Authorship：Corresponding author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

Purpose
Glucose plays a critical role in early embryonic development, influencing metabolic dynamics and developmental competence in a sex-specific manner. This study investigates the complex interplay between glucose availability, developmental competence, and sex-specific outcomes in preimplantation mouse embryos.

Methods
Mouse embryos were cultured in a modified KSOM medium with varying glucose concentrations (0-20 mM), monitored via time-lapse microscopy, and analyzed for developmental competence, sex determination by PCR, and X-linked metabolic gene expression. Stage-specific glucose addition/removal experiments and PDHA1 immunofluorescence staining were performed to assess temporal glucose dependency and sex-specific metabolic patterns.

Results
Glucose is essential during the morula-to-blastocyst transition. Analysis of developmental dynamics showed that glucose concentration affected the variability in developmental rates, particularly at the four-cell and eight-cell stages. Interestingly, sex ratio skewing was observed, with male embryos dominating the early developmental groups regardless of glucose levels. Expression analysis of X-linked metabolic genes revealed stage-specific patterns, with PDHA1 exhibiting the highest activity at the eight-cell stage.

Conclusions
Glucose availability accelerated embryonic development and created sex-specific patterns of developmental timing, with male embryos exhibiting faster progression rates, which might be associated with differential X-linked PDHA1 metabolic gene expression during early mouse embryogenesis.

DOI： 10.1002/rmb2.12667

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

Purpose
LH induces the expression of EGF‐like factors and their shedding enzyme (ADAM17) in granulosa cells (GCs), which is essential for ovulation via activation of the ErbB–ERK1/2 pathway in cumulus cells (CCs). Neurotensin (NTS) is reported as a novel regulator of ovulation, whereas the NTS‐induced maturation mechanism in oocytes remains unclear. In this study, we focused on the role of NTS in the expression of EGF‐like factors and ErbBs, and ADAM17 activity, during oocyte maturation and ovulation in mice.

Methods
The expression and localization in GC and CC were examined. Next, hCG and NTS receptor 1 antagonist (SR) were injected into eCG‐primed mice, and the effects of SR on ERK1/2 phosphorylation were investigated. Finally, we explored the effects of SR on the expression of EGF‐like factors and ErbBs, and ADAM17 activity in GC and CC.

Results
NTS was significantly upregulated in GC and CC following hCG injection. SR injection suppressed oocyte maturation and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. SR also downregulated part of the expression of EGF‐like factors and their receptors, and ADAM17 activity.

Conclusions
NTS induces oocyte maturation through the sustainable activation of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway by upregulating part of the EGF‐like factor‐induced pathway during oocyte maturation in mice.

DOI： 10.1002/rmb2.12571

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：Wiley  

Purpose
Since the developmental competence of oocytes cultured after in vitro maturation (IVM) is low, it is necessary to improve the IVM method for efficient offspring production. In this study, we revealed that transferrin (TF)‐Fe³⁺ was accumulated in follicular fluid with increasing the follicular diameter, and that TF receptor (TFR1) was localized in granulosa cells of pig. Thus, we hypothesized that TF‐Fe³⁺ would be a factor in the induction of developmental competence of porcine oocytes.

Methods
To mimic the follicular development environment, cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in pre‐IVM medium (low dose of FSH) without or with Holo‐TF (monoferric or diferric TF) or Apo‐TF (non‐iron bond TF). After pre‐IVM without or with Holo‐TF, COCs were cultured in IVM medium (high dose of FSH and EGF) without or with Holo‐TF.

Results
Cultivation with Holo‐TF increased the expression of follicular development maker (Cyp19a1 and Ccnd2), E2 production, and proliferative activity of cumulus cells, whereas cultivation with Apo‐TF did not show these positive effects. The treatment with Holo‐TF during pre‐IVM, but not during IVM, dramatically induced oocyte maturation with increasing the blastocyst rate.

Conclusion
We succeeded in showing for the first time that the cultivation with Holo‐TF in pre‐IVM can produce embryos in pig with high efficiency.

DOI： 10.1002/rmb2.12529

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Language：English   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)  

DOI： 10.1002/vms3.739

Web of Science

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper (scientific journal)   Publisher：日本ペット栄養学会  

海外では、キャットフードへのサルモネラ属菌混入が原因であるヒトサルモネラ症の発生事例が報告されている。このことから、本邦においてキャットフードへのサルモネラ属菌混入の有無を明らかにするために日本国内で販売されているキャットフードからサルモネラ属菌の検出の有無を調査した。ドライキャットフードは国内産29製品と国外産14製品を供試した。ウェットキャットフードは国内産17製品と国外産47製品を供試した。サルモネラ属菌の検出方法は「愛玩動物用飼料等の検査法（27消技第1051号）」に従った培養法により行った。その結果、サルモネラ属菌は、すべての製品から検出されなかった。このことから、日本におけるキャットフードのサルモネラ属菌混入に関するヒト及びネコの健康被害のリスクは低いと考えられた。

DOI： 10.11266/jpan.25.1_1

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper, summary (national, other academic conference)  

J-GLOBAL

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper, summary (national, other academic conference)   Publisher：日本卵子学会  

J-GLOBAL

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Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper, summary (national, other academic conference)   Publisher：日本卵子学会  

J-GLOBAL

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper, summary (national, other academic conference)   Publisher：日本内分泌学会  

DOI： 10.1507/endocrine.99.5_1509

J-GLOBAL

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Authorship：Lead author   Language：Japanese   Publishing type：Research paper, summary (national, other academic conference)   Publisher：日本卵子学会  

J-GLOBAL

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Event date： 2025.5 - 2025.6

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：広島市  

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Event date： 2024.5

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：神戸市  

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Event date： 2023.11

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：大津市  

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Event date： 2022.5

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：京都市  

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Event date： 2020.10 - 2020.11

Language：Japanese   Presentation type：Oral presentation (general)  

Venue：広島市  

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Award type：Award from Japanese society, conference, symposium, etc. 

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Type：Peer review 

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Type：Academic society, research group, etc. 

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