Clinical guidelines for obstetrical practice were first published by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG) in 2008, and a revised version was published in 2011. The aims of this publication include the determination of current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan, the widespread use of standard care practices, the enhancement of safety in obstetrical practice, the reduction in burdens associated with medico-legal and medico-economical problems, and a better understanding between pregnant women and maternity-service providers. These guidelines include a total of 87 Clinical Questions followed by several Answers (CQ&A), a Discussion, a List of References, and some Tables and Figures covering common problems and questions encountered in obstetrical practice. Each answer with a recommendation level of A, B or C has been prepared based principally on "evidence" or a consensus among Japanese obstetricians in situations where "evidence" is weak or lacking. Answers with a recommendation level of A or B represent current standard care practices in Japan. All 87 CQ&As are presented herein to promote a better understanding of the current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan.

Clinical guidelines for obstetrical practice were first published by the Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology (JSOG) and the Japan Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (JAOG) in 2008, and a revised version was published in 2011. The aims of this publication include the determination of current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan, the widespread use of standard care practices, the enhancement of safety in obstetrical practice, the reduction in burdens associated with medico-legal and medico-economical problems, and a better understanding between pregnant women and maternity-service providers. These guidelines include a total of 87 Clinical Questions followed by several Answers (CQ&A), a Discussion, a List of References, and some Tables and Figures covering common problems and questions encountered in obstetrical practice. Each answer with a recommendation level of A, B or C has been prepared based principally on 'evidence' or a consensus among Japanese obstetricians in situations where 'evidence' is weak or lacking. Answers with a recommendation level of A or B represent current standard care practices in Japan. All 87 CQ&A are presented herein to promote a better understanding of the current standard care practices for pregnant women in Japan.

Conventionally, in vitro–fertilized (IVF) bovine embryos are morphologically evaluated at the time of embryo transfer to select those that are likely to establish a pregnancy. This method is, however, subjective and results in unreliable selection. Here we describe a novel selection system for IVF bovine blastocysts for transfer that traces the development of individual embryos with time-lapse cinematography in our developed microwell culture dish and analyzes embryonic metabolism. The system can noninvasively identify prognostic factors that reflect not only blastocyst qualities detected with histological, cytogenetic, and molecular analysis but also viability after transfer. By assessing a combination of identified prognostic factors—(i) timing of the first cleavage; (ii) number of blastomeres at the end of the first cleavage; (iii) presence or absence of multiple fragments at the end of the first cleavage; (iv) number of blastomeres at the onset of lag-phase, which results in temporary developmental arrest during the fourth or fifth cell cycle; and (v) oxygen consumption at the blastocyst stage—pregnancy success could be accurately predicted (78.9%). The conventional method or individual prognostic factors could not accurately predict pregnancy. No newborn calves showed neonatal overgrowth or death. Our results demonstrate that these five predictors and our system could provide objective and reliable selection of healthy IVF bovine embryos.

SignificanceIatrogenic failures of assisted reproduction technology could be associated with routine sperm preparation techniques. Limitations of conventional sperm selection methods include the inability to efficiently sort functional spermatozoa and assess sperm fertilization potential. We developed a robust microfluidic sperm sorting system by using a diffuser-type microfluidic sperm sorter device capable of ultrahigh-throughput selection and separation of motile, DNA-intact, and functionally competent sperm. The strategy inclusively targeted the intrinsic traits related to fertility and successfully produced livebirths from low-dose insemination of microfluidic sorted spermatozoa. The fertile subpopulation was identified based on the kinetic and trajectory patterns as the sinuous, transitional cohort. The clinical significance of microfluidic sperm sorting is reflected by the established pregnancy and live births of calves.

Abstract. Mitochondrial bioenergetics in mammalian oocytes has not been sufficiently characterized. In this study, the function of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), a major pathway in mitochondria, was investigated in individual bovine oocytes by monitoring oxygen consumption using modified scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM). At the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, 65% of basal respiration was used for mitochondrial respiration, which was inhibited by complex IV inhibitor. Around 63% of mitochondrial respiration was coupled to ATP synthesis, as determined by sensitivity to an ATP synthase inhibitor, and the remaining 37% was attributed to proton leak. In contrast, 50% and 43% of mitochondrial respiration were used for ATP synthesis in in vivo-and in vitro-derived metaphase II (MII)-stage oocytes, respectively. ATP-linked respiration, in both in vivo-and in vitro-derived MII-stage oocytes, was significantly lower than in GV-stage oocytes, suggesting that OXPHOS in bovine oocytes is more active at the GV stage compared with the MII stage. Interestingly, basal respiration in in vitro-derived MII oocytes was significantly higher than for in vivo-derived oocytes, reflecting an increase in proton leak. Next, we assessed respiration in MII oocytes cultured for 8 h. The aged oocytes had a significantly reduced maximum respiratory capacity, which was stimulated by a mitochondrial uncoupler, and reduced ATP-linked respiration compared with non-aged oocytes. However, the aging-related phenomenon could be prevented by caffeine treatment. We conclude that OXPHOS in bovine oocytes varies in the transition from GV to MII stage, in vitro maturation and the aging process. This approach will be particularly useful for analyzing mitochondrial bioenergetics in individual mammalian oocytes. Key words: Bovine, Mitochondrial function, Oocyte, Oxidative phosphorylation, Oxygen consumption (J. Reprod. Dev. 58: [636][637][638][639][640][641] 2012) M itochondria play fundamental roles in the cell, and mitochondrial dysfunction has been linked with several pathologies, including infertility and developmental failure. Although they share general characteristics, mitochondria can have distinct features based on inner membrane invaginations and matrix structures. Depending on their cell type and functional status, mitochondria present an extensive range of morphologies, are functionally heterogeneous [1], and vary in number [2]. Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), the process that couples substrate oxidation to ATP synthesis, is the major and best-known metabolic function of mitochondria. During OXPHOS, electrons are transferred from nutrients to reducing equivalents (e.g., NADH), then to electron carriers, and finally to oxygen. Such electron transfer is mediated by oxido-reductive reactions of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the mitochondrial matrix and by electron transport in the inner mitochondrial membrane. The energy harvested during these oxido-reductive reactions is stored in a proton gradient across the inner mitochondrial ...