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Lookup NU author(s): Dr Miguel Velazquez
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2024 by the authors.Rectal and vaginal temperatures are utilised in both in vivo and in vitro models to study the effects of heat stress on oocyte competence and embryo viability in cattle. However, uterine temperature increases by only 0.5 °C in heat-stressed cows, significantly lower than simulated increases in in vitro models. Temperature variations within oviducts and ovarian follicles during heat stress are poorly understood or unavailable, and evidence is lacking that oocytes and pre-implantation embryos experience mild (40 °C) or severe (41 °C) heat stress inside the ovarian follicle and the oviduct and uterus, respectively. Gathering detailed temperature data from the reproductive tract and follicles is crucial to accurately assess oocyte competence and embryo viability under realistic heat stress conditions. Potential harm from heat stress on oocytes and embryos may result from reduced nutrient availability (e.g., diminished blood flow to the reproductive tract) or other unidentified mechanisms affecting tissue function rather than direct thermal effects. Refining in vivo stress models in cattle is essential to accurately identify animals truly experiencing heat stress, rather than assuming heat stress exposure as done in most studies. This will improve model reliability and aid in the selection of heat-tolerant animals.
Author(s): Gomez-Guzman JA, Parra-Bracamonte GM, Velazquez MA
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Animals
Year: 2024
Volume: 14
Issue: 15
Print publication date: 01/08/2024
Online publication date: 05/08/2024
Acceptance date: 03/08/2024
ISSN (electronic): 2076-2615
Publisher: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
URL: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14152280
DOI: 10.3390/ani14152280
Data Access Statement: No new data were created or analysed in this study. Data sharing is not applicable to this article.
