ORCID Profile
0000-0001-9732-1713
Current Organisations
University of Adelaide
,
Fertility SA
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Publisher: MDPI AG
Date: 14-09-2022
Abstract: While critical for male fertility preservation, cryopreservation damage reduces sperm quality and fertilization potential. This study investigated whether the addition of mitochondrial-targeted, antioxidant compounds, also known as Mitochondrial activators, to the cryopreservation medium could protect sperm quality during cryopreservation. For this, semen s les from men undergoing IVF/ICSI treatment, which were donated for research, underwent cryopreservation in the absence or presence of BGP-15, MitoQ and L-carnitine. Fresh semen and thawed sperm s les from the same participant were analyzed for indicators of sperm quality: sperm viability, kinetics, mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, Mitochondrial Membrane Potential (MMP) and DNA damage. Cryopreservation significantly reduced sperm viability and motility and predicted mucous penetration. BGP-15, MitoQ and L-carnitine improved sperm motility, whilst the addition of L-Carnitine prevented the loss of sperm viability during cryopreservation. Both BGP-15 and L-carnitine reduced sperm DNA oxidative damage, but only BGP-15 significantly reduced DNA fragmentation. More importantly, BGP-15 increased sperm predictive mucous penetration and MMP and reduced DNA oxidation. Our results show that the addition of BGP-15 or L-carnitine to the cryopreservation medium improves sperm quality post-thawing, highlighting the potential of mitochondrial antioxidants to improve long-term fertility preservation in males.
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 07-09-2022
DOI: 10.1101/2022.09.06.506861
Abstract: Can artificial intelligence distinguish between euploid and aneuploid cells within the inner cell mass of mouse embryos using brightfield images? A deep morphological signature (DMS) generated by deep learning followed by swarm intelligence and discriminative analysis can identify the ploidy state of inner cell mass (ICM) in the mouse blastocyst-stage embryo. The presence of aneuploidy – a deviation from the expected number of chromosomes – is predicted to cause early pregnancy loss or congenital disorders. To date, available techniques to detect embryo aneuploidy in IVF clinics involve an invasive biopsy of trophectoderm cells or a non-invasive analysis of cell-free DNA from spent media. These approaches, however, are not specific to the ICM and will consequently not always give an accurate indication of the presence of aneuploid cells with known ploidy therein. The effect of aneuploidy on the morphology of ICMs from mouse embryos was studied using images taken using a standard brightfield microscope. Aneuploidy was induced using the spindle assembly checkpoint inhibitor, reversine (n = 13 euploid and n = 9 aneuploid). The morphology of primary human fibroblast cells with known ploidy was also assessed. Two models were applied to investigate whether the morphological details captured by brightfield microscopy could be used to identify aneuploidy. First, primary human fibroblasts with known karyotypes (two euploid and trisomy: 21, 18, 13, 15, 22, XXX and XXY) were imaged. An advanced methodology of deep learning followed by swarm intelligence and discriminative analysis was used to train a deep morphological signature (DMS). Testing of the DMS demonstrated that there are common cellular features across different forms of aneuploidy detectable by this approach. Second, the same approach was applied to ICM images from control and reversine treated embryos. Karyotype of ICMs was confirmed by mechanical dissection and whole genome sequencing. The DMS for discriminating euploid and aneuploid fibroblasts had an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.89. The presence of aneuploidy also had a strong impact on ICM morphology (AUC-ROC = 0.98). Aneuploid fibroblasts treated with reversine and projected onto the DMS space mapped with untreated aneuploid fibroblasts, supported that the DMS is sensitive to aneuploidy in the ICMs, and not a non-specific effect of the reversine treatment. Consistent findings in different contexts suggests that the role of chance low. N/A Confirmation of this approach in humans is necessary for translation. The application of deep learning followed by swarm intelligence and discriminative analysis for the development of a DMS to detect euploidy and aneuploidy in the ICM has high potential for clinical implementation as the only equipment it requires is a brightfield microscope, which are already present in any embryology laboratory. This makes it a low cost, a non-invasive approach compared to other types of pre-implantation genetic testing for aneuploidy. This study gives proof of concept for a novel strategy with the potential to enhance the treatment efficacy and prognosis capability for infertility patients. K.R.D. is supported by a Mid-Career Fellowship from the Hospital Research Foundation (C-MCF-58-2019). This study was funded by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics (CE140100003), the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP2003786) and an ARC Discovery Project (DP210102960). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.YDBIO.2015.05.008
