There would be great significance in being able to identify specific biomarkers of endometrial receptivity. In this study, it was discovered that ENPP3 levels undergo cyclic changes in the endometrium and affect embryo adhesion and invasion via altering the expression of implantation factors in the human endometrium. Therefore, ENPP3 may play an important role in embryo implantation and may be a unique biomarker of endometrial receptivity.

Combined oral contraceptives are consumed by women worldwide; however, their effects on the female prostate are poorly understood. In this study, female gerbils exposed to combined oral contraceptives showed adverse effects, such as increased cell proliferation, higher AR and ERα immunoreactivity and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Combined oral contraceptive therapy changed prostate hormonal regulation and stimulated the development of prostatic lesions in female gerbils.

Vitrification of bovine germinal vesicle oocytes has great potential for animal breeding, cloning and transgenic animals. To investigate its effect on gene expression, global transcriptome analysis revealed that differentially expressed genes induced by vitrification were associated with many signalling pathways. The results may provide a valuable means for increasing the efficiency of oocyte vitrification.

Cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) modulators can prevent spontaneous resumption of meiosis in mammalian oocytes but also affect lipid metabolism. We showed a positive modulation of lipid composition and transcripts in bovine oocytes and blastocysts after treating cumulus–oocyte complexes for 2 h with cAMP modulators before maturation. Our approach could be used to prevent spontaneous meiotic resumption while modulating lipid composition of blastocysts.

Fluoxetine (Flx) is used in the treatment of psychological disorders in children and adolescents. In the present study we administered Flx to male rats during juvenile–peripubertal development, and evaluated reproductive parameters at the adult stage. It was clear that Flx disrupted testicular functions; of note, some rats were more sensitive to the effects of Flx. Caution must be exercised in the prescription of Flx because it can negatively affect reproductive performance in adulthood.

In mammals, factors influencing the efficiency of SCNT include epigenetic reprogramming and pluripotency of donor nuclei. In the present study, it was found that RepSox and LBH589 improves the in vitro development of porcine SCNT embryos by increasing the expression of developmentally important genes, optimising epigenetic reprogramming.

The value of reproductive technologies for species conservation has been recognised to overcome captive breeding failures. This study identified optimal protocols to induce spawning in the critically endangered northern corroboree frog. For the first time, we effectively induced spawning following the topical application of hormones; this advance will allow reproductive technologies to be adopted by a greater number of captive facilities globally.

Oxidative stress in spermatozoa has effects on subsequent embryo development. Exposure of bovine spermatozoa to hydrogen peroxide increased DNA damage in in vitro-produced embryos and negatively affected early embryo development. Developmental mechanisms in bovine early embryos under paternal influence were explored.

Insulin is a key regulator of the growth and differentiation of secondary follicles. The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of insulin on in vitro viability and growth of domestic cat ovarian follicles. The findings indicate that insulin promotes cat ovarian follicle survival and growth and affects the temporal expression of the cytochrome P450 family 17 subfamily, A polypeptide 1 (Cyp17a1), steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (Star), and aquaporin 9 (Aqp9) genes.

Hypothyroidism has been associated with anovulation and ovarian cysts, affecting the size of follicles and the expression of aromatase. Now, it is shown that hypothyroidism increases total cholesterol, reduces triacylglycerol triglycerides and reduces the expression of perilipin-A and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ in the ovary. These lipid modifications may be related to the infertility found in hypothyroid females.