Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an endogenous bile acid, has been reported to attenuate ER stress-mediated cell death by interrupting the classic pathways of apoptosis. Therefore, in this study, the anti-apoptotic effect of TUDCA on ER stress-induced apoptosis was examined in pre-implantation pig embryos. Also, tunicamycin

was used to investigate the effects of ER stress on pig embryo development. After in vitro maturation and fertilization, presumptive pig embryos were cultured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with TUDCA or TM for 6 days at 39 degrees C, 5% CO2 in air. All data were analysed using one-way anova and Duncans multiple range test in the statistical analysis system (SAS). In addition, we also Compound C order determined the optimal TM and TUDCA concentrations. Samples were treated with TM at concentrations of 0, 1, 2 or 5 mu m and with TUDCA at concentrations

of 0, 100, 200 or 300 mu m. When TM was used during in vitro culture, only 8.2% (8/97) of the embryos developed to the blastocyst stage when the treatment concentration was 1 mu m compared with 27.4% (28/102) of the embryos in the control group (p < 0.05). In contrast, the frequency of blastocyst selleck inhibitor formation and the number of cells were higher when treated with 200 mu m TUDCA compared with the control group (32.8% and 39.5 vs 22.2% and 35.6, p < 0.05). Moreover, the developmental rate to the blastocyst stage embryo in the group treated with TM and TUDCA was not significantly different from that of the control group (17.8%, 26/142 vs 24.9%, 36/145). Furthermore, the blastocyst cell number was enhanced (31.9 vs 36.9) and apoptosis reduced (TUNEL-positive nuclei number, 6.0 vs 3.2) by TUDCA treatment in pig embryos. In the real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis, the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-XL gene was shown to be increased

in the blastocyst stage because of TUDCA treatment, whereas expression of pro-apoptotic Bax was decreased. In addition, we also found that TUDCA β-Nicotinamide concentration decreased the rate of TM-induced apoptosis in the pre-implantation stage. Taken together, our results indicate that TUDCA improves the developmental competence of pig embryos by modulating ER stress-induced apoptosis during the pre-implantation stage.”
“The review aims to discuss the role of nerve growth factor (NGF) as a potential novel biomarker in post-myocardial infarction (MI) and in heart failure (HF), with a specific focus on neural remodeling and sprouting processes occurring after tissue damage. Many experimental data show that MI induces nerve sprouting, leading to increased sympathetic outflow and higher risk of ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. In this framework, cardiac and circulating NGF might be an indicator of the innervation process and neural remodeling: it dramatically increases after MI, while it declines along with advanced HF and ventricular dysfunction.