It is widely held that mammalian cumulus cell (CC) expansion requires oocyte-paracrine
signalling, however in three of the four species studied to date, CC expansion occurs in the …

Obesity is associated with a diverse set of metabolic disorders, and has reproductive
consequences that are complex and not well understood. The adipose tissue-produced …

BACKGROUND Bone morphogenetic protein-15 (BMP-15) has been shown to influence
oocyte maturation and quality. However, no relationship has been established between …

Reproductive function in mammals, defined as the capacity to generate viable male and
female gametes, and to support pregnancy and lactation selectively in the female, is …

This study investigated associations between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the
leptin, leptin receptor, and neuropeptide Y (NPY) genes with growth, milk production, and …

The physiological mechanisms that control energy balance are reciprocally linked to those
that control reproduction, and together, these mechanisms optimize reproductive success …

The series of events associated with oocyte growth and maturation determines the oocyte's
ability to undergo successful fertilization, cleavage and embryonic development. Among the …

As an essential function for perpetuation of species, reproduction, including puberty onset, is
sensitive to the size of body energy stores and the metabolic state of the organism …

Adipokines are mainly produced by adipose tissue; however, their expression has been
reported in other organs including female reproductive tissues. Therefore, adipokines have …

During the past 6 years, considerable advancement has been achieved in experimental
embryology of pigs. This process was mainly generated by the rapidly increasing need for …