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Animals
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Recent Advances in Mare Reproduction
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Recent Advances in Mare Reproduction

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Equids".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 4008

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Ana Amaral

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
CIISA—Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Animal Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Lisbon, 1300-477 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: reproduction; physiology; mare; equine endometrial fibrosis; embryology; histology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Equine reproduction holds significant economic importance, driving continuous advancements in reproductive technologies to optimize the reproductive capacity of mares. The unique reproductive characteristics of mares, including their estrous cycle, pregnancy development, and parturition, necessitate specialized veterinary approaches. Continuous evolution and improvement in reproductive techniques are essential to enhance mare reproductive performance.

Mares exhibit specific reproductive pathologies that require tailored veterinary interventions, highlighting the need for a dedicated focus on mare reproductive health. Advancing knowledge in reproductive infertility is crucial, encompassing both the physiological aspects and potential therapeutic approaches for reproductive disorders.

This Special Issue aims to showcase the latest advancements in mare reproduction, covering a broad spectrum of topics:

  1. Reproductive-Assisted Technologies: Innovations in techniques such as artificial insemination, embryo transfer, and in vitro fertilization.
  2. Reproductive Physiology: Insights into the unique physiological processes, including hormonal regulation, ovarian function, and uterine health.
  3. Reproductive Disorders: Exploration of common and emerging reproductive pathologies, including their diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment options.

This Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive understanding of mare reproduction. The continuous evolution of reproductive techniques and a deeper understanding of mare reproductive health are essential for improving reproductive outcomes and addressing the specific needs of mares.

Dr. Ana Amaral
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • mare
  • equine
  • reproduction
  • fertility
  • pregnancy
  • assisted reproductive technologies
  • reproductive physiology
  • reproductive disorders

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

14 pages, 1306 KiB  
Article
The Influence of Aspiration Pressure, Follicle Flushing Method and Needle Rotation During Single-Operator OPU Technique on Oocyte Recovery and Embryo Production in the Mare
by Juan Cuervo-Arango, Laura Sala-Ayala, Adrián Márquez-Moya and Rebeca Martínez-Boví
Animals 2025, 15(6), 832; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15060832 - 14 Mar 2025
Viewed by 2431
Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two aspiration pressures (75 vs. 150 mmHg), the follicle flushing method (injection pump controlled by a foot pedal vs. a plastic syringe) and the twisting of the OPU needle on oocyte recovery [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect of two aspiration pressures (75 vs. 150 mmHg), the follicle flushing method (injection pump controlled by a foot pedal vs. a plastic syringe) and the twisting of the OPU needle on oocyte recovery and in vitro embryo production. OPU data from a total of 104 warmblood sport mares belonging to a commercial OPU-ICSI program were collected as part of a prospective study split into three experiments. Each mare was used only once for OPU. In Experiment 1, the mares’ follicles were aspirated using either a high aspiration pressure (flow rate of 1.33 mL/s; n = 18) or low aspiration pressure (0.75 mL/s; n = 18); in Experiment 2, follicles were flushed using either a manual method (plastic syringe, n = 18) or an automatic method (injection pump controlled by a foot pedal, n = 18); and in Experiment 3, the follicles were aspirated by scraping the follicle wall with needle rotation (needle twisting, n = 16) or without needle rotation (control, n = 16). In all the experiments, the same OPU operator and technician searching oocytes were used, and the allocation of each mare to the different treatment groups was randomized. The overall mean oocyte recovery rate of the study was 54.2 ± 17.1%, and the mean number of embryos per OPU-ICSI session was 1.9 ± 1.6. The oocyte recovery rate was not influenced by any of the parameters investigated (p > 0.05). However, high aspiration pressure (150 mmHg) tended to yield oocytes with lower maturation (51.6%; p = 0.09) and blastocyst rates (20.6%; p = 0.08) following IVM and ICSI, respectively, compared with the low aspiration group (64.4% MII rate and 31.4% blastocyst rate). In conclusion, increasing aspiration pressure does not increase oocyte recovery. Furthermore, when a single operator performs the OPU (holding the ovary and handling the needle simultaneously), needle rotation to scrape the follicle wall does not improve oocyte recovery. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Mare Reproduction)
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14 pages, 1981 KiB  
Article
Effects of Interleukin-6 (IL-6) on In Vitro Cultured Equine Chorionic Girdle Cells
by Siqin Mu, Yingchao Shen, Hong Ren, Tseweendolmaa Ulaangerel, Minna Yi, Bilig Zhao, Asiya Hao, Qi Liu, Xin Wen, Manglai Dugarjaviin and Gerelchimeg Bou
Animals 2025, 15(3), 450; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030450 - 6 Feb 2025
Viewed by 599
Abstract
Introduction: Equine chorionic girdle cells can give rise to the endometrial cup, a structure that secretes equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). To date, the mechanisms underlying the proliferation, differentiation, invasion, and hormone secretion of equine chorionic girdle cells are not fully understood. During human [...] Read more.
Introduction: Equine chorionic girdle cells can give rise to the endometrial cup, a structure that secretes equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG). To date, the mechanisms underlying the proliferation, differentiation, invasion, and hormone secretion of equine chorionic girdle cells are not fully understood. During human pregnancy, interleukin-6 (IL-6) is maternally expressed to stimulate the invasion and migration of human syncytiotrophoblast cells and influence the synthesis of human chorionic gonadotropin. Although many previous studies reported the same upregulation of IL-6 during equine placentation, its effects on equine chorionic girdle cells have never been tested. Methods: In this study, we tested the effects of different concentrations of IL-6 on the morphology, differentiation, proliferation, hormone production, invasion, migration, and gene expression profiles of equine chorionic girdle cells. Results: We found that, with respect to morphology and proliferation, IL-6 had no significant effect; with respect to eCG production, 30 ng/mL IL-6 significantly increased the expression of genes related to eCG production, whereas treatment with 70 ng/mL IL-6 downregulated these genes. However, no significant increase in intracellular protein levels or eCG secretion was observed following treatment with any concentration of IL-6. Regarding cell migration and invasion, we found that IL-6 treatment had no significant effect on the migration capability of equine chorionic girdle cells but did enhance the invasion capability of equine chorionic girdle cells and upregulated the expression of the invasion-related genes, Mmp2 and Mmp9. Finally, our transcriptomic study revealed that in equine chorionic girdle cells, IL-6 treatment mainly affected the expression of genes related to the NOD-like receptor signaling pathway and the JAK–STAT signaling pathways, which are involved in immune and inflammatory responses. Conclusions: In summary, this study demonstrates the positive effects of IL-6 on the cytokine secretion and invasive ability of equine chorionic girdle cells. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Mare Reproduction)
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