Regarding "NANOTECHNOLOGY in Animal Reproduction", I have just started reading the critical literature along with compiling the relevant papers available on the net. For writing up a BOOK Chapter, I basically need some helpful advice and references that could be kindly provided hereby, as appropriate. Thank you all.
The main idea behind using the nanotechnology for improving the preservation and fertility of semen is that oxidative stress results excessive production of reactive oxygen species and free radical containing molecules. This create a disequilibrium in oxidants and non-oxidants. To deal with this issue, antioxidants and cryoprotective agents were used. Antioxidants are main components that preserve semen from oxidative stress. But antioxidants have some limitations like low durability, poor solubility and stability. So nanotechnology is used to preserve antioxidants and their role.
While writing a chapter on this topic, one should all background problem, need and method of encapsulation, its potential use and future.
Here are some good pieces:
Article Perspectives of nanotechnology in male fertility and sperm function
Article APPLICATION OF NANOTECHNOLOGY IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF SEMEN QU...
Article Encapsulation Nanotechnology in Sperm Cryopreservation: Syst...
Article Nanotechnology and nano-propolis in animal production and he...
Best regards
Dear Dr. Ghulam,
Many thanks for your kind reply including comments and relevant papers on Nanotechnology in Reproduction.
Surely, I shall go through the papers provided. After getting sufficient further comments expected, I would share my opinions in due course.
But, as a brief start point, I agree with you that antioxidants will be the major part of the writing. As known by all that cryopreservation (including dilution, glycerolisation, cooling to 4 degrees C, freeze-thawing) affects the sperm cells such that even with the best protocol used for freezing, only 50 % of viable/motile cells could be recovered afterwards. In this regard, water movement in and out of the cell, the osmotic gradient across all cellular membranes (including the plasma, acrosome, nuclear, and midpiece involving the mitochondria of sperm), adding glycerol at low temperature (at 4 degrees C), freezing, and especially "during" and after thawing are all critical for survival. Inappropriate handling during these steps can deteriorate the integrity of the cells to be handled for long-term preservation in particular.
I presume that preventing/minimizing the OS and protecting the chromatin structure of DNA would be the major concerns for cell survival.
For fertility, vitamins (A, C, D, E), hormones (melatonin, progesterone) elements (Selenium, zinc, boron), plant extracts (propolis, cactus), and antibiotics (Pen+Strep, Gentamycin) may all be considered herein.
Anyway, I shall keep searching for a deeper insight on the subject.
Thanks for your contribution. Good luck.
Regards, Omer
Dear Prof. Ucar,
very nice and interesting topic which is and will be very crucial for the future.
When I was reading your posted question, using nanotechnology for sperm selection before/after thawing came to my mind. I mean regarding to increasing their recovery, fertilizing ability etc.
My best regards
Ondrej
Dear Dr. Ondrej,
Thank you for the valuable comment.
I personally can foresee that the future of the "Nanotech. (NT) in Reproduction" would be bright. But, I have some concerns regarding the potential toxicity of the elements (Silver, Gold, etc.) to be used in NT in males (e.g. the risk of adverse effects on spermatogenesis). Further, I do still wonder about whether the Nanoparticles (NPs) containing potentially hazardous elements (e.g. gold) could be Eco-friendly at their MEC's (minimum effective concentrations).
If we manage to get non-hazardous concentrations of metabolisable NPs in vivo and to prove their eco-friendly nature, it would certainly be great for the future.
In any way, we have to find a cheap, feasible, and practical way(s) to optimize not only the critical cryo-survival of gamete cells (sperm and oocyte) but also the relatively low fertility following the AI. This is especially important in several species such as in horses, pigs, sheep, dogs, and foxes whose sperm cells (with high PUFA and low cholesterol contents across the membranes) are all vulnerable to oxidative stress (OS) due to the excessive production of ROS during pre-, peri- ve post-freeze/thawing handling. Potential methylation-related changes in DNA chromatine structure would potentiallly deteriorate the gene expression of the cells during fertilisation that may eventually result in conception failure or even peculiar early embryonic loss.
All the necessary precautions towards reaching a harmless plateau of the NPs (namely their effective/optimum concentration) have to be taken before anyone could recommend them for future worldwide use in humans and livestock animals.
Regards
As a principle artificially made medias for preservation and cryoprotection is to imitate the natural environment. The Nanotechnology would enable us to understand the detail constituents of the natural environment to further tuning the artificially made medias for preservation and cryoprotection.
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