Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42708171›Full record

ArticleReproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene2026

Melatonin Enhances Embryo Quality in Japanese Black Cows During the Hot Season.

Tomohiro Isobe, Yukina Yoshimura, Yoshihisa Ikebata

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Tomohiro IsobeLaboratory of Cell Genetics and Embryo Transfer, Cattle Breeding Development Institute, Soo, Kagoshima, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8784-4262
Yukina YoshimuraLaboratory of Cell Genetics and Embryo Transfer, Cattle Breeding Development Institute, Soo, Kagoshima, Japan.
Yoshihisa IkebataLaboratory of Cell Genetics and Embryo Transfer, Cattle Breeding Development Institute, Soo, Kagoshima, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Melatonin is a potent antioxidant hormone that influences bovine reproductive function; however, its practical effects on embryo production under heat stress remain unclear. This study evaluated whether short-term melatonin administration improves embryo production, reduces oxidative stress, and affects pregnancy outcomes in Japanese Black cows using ovum pick-up and in vitro embryo production (OPU-IVP) and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MO-ET) systems. In Experiment 1, cows received subcutaneous melatonin (120 mg) or saline on Days 2 and 8 before OPU during the hot season in a crossover design. Melatonin treatment significantly increased the number of freezable embryos obtained by OPU-IVP (rate ratio = 2.85, p < 0.01) and tended to reduce 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) concentrations in the mixture of follicular fluid and blood surrounding the ovaries. In Experiment 2, the effects of melatonin treatment before embryo recovery (ER) following superovulation were evaluated during the hot and cooler seasons. A single injection had no effect, whereas two injections given 7 and 15 days before ER significantly increased the number of freezable embryos during the hot season (rate ratio = 1.48, p < 0.05). Melatonin treatment significantly decreased serum 8-OHdG concentrations, indicating attenuation of systemic oxidative stress. Moreover, frozen-thawed in vivo embryos derived from melatonin-treated donors showed a tendency towards improved pregnancy outcomes in repeat-breeder (RB) cows. These findings suggest that targeted melatonin administration is a practical strategy for improving embryo quality under heat stress conditions and may be associated with improved pregnancy outcomes following ET in RB cows.

Indexed as

AntioxidantsEmbryo, MammalianMelatonin8-Hydroxy-2'-DeoxyguanosineAnimalsCattleCross-Over StudiesDeoxyguanosineEmbryo TransferFemaleFertilization in VitroHot TemperatureOxidative StressPregnancyPregnancy OutcomeSeasons8-Hydroxy-2'-DeoxyguanosineAntioxidantsDeoxyguanosineMelatoninembryo qualityembryo transferheat stressmelatoninovum pick‐uprepeat‐breeder cowssuperovulation

Identifiers

PMID42708171
PMCPMC13551379

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.