in goats. To monitor the local blood flow in the graft areas, color Doppler signals were assessed daily until days seven and fifteen, when the left and right implants, respectively, were removed. The areas of blood flow around the transplanted ovarian fragments were significantly larger (p < 0.05) in the IE area compared to the IN area after 7 (IE: 4.70 ± 0.33^A vs. IN: 3.67 ± 0.33^B) and 15 (IE: 5.27 ± 0.21^A vs. IN: 4.66 ± 0.22^B) days of transplantation. A positive and significant correlation was observed between the area of blood flow and the day of assessment after 7 (IE: r = 0.43; p < 0.05) and 15 (IE: r = 0.52; p = 0.001; IN: r = 0.42; p = 0.001) days of transplantation. In conclusion, color Doppler ultrasonography can be used for real-time assessment of local blood perfusion in ovarian grafts, making it possible to identify alterations in the blood flow area in the period following a transplant procedure. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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13 pages, 13371 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Mycotoxin Metabolites Deepoxy-Deoxynivalenol and Beta-Zearalenol on Bovine Preimplantation Embryo Development in the Presence of Acetonitrile

by J. Gačnikar, J. Mrkun, J. Babič, M. Sterniša and M. Zakošek Pipan

Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(6), 267; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11060267 - 11 Jun 2024

Viewed by 1485

Abstract

The quality of animal feed is increasingly affected by weather conditions, high humidity, and damage to grains, which have led to various mycotoxin-producing moulds. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the combination of deepoxy-deoxynivalenol and beta-zearalenol on the development of preimplantation bovine embryos, the extent to which the presence of both mycotoxin metabolites affects the development of in vitro cultured bovine embryos, or whether the effect of both toxins enhances embryotoxicity. Ovaries were transported from the abattoir to the laboratory and, after maturation and fertilisation, zygotes were placed in an embryo culture medium (IVC) with different mycotoxin metabolite concentrations diluted in acetonitrile. It was found that the blastocyst rate of cleaved embryos was affected by 1 μL acetonitrile in 400 μL medium (0.25%) compared to the group without acetonitrile. For this reason, it was decided to use acetonitrile as a control group, and the desired mycotoxin metabolite concentrations were diluted in the lowest possible amount of acetonitrile (0.5 μL) that could be accurately added to the study groups. There was no statistical difference when the higher mycotoxin metabolite concentrations were added. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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15 pages, 2123 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Plasma γ-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) Concentrations in Lactating Holstein Cows during Thermoneutral and Heat Stress Conditions and Their Relationships with Circulating Glucose, Insulin and Progesterone Levels

by Alicia G. Arneson, Jacob W. Stewart, MaryKate H. Byrd, George A. Perry and Michelle L. Rhoads

Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(3), 137; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11030137 - 21 Mar 2024

