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Animals
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Genital Microbiota and Reproduction
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Genital Microbiota and Reproduction

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 August 2022) | Viewed by 10158

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Maria Montserrat Rivera Del Álamo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary School, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Interests: amniotic fluid; semen analysis; embryos; theriogenology; cryopreservation; reproductive biology; semen preservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Stefan Deleuze

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Small animal and Equine Reproduction, Department of Clinical science, Veterinary Faculty, University of Liege, B-4000 Liege, Belgium
Interests: oocyte; endometritis; cryopreservation; reproductive physiology; semen

Special Issue Information

It is our pleasure to invite you to send your contributions to this special issue in Animals journal focused on genital microbiota. Genital microbiota has been described as being the first line of defense against opportunistic pathogens and noxious environmental agents. Alterations in genital microbiota have been associated with pathological conditions of the reproductive tract, such as vaginitis and endometritis, in different species in females. Although literature is scarce in males, genital microbiota apparently has an impact on some parameters of sperm quality and prostatic diseases among others reproductive conditions. The aim of this special issue is to update the knowledge on genital microbiota and its effects on reproductive function in both male and female belonging to the different domestic species.

Dr. Maria Montserrat Rivera Del Álamo
Prof. Dr. Stefan Deleuze
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • genital microbiota
  • reproductive function
  • reproductive pathology
  • male
  • female

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 304 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of the Probiotic In Vitro Potential of Lactic Acid-Producing Bacteria from Canine Vagina: Possible Role in Vaginal Health
by Brian Morales, Livia Spadetto, Maria Àngels Calvo, Marc Yeste, Leonardo Arosemena, Teresa Rigau and Maria Montserrat Rivera del Alamo
Animals 2022, 12(6), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060796 - 21 Mar 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2239
Abstract
Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) are being widely studied due to their probiotic potential. The aim of the present study was to determine and identify the presence of LAB from canine vaginal samples, as well as to evaluate their probiotic in vitro potential. Ninety-four [...] Read more.
Lactic acid-producing bacteria (LAB) are being widely studied due to their probiotic potential. The aim of the present study was to determine and identify the presence of LAB from canine vaginal samples, as well as to evaluate their probiotic in vitro potential. Ninety-four bitches were included in the study. Vaginal samples were obtained by means of a sterile swab and streaked on Man Rogosa Sharpe agar plates. A total of 100 LAB strains were obtained and submitted to Gram stains and basic biochemical tests, which included catalase, oxidase and haemolysis tests. Thirteen strains belonging to the genera Lactobacillus (n = 10), Lactococcus (n = 2) and Pediococcus (n = 1) were selected as potential probiotics and further subjected to evaluation of resistance to gastrointestinal conditions (pH, lysozyme, bile salts and hydrogen peroxide) and safety and efficacy in vitro (resistance to antibiotics and antimicrobial capacity). Only three strains, one Lactobacillus lactis and two Lactobacillus plantarum, accomplished the requirements for being considered as potential in vitro probiotics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genital Microbiota and Reproduction)
22 pages, 2989 KiB  
Article
The Impact of Bacteriocenoses on Sperm Vitality, Immunological and Oxidative Characteristics of Ram Ejaculates: Does the Breed Play a Role?
by Eva Tvrdá, Miroslava Kačániová, Andrej Baláži, Jaromír Vašíček, Jakub Vozaf, Rastislav Jurčík, Michal Ďuračka, Jana Žiarovská, Ján Kováč and Peter Chrenek
Animals 2022, 12(1), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12010054 - 28 Dec 2021
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4098
Abstract
Bacterial contamination of semen is an often overlooked, yet important, factor contributing to decreased sperm vitality. Understanding the impact of bacterial presence on sperm structural integrity and functional activity may assist the development of effective strategies to prevent, or manage, bacteriospermia in the [...] Read more.
Bacterial contamination of semen is an often overlooked, yet important, factor contributing to decreased sperm vitality. Understanding the impact of bacterial presence on sperm structural integrity and functional activity may assist the development of effective strategies to prevent, or manage, bacteriospermia in the breeding practice. The aim of this study was to describe the bacterial profiles of ram semen (n = 35), and we also focused on the associations between bacteriospermia, sperm structure, and function, as well as oxidative and inflammatory characteristics of semen. For a better insight, the samples were divided into three groups, according to the breeds used in the study: native Wallachian (NW), improved Wallachian (IW), and Slovak dairy (SD) breeds. The results showed a significantly lower motility and membrane integrity in the NW group in comparison to the IW and SD groups, which was accompanied by a significantly higher concentration of leukocytes, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, and subsequent oxidative insults to the sperm lipids and proteins. Accordingly, the NW group presented with the highest bacterial load, in which Staphylococcus and Escherichia were the predominant representatives. The Pearson correlation analysis uncovered positive relationships amongst the bacterial load and leukocytospermia (r = 0.613), the extent of lipid peroxidation (r = 0.598), protein oxidation (r = 0.514), and DNA fragmentation (r = 0.638). Furthermore, positive correlations were found between the bacterial load and pro-inflammatory molecules, such as the C-reactive protein (r = 0.592), interleukin 1 (r = 0.709), and interleukin 6 (r = 0.474), indicating a possible involvement of the immune response in the process of bacteriospermia. Overall, our data indicate that ram semen quality may be equally affected by the bacterial load and diversity. Furthermore, we can assume that the presence of bacteria in ejaculates triggers inflammatory processes, causes ROS overproduction, and, thereby, contributes to alterations in the sperm structure, while at the same time compromising the fertilization ability of male gametes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genital Microbiota and Reproduction)
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12 pages, 1187 KiB  
Article
Microbial Prevalence and Antimicrobial Sensitivity in Equine Endometritis in Field Conditions
by María Luisa Díaz-Bertrana, Stefan Deleuze, Lidia Pitti Rios, Marc Yeste, Inmaculada Morales Fariña and Maria Montserrat Rivera del Alamo
Animals 2021, 11(5), 1476; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051476 - 20 May 2021
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 3066
Abstract
Endometritis is one of the main causes of infertility in mares. In the present study, 363 mares with a history of repetitive infertility, and positive endometrial cytology and/or vaginal discharge were included. An endometrial swab for microbiological purposes plus sensitivity test was obtained [...] Read more.
Endometritis is one of the main causes of infertility in mares. In the present study, 363 mares with a history of repetitive infertility, and positive endometrial cytology and/or vaginal discharge were included. An endometrial swab for microbiological purposes plus sensitivity test was obtained from each mare. A positive culture was obtained in 89% of mares. The main isolated genera were Staphylococcus (25.1%), Streptococcus (18.2%), Escherichia (17.3%) and Pseudomonas (12.1%). With regard to species, the most isolated microorganism was Escherichia coli (17.3%), Staphylococcus spp. (15.6%) and Streptococcus spp. (13.5%). Sensitivity tests showed that the most efficient antimicrobial was amikacin (57.3% of cultures), followed by cefoxitin (48.6%) and gentamicin (48.3%). When sensitivity test was analyzed in terms of Gram+ and Gram– bacteria, Gram+ were highly resistant to cephaloridine (77.3% of cultures), apramycin (70.8%) and penicillin (62.3%), whereas Gram– were highly resistant to penicillin (85.8%), followed by cephaloridine (78.9%). In conclusion, the present study shows the most prevalent microorganisms isolated from equine endometritis, which were found to be resistant to β-lactam antimicrobials. Likewise, these results highlight the significance of performing microbiological analyses as well as sensitivity tests prior to applying an antimicrobial therapy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genital Microbiota and Reproduction)
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