All Outputs (15)

Determinants of thermal homeostasis in the preimplantation embryo: a role for the embryo’s central heating system? (2024)
Journal Article
Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2024). Determinants of thermal homeostasis in the preimplantation embryo: a role for the embryo’s central heating system?. Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-024-03130-9

A number of factors may impinge on thermal homeostasis in the early embryo. The most obvious is the ambient temperature in which development occurs. Physiologically, the temperature in the lumen of the female tract is typically lower than the core bo... Read More about Determinants of thermal homeostasis in the preimplantation embryo: a role for the embryo’s central heating system?.

Amino acids and the early mammalian embryo: Origin, fate, function and life‐long legacy (2021)
Journal Article
Leese, H. J., McKeegan, P., & Sturmey, R. G. (2021). Amino acids and the early mammalian embryo: Origin, fate, function and life‐long legacy. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(18), Article 9874. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18189874

Amino acids are now recognised as having multiple cellular functions in addition to their traditional role as constituents of proteins. This is well-illustrated in the early mammalian embryo where amino acids are now known to be involved in intermedi... Read More about Amino acids and the early mammalian embryo: Origin, fate, function and life‐long legacy.

Glucose concentration during equine in vitro maturation alters mitochondrial function (2020)
Journal Article
Lewis, N., Hinrichs, K., Leese, H. J., McGregor Argo, C., Brison, D. R., & Sturmey, R. G. (2020). Glucose concentration during equine in vitro maturation alters mitochondrial function. Reproduction, 160(2), 227-237. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-20-0032

The use of in vitro embryo production in the horse is increasing in clinical and research settings, however, protocols are yet to be optimised. Notably, the two most commonly used base media for in vitro maturation (IVM) supply glucose at markedly di... Read More about Glucose concentration during equine in vitro maturation alters mitochondrial function.

Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos (2019)
Journal Article
Muller, B., Lewis, N., Adeniyi, T., Leese, H. J., Brison, D. R., & Sturmey, R. G. (2019). Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos. Scientific reports, 9(1), Article 16778. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-53066-9

Mitochondria provide the major source of ATP for mammalian oocyte maturation and early embryo development. Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) is an established measure of mitochondrial function. OCR by mammalian oocytes and embryos has generally been rest... Read More about Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos.

Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos (2019)
Preprint / Working Paper
Muller, B., Lewis, N., Adeniyi, T., Leese, H. J., Brison, D., & Sturmey, R. G. Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos

Background Mitochondria provide the major source of ATP for mammalian oocyte maturation and early embryo development. Oxygen Consumption Rate (OCR) is an established measure of mitochondrial function. OCR by mammalian oocytes and embryos has generall... Read More about Application of extracellular flux analysis for determining mitochondrial function in mammalian oocytes and early embryos.

Modelling aspects of oviduct fluid formation in vitro (2016)
Journal Article
Simintiras, C. A., Arnold, G. J., Ulbrich, S. E., Leese, H. J., Sturmey, R. G., Froehlich, T., Leese, H., Sathyapalan, T., Sturmey, R., Arnold, G., Fröhlich, T., & Ulbrich, S. (2017). Modelling aspects of oviduct fluid formation in vitro. Reproduction, 153(1), 23-33. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-15-0508

© 2017 Society for Reproduction and Fertility. Oviduct fluid is the microenvironment that supports early reproductive processes including fertilisation, embryo cleavage and genome activation. However, the composition and regulation of this critical e... Read More about Modelling aspects of oviduct fluid formation in vitro.

Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo (2016)
Journal Article
Leese, H. J., Guérif, F., Allgar, V., Brison, D. R., Lundin, K., & Sturmey, R. G. (2016). Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 83(9), 748-754. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.22684

The quiet embryo hypothesis postulates that early embryo viability is associated with a relatively low metabolism (Leese. 2002. BioEssays 24: 845-849). This proposal is re-visited here using retrospective and prospective data on the metabolic activit... Read More about Biological optimisation, the Goldilocks principle, and how much is lagom in the preimplantation embryo.

Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract (2016)
Journal Article
Ghavideldarestani, M., Atkin, S. L., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2016). Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract. Theriogenology, 86(2), 551-561. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2016.02.005

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. The epithelium lining the oviduct is critical for early reproductive events, many of which are mediated via intracellular calcium ions. Despite this, little is known about the regulation of calcium homeostasis in the oviductal ep... Read More about Expression and function of transient receptor potential channels in the female bovine reproductive tract.

Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities (2014)
Journal Article
Leary, C., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2015). Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities. Human Reproduction, 30(1), 122-132. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu276

STUDY QUESTION Is the developmental timing and metabolic regulation disrupted in embryos from overweight or obese women? SUMMARY ANSWER Oocytes from overweight or obese women are smaller than those from women of healthy weight, yet post-fertilization... Read More about Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities.

Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link? (2014)
Journal Article
Brison, D. R., Sturmey, R. G., & Leese, H. J. (2014). Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link?. Human Reproduction Update, 20(5), 632-640. https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmu018

BACKGROUND Most tissues in the body rely on the presence of gap junctions in order to couple their component cells electrically and metabolically via intercellular transport of ions, metabolites and signalling agents. As a result, cells within tissue... Read More about Metabolic heterogeneity during preimplantation development: The missing link?.

Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo (2012)
Journal Article
Forsey, K. E., Ellis, P. J., Sargent, C. A., Sturmey, R. G., & Leese, H. J. (2013). Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 80(3), 185-192. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.22146

Creatine Kinase (CK) catalyses the “creatine shuttle,” the reversible conversion of creatine phosphate to creatine with the liberation of ATP. This article examines the potential role of the creatine shuttle in the provision of ATP during mouse preim... Read More about Expression and localization of creatine kinase in the preimplantation embryo.

Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights (2012)
Journal Article
Van Hoeck, V., Leroy, J. L. M. R., Arias Alvarez, M., Rizos, D., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Schnorbusch, K., Bols, P. E. J., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2013). Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights. Reproduction, 145(1), 33-44. https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-12-0174

Elevated plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations are associated with negative energy balance and metabolic disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes. Such increased plasma NEFA concentrations induce changes in the microenvironment... Read More about Oocyte developmental failure in response to elevated nonesterified fatty acid concentrations: mechanistic insights.

Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology (2011)
Journal Article
Van Hoeck, V., Sturmey, R. G., Bermejo-Alvarez, P., Rizos, D., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Leese, H. J., Bols, P. E. J., & Leroy, J. L. M. R. (2011). Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology. PLoS ONE, 6(8), e23183. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0023183

Elevated concentrations of serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), associated with maternal disorders such as obesity and type II diabetes, alter the ovarian follicular micro-environment and have been associated with subfertility arising from reduc... Read More about Elevated non-esterified fatty acid concentrations during bovine oocyte maturation compromise early embryo physiology.

Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability (2010)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R. G., Bermejo-Alvarez, P., Gutierrez-Adan, A., Rizos, D., Leese, H. J., & Lonergan, P. (2010). Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability. Molecular Reproduction and Development, 77(3), 285-296. https://doi.org/10.1002/mrd.21145

The ratio of male/female embryos may be modified by environmental factors such as maternal diet in vivo and the composition of embryo culture media in vitro. We have used amino acid profiling, a noninvasive marker of developmental potential to compar... Read More about Amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts: A biomarker of sex and viability.

DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo (2008)
Journal Article
Sturmey, R. G., Hawkhead, J. A., Barker, E. A., & Leese, H. J. (2009). DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo. Human Reproduction, 24(1), 81-91. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/den346

BACKGROUND: Embryos with greater viability have a lower or 'quieter' amino acid metabolism than those which arrest. We have hypothesized this is due to non-viable embryos possessing greater cellular/molecular damage and consuming more nutrients, such... Read More about DNA damage and metabolic activity in the preimplantation embryo.