Viewed by 2667

Abstract

Heat-stressed lactating dairy cattle exhibit unique metabolic symptoms, many of which are undoubtedly involved in heat-induced subfertility. Because of its known systemic effects, we hypothesized that γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) participates in the regulation of insulin and progesterone during heat stress. Multiparous lactating Holstein cows (n = 6) were studied during four experimental periods: (1) thermoneutral (TN; d 1–5), (2) TN + hyperinsulinemic–hypoglycemic clamp (d 6–10), (3) heat stress (HS; d 16–20), and (4) HS + euglycemic clamp (d 21–25). Blood samples were collected once daily via coccygeal venipuncture into heparinized evacuated tubes. Analysis of GABA concentrations from all four treatment periods yielded no differences. In direct comparison to TN concentrations, plasma GABA tended to decrease during the HS period (16.57 ± 2.64 vs. 13.87 ± 2.28 ng/mL, respectively, p = 0.06). Both milk production and plasma insulin were moderately correlated with plasma GABA (r = 0.35, p < 0.01; r = −0.32, p < 0.01). Plasma progesterone was correlated with plasma GABA concentrations during TN but not HS periods. These results are the first to indicate that peripheral GABA could be involved in the regulation of factors known to affect production and reproduction during heat stress. More research is needed to determine its precise role(s). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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Figure 1
Visual representation of the experimental design. Cows (n = 6) were subjected to four experimental periods: (1) thermoneutral (TN; d 1–5), (2) TN + hyperinsulinemic–hypoglycemic clamp (HHC; d 6–10), (3) HS (d 16–20), and (4) HS + euglycemic clamp (EC; d 21–25). Cows were acclimated to tie stall housing and experimental procedures from d −3 to −1. Days 11 to 15 of the experiment served as a period for acclimation to HS. Full article ">Figure 2
Plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations for all four experimental periods (TN = thermoneutral, HHC = hyperinsulinemic–hypoglycemic clamp, HS = heat stress, EC = euglycemic clamp). Different point styles and colors represent different individual cows, as represented in the figure legend. The gray box represents the model-estimated means (center line) for each group and their associated 95% confidence intervals. There were no significant differences detected when all four periods were included in the analysis (p = 0.11). Full article ">Figure 3
Plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations by period for the thermoneutral (TN) and heat stress (HS) periods only. Points of different shapes and colors represent different cows. Small points show the raw data. Large points show the raw mean values for each cow. The gray box represents the model-estimated means (center line) for each group and their associated 95% confidence intervals. Plasma GABA during HS tended to be reduced compared to the TN period (p = 0.06). Full article ">Figure 4
Correlogram showing the correlations between plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration, plasma progesterone (P4) concentration, daily feed intake, average daily respiration rates (RR), average daily rectal temperatures (RT), and daily milk production in kilograms and the plasma insulin concentration. The bottom half of the graph shows scatterplots of each variable against the others, and the top half shows the Pearson correlation coefficient for each pairing. A correlation value marked with * shows that the p-value is <0.05; *** shows that the p-value is <0.01. The diagonal shows a density plot representative of the distribution of each variable. Full article ">Figure 5
The linear fit of total daily milk production in kilograms versus plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentration from all four experimental periods. Plasma GABA was a significant predictor of milk production, but not sufficient by itself to explain a substantial portion of the variability in milk production. Full article ">Figure 6
The linear fit of daily plasma insulin concentrations versus daily plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) concentrations including data points from all four experimental periods. The two are poorly correlated and plasma GABA is not explanatory for a substantial portion of variability in plasma insulin concentrations. Full article ">Figure 7
The linear fit of blood glucose versus plasma γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from day 5 of the thermoneutral (TN) and heat stress (HS) periods. No other samples were included because glucose measurements were only collected concurrently with GABA measurements on these days. This comparison yielded a moderate correlation, and the model including baseline GABA was significantly better than the intercept-only model. Full article ">

12 pages, 1325 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Locomotion Score and Postpartum Conception in Jersey Cows Raised under Hot–Humid Tropical Conditions: A Prospective Study

by Karina Vilés, Andrés García, Octavio Rugel and Nahim Jorgge

Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(3), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11030102 - 27 Feb 2024

Viewed by 2706

Abstract

Reproductive physiology is one of the first systems which is altered when an animal suffers from an imbalance. This is crucial in tropical dairy farming, where maintaining homeostasis and production is particularly demanding. Lameness is a disorder commonly identified by impaired walking, but its early diagnosis could reduce the negative repercussions on production, welfare, and postpartum conception. To evaluate the effect of lameness on postpartum conception, a prospective observational cohort study with a cross-sectional design was developed. Fifty-two Jersey milking cows raised under hot–humid tropical conditions were scored using a five-point locomotion scoring (LS) system (1—non-lame, 2—slightly lame, 3—moderately lame, 4—lame, and 5—severely lame), considering scores ≥ 3 to indicate clinical lameness. Inseminations per conception and days open (CCI) were registered. Inseminations were similar in animals scoring 1, 2, 3, and 5, while they increased in cows with a score of 4, which also increased their CCI along with animals that scored 5. Positive correlations were observed between LS and reproductive variables. The herd’s conception rate was reduced from 45% to 21.8% in the presence of clinical lameness (score ≥ 3). Applying the LS system should be essential as part of routine medical examinations used to monitor dairy herds, and it becomes even more crucial under hot–humid tropical environments, where adverse conditions could rapidly aggravate the early stages of lameness and not only increase the costs of hoof care, but also delay fertility in cattle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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9 pages, 507 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Effect of Month and District on 100-Day In-Calf Rate in Year-Round Calving Dairy Herds

by Isabella S. C. Rynia, John K. House and Luke Ingenhoff

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(9), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10090550 - 2 Sep 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1287