Abstract: Oocytes acquire developmental competence with progressive folliculogenesis. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) from small antral follicles have inherent low competence and are poorly responsive to hiregulin (AREG) which normally mediates oocyte maturation and ovulation. Using low competence porcine COCs, in an in vitro AREG-induced oocyte maturation system, the combined exposure to N(6),2'-O-dibutyryladenosine 3':5' cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and bone morphogenetic protein 15 (B15) and growth differentiation factor 9 (G9) was necessary to enhance the rate of oocyte meiotic maturation and blastocyst formation. Furthermore, the combination of cAMP+B15+G9 enabled AREG-stimulated cumulus expansion and increased expression of the matrix-related genes HAS2, TNFIPA6 and PTGS2. Additionally, the combination enhanced p-ERK1/2 which is downstream of the EGF receptor. The enhanced nuclear maturation and blastocyst formation rates with the combinational treatment were ablated by an EGF receptor phosphorylation inhibitor. These results indicate that cAMP and oocyte-secreted factors cooperate to promote EGF receptor functionality in developing COCs, representing a key component of the acquisition of oocyte developmental competence.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.THERIOGENOLOGY.2012.09.020
Abstract: Physical removal of mammalian cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) from ovarian follicles results in spontaneous resumption of meiosis, largely because of a decrease in cAMP concentrations, causing asynchrony between cytoplasmic and nuclear maturation and decreased oocyte developmental competence. The aim of this study was to modulate cAMP concentrations within ovine COCs to delay spontaneous nuclear maturation and improve developmental competence. Abattoir-derived sheep COCs were cultured for 2 hours (pre-IVM) in 100 μM forskolin (FSK) plus 500 μM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX). Pre-IVM (100 μM FSK and 500 μM IBMX) culture increased COC cAMP concentrations 10-fold compared with controls (P < 0.05). With regard to nuclear maturation, with FSK and IBMX and/or with FSH and cilostamide delayed completion of meiosis (metaphase II) by 3 to 4 hours compared with standard IVM (FSH-stimulated induction of meiosis). In this study, pre-IVM (with FSK and IBMX) followed by IVM (with FSH and cilostamide), increased ovine COC cAMP concentrations and delayed, but did not inhibit, completion of nuclear maturation. This did not affect embryo development rates, but increased total cell number of blastocysts compared with IVM with FSH alone (103 ± 6 vs. 66 ± 4 cells, respectively mean ± SEM P < 0.05). We inferred that regulation of ovine oocyte cAMP concentrations during IVM improved embryo quality compared with embryos produced by standard IVM methods.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-05-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 23-10-2019
DOI: 10.1080/14647273.2019.1679397
Abstract: It has recently been suggested that the human sperm genome is highly unstable, which may be a reasonable explanation as to why men, even fertile men, produce defective spermatozoa. Furthermore, an unstable genome may also explain why the semen profile of the same man changes from one ejaculate to the next. As such, we took multiple ejaculates (between 3 and 6) from 7 in iduals over a 6-month period and isolated sperm through density gradients. We then compared the DNA of: (i) good and poor-quality spermatozoa within the same ejaculate and (ii) from multiple ejaculates from the same in idual. Our results suggest that on a global level, DNA present within spermatozoa is actually quite stable and similar between both good and poor sperm. This is important information for the assisted reproductive community when it comes to sperm selection.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/RD18436
Abstract: The 2018 edition of the Society for Reproductive Biology’s (SRB) Annual Meeting was a celebration of 50 years of Australian research into reproductive biology. The past 50 years has seen many important contributions to this field, and these advances have led to changes in practice and policy, improvements in the efficiency of animal reproduction and improved health outcomes. This conference review delivers a dedicated summary of the symposia, discussing emerging concepts, raising new questions and proposing directions forward. Notably, the symposia discussed in this review emphasised the impact that reproductive research can have on quality of life and the health trajectories of in iduals. The breadth of the research discussed encompasses the central regulation of fertility and cyclicity, life course health and how the environment of gametes and embryos can affect subsequent generations, significant advances in our understanding of placental biology and pregnancy disorders and the implications of assisted reproductive technologies on population health. The importance of a reliable food supply and protection of endangered species is also discussed. The research covered at SRB’s 2018 meeting not only recognised the important contributions of its members over the past 50 years, but also highlighted key findings and avenues for innovation moving forward that will enable the SRB to continue making significant contributions for the next 50 years.
Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 06-11-2021
Abstract: Can label-free, non-invasive optical imaging by hyperspectral autofluorescence microscopy discern between euploid and aneuploid cells within the inner cell mass (ICM) of the mouse preimplantation embryo? Hyperspectral autofluorescence microscopy enables discrimination between euploid and aneuploid ICM in mouse embryos. Euploid/aneuploid mosaicism affects up to 17.3% of human blastocyst embryos with trophectoderm biopsy or spent media currently utilized to diagnose aneuploidy and mosaicism in clinical in vitro fertilization. Based on their design, these approaches will fail to diagnose the presence or proportion of aneuploid cells within the foetal lineage ICM of some blastocyst embryos. The impact of aneuploidy on cellular autofluorescence and metabolism of primary human fibroblast cells and mouse embryos was assessed using a fluorescence microscope adapted for imaging with multiple spectral channels (hyperspectral imaging). Primary human fibroblast cells with known ploidy were subjected to hyperspectral imaging to record native cell fluorescence (4–6 independent replicates, euploid n = 467 aneuploid n = 969). For mouse embryos, blastomeres from the eight-cell stage (five independent replicates: control n = 39 reversine n = 44) and chimeric blastocysts (eight independent replicates: control n = 34 reversine n = 34 1:1 (control:reversine) n = 30 and 1:3 (control:reversine) n = 37) were utilized for hyperspectral imaging. The ICM from control and reversine-treated embryos were mechanically dissected and their karyotype confirmed by whole genome sequencing (n = 13 euploid and n = 9 aneuploid). Two models were employed: (i) primary human fibroblasts with known karyotype and (ii) a mouse model of embryo aneuploidy where mouse embryos were treated with reversine, a reversible spindle assembly checkpoint inhibitor, during the four- to eight-cell ision. In idual blastomeres were dissociated from control and reversine-treated eight-cell embryos and either imaged directly or used to generate chimeric blastocysts with differing ratios of control:reversine-treated cells. In idual blastomeres and embryos were interrogated by hyperspectral imaging. Changes in cellular metabolism were determined by quantification of metabolic co-factors (inferred from their autofluorescence signature): NAD(P)H and flavins with the subsequent calculation of the optical redox ratio (ORR: flavins/[NAD(P)H + flavins]). Autofluorescence signals obtained from hyperspectral imaging were examined mathematically to extract features from each cell/blastomere/ICM. This was used to discriminate between different cell populations. An increase in the relative abundance of NAD(P)H and decrease in flavins led to a significant reduction in the ORR for aneuploid cells in primary human fibroblasts and reversine-treated mouse blastomeres (P & 0.05). Mathematical analysis of endogenous cell autofluorescence achieved separation between (i) euploid and aneuploid primary human fibroblast cells, (ii) control and reversine-treated mouse blastomeres cells, (iii) control and reversine-treated chimeric blastocysts, (iv) 1:1 and 1:3 chimeric blastocysts and (v) confirmed euploid and aneuploid ICM from mouse blastocysts. The accuracy of these separations was supported by receiver operating characteristic curves with areas under the curve of 0.97, 0.99, 0.87, 0.88 and 0.93, respectively. We believe that the role of chance is low as mathematical features separated euploid from aneuploid in both human fibroblasts and ICM of mouse blastocysts. N/A. Although we were able to discriminate between euploid and aneuploid ICM in mouse blastocysts, confirmation of this approach in human embryos is required. While we show this approach is safe in mouse, further validation is required in large animal species prior to implementation in a clinical setting. We have developed an original, accurate and non-invasive optical approach to assess aneuploidy within the ICM of mouse embryos in the absence of fluorescent tags. Hyperspectral autofluorescence imaging was able to discriminate between euploid and aneuploid human fibroblast and mouse blastocysts (ICM). This approach may potentially lead to a new diagnostic for embryo analysis. K.R.D. is supported by a Mid-Career Fellowship from the Hospital Research Foundation (C-MCF-58-2019). This study was funded by the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics (CE140100003) and the National Health and Medical Research Council (APP2003786). The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/RD17500
