Reproduction in the Long-Tongued Bat, Glossophaga Soricina

Rasweiler, John J.

doi:10.1530/jrf.0.0310249

Cited by 41 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The use of these species of bats is especially pertinent because they share some reproductive similarities with primates, both anatomically and with respect to ovulation patterns. For example, Glossophaga soricina are polyoestrous mono-ovulates with menstrual cycles of 22 to 26 days, including a luteal phase and periodic endometrial shedding [ 34 ]. Antonio-Rubio and colleagues [ 33 ] demonstrated that the ovaries of Artibeus jamaicensis , Glossophaga soricine , and Sturnira lilium are polarized, with a medullary region containing developing follicles and a cortical region containing both primordial follicles and a population of cells which looked similar to germ cells histologically.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ovarian germline stem cells

2014

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It has long been established that germline stem cells (GSCs) are responsible for lifelong gametogenesis in males, and some female invertebrates (for example, Drosophila) and lower vertebrates (for example, teleost fish and some prosimians) also appear to rely on GSCs to replenish their oocyte reserve in adulthood. However, the presence of such cells in the majority of female mammals is controversial, and the idea of a fixed ovarian reserve determined at birth is the prevailing belief among reproductive biologists. However, accumulating evidence demonstrates the isolation and culture of putative GSCs from the ovaries of adult mice and humans. Live offspring have been reportedly produced from the culture of adult mouse GSCs, and human GSCs formed primordial follicles using a mouse xenograft model. If GSCs were present in adult female ovaries, it could be postulated that the occurrence of menopause is not due to the exhaustion of a fixed supply of oocytes but instead is a result of GSC and somatic cell aging. Alternatively, they may be benign under normal physiological conditions. If their existence were confirmed, female GSCs could have many potential applications in both basic science and clinical therapies. GSCs not only may provide a valuable model for germ cell development and maturation but may have a role in the field of fertility preservation, with women potentially being able to store GSCs or GSC-derived oocytes from their own ovaries prior to infertility-inducing treatments. Essential future work in this field will include further independent corroboration of the existence of GSCs in female mammals and the demonstration of the production of mature competent oocytes from GSCs cultured entirely in vitro.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ovarian germline stem cells

2014

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“…Menstruation occurs shortly after copulation, at or shortly after ovulation, and most endometrial regeneratlon is deferred untll after ovulation. The ovum 1s retalned in the oviduct during thls perlod (Rasweiler, 1972;Quintero and Rasweiler, 1974). See also Hamlett (1 934).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Menstruation as a Defense Against Pathogens Transported by Sperm

Profet

1993

The Quarterly Review of Biology

106

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Sperm are vectors of disease. During mammalian insemination bacteria from the male and female genitalia regularly cling to sperm tails and are transported to the uterus. I propose that menstruation functions to protect the uterus and oviducts from colonization by pathogens. Menstrual blood exerts mechanical pressure on uterine tissue, forcing it to shed, and delivers large numbers of immune cells throughout the uterine cavity, directly combating pathogens. The mechanisms of menstruation show evidence of adaptive design. Spiral arteries that open to the lining of the uterus trigger menstruation by abruptly constricting, which deprives the local tissue of blood, and then abruptly dilating, which causes blood to force loose the necrotic tissue. Menstrual blood flows easily, unlike blood at most wound sites, because it lacks the normal level of clotting factors. Overt (externally visible) or covert (not externally visible) menstruation has been documented in many species of primate, including Old World monkeys and apes, New World monkeys, and prosimians, as well as in various species of bat and insectivore. The antipathogen hypothesis predicts that: (1) menstruation (overt or covert) is either universal or nearly so among mammalian species; (2) if the latter, then the existence of menstruation among species varies inversely with the probability of becoming pregnant per estrous cycle (menstruation would be especially adaptive in species with significantly less than 100% probability of becoming pregnant per estrous cycle); (3) among menstruating species, the average degree of menstrual bleeding for a given species is a function of the factors affecting menstruation's costs and benefits--in particular, the degree of bleeding is positively correlated with the average body size and sexually transmitted pathogen load of that species (profuse bleeding would be especially adaptive in large-bodied species with either promiscuous breeding systems or continuous sexual receptivity); and (4) other forms of normal uterine bleeding--proestrous, periovulatory, implantation, and postpartum--also have an antipathogen function. The hypothesis presented in this article has implications for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of uterine infection and, therefore, for the prevention of pathogen-induced infertility. The uterus appears to be designed to increase its bleeding if it detects infection: Human uteri that become infected (or otherwise inflamed) bleed more profusely, bleed on more days per cycle, and often bleed intermittently throughout the cycle. Thus artificially curtailing infection-induced uterine bleeding may be contraindicated.

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