Abstract

Monitoring 100-day in-calf rate (100DICR) is an integral part of the assessment of reproductive performance in year-round calving dairy herds. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of month on 100DICR in year-round calving herds in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and determine whether a fluctuating 100DICR target is an appropriate alternative to a constant 100DICR target. The 100DICR is defined as the percentage of all current lactating cows over 100 days in milk (DIM) that conceive on or before 100 DIM. As dairy cows are typically dried off 7 months after conception, 100DICR was an approximate 7-month rolling average. Mean monthly 100DICRs were calculated with a generalised linear model for six NSW north coast herds located 15–140 km from the coast and four NSW south coast herds located less than 10 km from the coast, over a two-year period. The mean 100DICR was lowest in May at 28.62% (95%CI 28.31–28.93) and increased during winter and spring, peaking in December at 34.74% (95%CI 34.32–35.15). The observed trend was similar for north and south coast herds, although north coast herds experienced a greater change in 100DICR from the peak to a nadir of 27.58% (95%CI 27.18–27.98), a 7.15-point difference, compared to south coast herds with a nadir of 30.18% (95%CI 29.69–30.67), a 4.67-point difference between the peak and nadir. In conclusion, 100DICR is affected by month with the lowest 100DICRs observed in late autumn and the highest 100DICRs observed in late spring and early summer. Therefore, a fluctuating target 100DICR is an appropriate alternative to a constant target when assessing reproductive performance in year-round calving herds. While the district does not affect mean 100DICR per se, the district does affect the difference between peak and nadir 100DICR. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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11 pages, 1124 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Pregnant Dogs: Maternal and Newborn Cotinine Levels: A Pilot Study

by Giulia Pizzi, Silvia Michela Mazzola, Alessandro Pecile, Valerio Bronzo and Debora Groppetti

Vet. Sci. 2023, 10(5), 321; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10050321 - 28 Apr 2023

Viewed by 2366

Abstract

Active and passive smoking in pregnant women is associated with perinatal morbidity and mortality risk, including abortion, preterm birth, low birthweight, and malformations. No data are available on intrauterine exposure to smoking during pregnancy in dogs. This study aimed to fill this gap by exploring the detectability and quantity of cotinine, the major metabolite of nicotine, in maternal (serum and hair) and newborn (amniotic fluid and hair) biospecimens collected at birth in dogs. For this purpose, twelve pregnant bitches, six exposed to the owner’s smoke and six unexposed, were enrolled. A further six non-pregnant bitches exposed to passive smoke were included to investigate the role of pregnancy status on cotinine uptake. Exposed dogs, dams, and puppies had greater cotinine concentrations than unexposed ones. Although without statistical significance, serum and hair cotinine concentrations were higher in pregnant compared to non-pregnant bitches, suggesting a different sensitivity to tobacco smoke exposure during gestation. The present results provide evidence for cotinine transplacental passage in the dog. It is conceivable that fragile patients such as pregnant, lactating, and neonate dogs may be more susceptible to the harmful effects of second-hand smoke exposure. Owners should be sensitized to the risk of smoke exposure for their pets. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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Review

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25 pages, 980 KiB

Open AccessReview

Advances in the Effects of Heat Stress on Ovarian Granulosa Cells: Unveiling Novel Ferroptosis Pathways

by Zhen Zhu, Jiang Wu, Yuguo Wen, Xiaocheng Wu, Huimingda Bao, Min Wang and Kai Kang

Vet. Sci. 2024, 11(10), 464; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci11100464 - 1 Oct 2024

Viewed by 976

Abstract

Heat stress has been one of the key research areas for researchers due to the wide-ranging effects and complex mechanisms of action of its stress product reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of this paper is to comprehensively review and summarize the effects of heat stress on ovarian granulosa cells and their mechanism of action. We systematically reviewed the effects of heat stress on ovarian granulosa cells, including intracellular steroid hormone changes, oxidative stress, apoptosis, and mitochondrial function. Meanwhile, this paper discusses in detail several major mechanisms by which heat stress induces apoptosis in ovarian granulosa cells, such as through the activation of apoptosis-related genes, induction of endoplasmic reticulum stress, and the mitochondrial pathway. In addition, we analyzed the mechanism of ferroptosis in ovarian granulosa cells under heat stress conditions, summarized the potential association between heat stress and ferroptosis in light of the existing literature, and explored the key factors in the mechanism of action of heat stress, such as the signaling pathways of Nrf2/Keap1, HSPs, and JNK, and analyzed their possible roles in the process of ferroptosis. Finally, this paper provides an outlook on the future research direction, describing the possible interaction between heat stress and ferroptosis, with a view to providing a theoretical basis for further understanding and revealing the complex mechanism of ferroptosis occurrence in ovarian granulosa cells under heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals)

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