Abstract: Blastocoel expansion during embryo development is known to be reliant on the Na+/K+-ATPase pump, but little is known about the relative contribution of active (Na+/K+-ATPase pump) and facilitated diffusion (aquaporins) water transport during blastocoel re-expansion after vitrification. The aims of this study were to examine potential effects of artificial blastocoel collapse (ABC) on markers of embryo stress and the contribution of active and facilitated diffusion water transport mechanisms to blastocoel re-expansion. Day 5 mouse embryos were vitrified using either a standard protocol, laser pulse ABC, a hyperosmotic sucrose ABC protocol or both laser pulse and sucrose. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, no differences were found in the gene expression of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress markers activating transcription factor 4 (Atf4) or heat shock protein 90-alpha (Hsp90α) 2h after warming. Similarly, expression of the Na+/K+-ATPase pump gene, ATPase, Na+/K+ transporting, beta 1 polypeptide (Atp1b1) and protein did not differ between groups. Aquaporin 8 (Aqp8) gene expression was significantly lower in the laser+sucrose ABC group than in fresh controls, and aquaporin 3 (Aqp3) expression significantly higher in standard vitrified embryos compared with all other groups. Ouabain, a potent and specific Na+/K+-ATPase pump inhibitor, inhibited blastocoel re-expansion in both standard protocol- and laser ABC-vitrified embryos, reducing both groups to the same rate of re-expansion 3h after warming. These results demonstrate that ABC before vitrification does not alter mRNA or protein expression of Na+/K+-ATPase, or mRNA levels of ER stress genes Atf4 and Hsp90α. Activity of the pump may be increased in ABC embryos, with potential compensation by AQP3 when it is compromised.
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2018
DOI: 10.1071/RD17445
Abstract: Research in reproductive science is essential to promote new developments in reproductive health and medicine, agriculture and conservation. The Society for Reproductive Biology (SRB) 2017 conference held in Perth (WA, Australia) provided a valuable update on current research programs in Australia and New Zealand. This conference review delivers a dedicated summary of significant questions, emerging concepts and innovative technologies presented in the symposia. This research demonstrates significant advances in the identification of precursors for a healthy pregnancy, birth and child, and discusses how these factors can influence disease risk. A key theme included preconception parental health and its effect on gametogenesis, embryo and fetal development and placental function. In addition, the perturbation of key developmental checkpoints was shown to contribute to a variety of pathological states that have the capacity to affect health and fertility. Importantly, the symposia discussed in this review emphasised the role of reproductive biology as a conduit for understanding the transmission of non-communicable diseases, such as metabolic disorders and cancers. The research presented at SRB 2017 has revealed key findings that have the prospect to change not only the fertility of the present generation, but also the health and reproductive capacity of future generations.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2020
Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Date: 28-10-2023
No related grants have been discovered for Ryan Rose.