Russian Collaborative Development of Reproduction Technologies for the Sustainable Management of Amphibian Biodiversity

Reproduction technologies(RTs)can provide for the reliable reproduction of amphibians,as well as perpetuation of species genetic variation with the use of biobanks.In 1982,in anticipation of the biodiversity conservation crisis,major Russian institutions collaborated in a dynamic program to develop and implement RTs for the sustainable management of amphibian biodiversity.An initial primary focus was the captive breeding of threatened Russian endemic anuran and caudate species,using RTs that varied from environmental manipulation to the use of exogenous gonadotropic hormones to stimulate reproduction.These species were mostly from Palearctic or cool mountain regions,but also included a wide range of species from warm regions.Other early achievements included the successful cryopreservation of anuran spermatozoa and anuran diploid pluripotent cell nuclei,in order to store both the matrilineal and patrilineal genomes in biobanks,with their subsequent development to the blastula stage after implantation into enucleated oocytes.After the turn of the 21st Century,in support of the priorities of the Amphibian Conservation Action Plan(2007),we developed RTs for the refrigerated storage of testicular or urinary spermatozoa for days to weeks at 4℃,the cryopreservation of urinary spermatozoa using anovel cryoprotectant,the in vitro fertilisation of hormonally induced oocytes either fresh or after refrigerated ex situ or in situ storage,and the artificial insemination of salamanders with fresh spermatozoa.In this article,we describe previously unpublished techniques and techniques from obscure Russian sources.

An association study of HFEgene mutation with idiopathic male infertility in the Chinese Han population

Mutations in the haemochromatosis gene （HFE） influence iron status in the general population of Northern Europe, and excess iron is associated with the impairment of spermatogenesis. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between three mutations （C282Y, H63D and S65C） in the HFEgene with idiopathic male infertility in the Chinese Han population. Two groups of Chinese men were recruited： 444 infertile men （including 169 with idiopathic azoospermia） and 423 controls with proven fertility. The HFEgene was detected using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism （PCR-RFLP） technique. The experimental results demonstrated that no C282Y or $65C mutations were detected. Idiopathic male infertility was not significantly associated with heterozygous H63D mutation （odds ratio=O.801, 95% confidence interval=0.452-1.421, X2=0.577, P=0.448）. The H63D mutation frequency did not correlate significantly with the serum luteinizing hormone （LH）, follicle-stimulating hormone （FSH） and testosterone （T） levels in infertile men （P=0.896, P=0.404 and P=O.05, respectively）. Our data suggest that the HFEH63D mutation is not associated with idiopathic male reproductive dysfunction.