ABSTRACT. The discovery of water channels (aquaporins, AQPs) was a landmark event for the clarification of water transport through the plasma membrane. AQPs belong to a family of intrinsic membrane proteins that act as selective channels for water and for solutes such as glycerol and urea. AQPs were found in different tissues and organs, including male and female reproductive systems. In the swine female reproductive system, the AQPs were localized in the uterus, oviduct, and ovary, as well as in the granulosa cells from primordial follicles. Knowing the involvement of AQPs with the male and female germ cells, as well as their acknowledged role in transporting water through the plasma membrane, the research of these proteins in cryopreservation processes becomes essential. Thus, this review aims to describe the structure and function of AQPs in membranes, highlighting their role 6719 ©FUNPEC-RP www.funpecrp.com.br Genetics and Molecular Research 12 (4): 6718-6732 (2013) Overview and role of aquaporins on gamete cryopreservation in the reproductive system (male and female). We also discuss the involvement of AQPs in cryopreservation, focusing on the effect and importance of these proteins on the rates of vitrification protocols for preantral follicles present in the ovarian tissue of domestic mammals.

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The aims of this study were to evaluate the localization, by immunohistochemistry, of the anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) in goat ovaries and to investigate its effects on the in vitro survival and development of caprine pre-antral follicles enclosed in fragments of ovarian tissue. Pre-antral follicles were cultured in vitro for 1 or 7 days in α-MEM(+) in the absence or presence of kit ligand (KL; 50 ng/ml, positive control) or AMH (50 or 150 ng/ml). The results showed that AMH was localized in oocytes and granulosa cells from the primordial follicle to antral follicle stages. Addition of AMH maintained the percentage of developing follicles, similar to that in the uncultured control; however, the percentage of developing follicles was significantly lower than that in the cultured control and KL. Nonetheless, addition of AMH to the culture medium did not affect survival rates and follicular growth. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that the expression of AMH varies according to the compartment and stage of follicular development. Furthermore, AMH inhibits the activation of caprine primordial follicles.

Context: 'Carnauba' wax is a natural product obtained from the processing of the powder exuded from Copernicia prunifera (Miller) H. E. Moore (Arecaceae). This material is widely used in the Brazilian folk medicine, including the treatment of rheumatism and syphilis. Objective: To investigate the antiprotozoal activity of hexane and EtOH extracts from the 'carnauba' wax as well as from the isolated compounds from the bioactive extracts. Material and methods: Two different samples of 'carnauba' (C. prunifera) waxes -types 1 and 4 -were individually extracted using hexane (EH) and EtOH (EE). Aliquots of hexane (type 1 -EH-1 and EH-4) and EtOH (type 4 -EE-1 and EE-4) extracts were tested against promastigote (2-200 lg/mL in DMSO during 48 h at 24 C) and amastigote (3-150 lg/mL in DMSO during 120 h at 37 C) forms of Leishmania infantum as well as against trypomastigote (3-150 lg/mL in DMSO during 24 h at 37 C) forms of Trypanosoma cruzi. Bioactive extracts EH-1 and EE-4 were subjected to a bioactivity-guided fractionation to afford three dammarane-type triterpenoids (1-3). The in vitro antiprotozoal activities of the obtained compounds were evaluated as described above. Additionally, the cytotoxicity activity of compounds 1-3 against mammalian conjunctive cells (NCTC -2-200 lg/mL in DMSO during 48 h at 37 C) was determined. Results: From the bioactive hexane and EtOH extracts from the 'carnauba' (C. prunifera) wax, were isolated three dammarane-type triterpenoids: (24R Ã )-methyldammar-25-ene-3b,20-diol (carnaubadiol, 1), (24R Ã )-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3-one (2) and (24R Ã )-methyldammara-20,25-dien-3a-ol (3). These compounds were identified based on the analysis of NMR and MS spectroscopic data. Compounds 1-3 were effective against the intracellular amastigotes of L. infantum, with IC 50 values ranging from 8 to 52 lM, while compounds 1 and 3 displayed activity against trypomastigote forms of T. cruzi with IC 50 values of 15 and 35 lM, respectively. The mammalian cytotoxicity assay demonstrated no damage to NCTC conjunctive cells up to 200 lM, except for compound 1, which demonstrated a CC 50 value of 34 lM. Conclusion: Based on the results, it was possible to conclude that the detected antiprotozoal bioactivity of 'carnauba' (C. prunifera) wax extracts could be related to the presence of the natural dammarane triterpenoid derivatives. The results suggested that these compounds could be used as promising scaffolds for drug design studies for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. ARTICLE HISTORY

Aquaporins (AQPs) are a well-conserved family of small (approximately 30 kDa) membrane channel proteins that facilitate rapid movement of fluids and have a unique tissue-specific pattern of expression. These proteins have been found in the female reproductive systems of humans, rats, and mice. However, the expression and cellular localization of AQPs have not extensively been studied in the female reproductive system of sheep. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate, by real-time polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry respectively, the levels of messenger RNA and the immunolocalization of AQP3, AQP7, and AQP9 in large isolated ovine secondary follicles over a period of IVC. Our analysis revealed that AQP3 and AQP9 were present predominately in follicles that exhibited antrum formation, suggesting a crucial role of these AQPs in the formation of the antrum. Interestingly, AQP7 was only expressed in follicles that had not formed an antrum by Day 12 of culture. In conclusion, the presence of protein channels (AQP3 and AQP9) seems to be essential for the formation of the antrum in isolated ovine secondary follicles cultured in vitro and thus plays an important role during folliculogenesis in this species.