{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T19:19:40Z","timestamp":1783451980611,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":26,"publisher":"Bioscientifica","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1783382400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":97,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000002","name":"National Institutes of Health","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["1R01HD109326"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["1R01HD109326"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000002","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.bioscientifica.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":[],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Longitudinal vaginal septum is a fibrous tissue band that bisects the vaginal canal and is associated with poor breeding in mice, leading to considerable waste of research time and resources in affected colonies. We observed a very high incidence (34.2%) of longitudinal vaginal septum in one of our mixed backgrounds inbred mice colonies that suffered from poor breeding. We hypothesized that vaginal septum resection would lead to normalization of fertility and reproductive outcomes in affected mice. Female mice were evaluated for vaginal septum and divided into three groups: septum surgery, septum no surgery, and no septum control. Surgical septum excision was done under general anesthesia using microscissors. Breeding began 7 days following septum surgery, and reproductive outcomes were assessed. Histopathological analysis of septate and non-septate reproductive tracts revealed no other abnormalities apart from the vaginal septum. Septum surgery mice had increased copulatory plug rates (82 vs 46%, P = 0.036), pregnancy rates after 30 days (95.2 vs 36.3%, P = 0.0001), pregnancy rates after 75 days (100 vs 72.7%, P = 0.01), and delivery rates (100 vs 72.7%, P = 0.01), as well as shorter time to pregnancy (P &amp;lt; 0.01) compared to septum mice without surgery. There were no differences in litter size, viability, or pup weight between the groups. In conclusion, our findings indicate that the reproductive capacity of mice is adversely affected by the presence of a vaginal septum. Surgical resection of longitudinal vaginal septum can normalize reproductive outcomes in mice. This simple procedure can save substantial time and financial resources in laboratory mice research impacted by poor breeding.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Lay summary<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A vaginal septum is a birth defect consisting of a tissue band that crosses the vaginal canal, dividing it. It is associated with poor breeding in mice, which affects animal research timelines. We tested whether vaginal septum excision would improve fertility and reproductive outcomes in our laboratory mouse colony which had a high septum rate (34%). Surgical septum excision was done under general anesthesia. Breeding began 7 days following septum surgery, and reproductive outcomes were evaluated. Mice that had septum excision surgery had increased breeding activity, pregnancy rates, delivery rates, and shorter time to pregnancy compared to septum mice without surgery. In conclusion, we found that excision of the vaginal septum can improve reproductive outcomes in mice. This simple procedure of vaginal septum resection can save substantial time and financial resources in laboratory mouse research impacted by poor breeding.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1530\/raf-26-0035","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,18]],"date-time":"2026-05-18T12:35:30Z","timestamp":1779107730000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/crossmarkpolicy-13","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Surgical resection of longitudinal vaginal septum improves fertility and reproductive capacity in mice"],"prefix":"10.1530","volume":"7","author":[{"given":"Abigail E","family":"Solomon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yotam","family":"Ashkenazi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"M Natalia","family":"Chaves Rivera","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sydney","family":"Bell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chase A","family":"Burzynski","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Harvey J","family":"Kliman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"},{"name":"2"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Aya","family":"Tal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2500-9904","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Reshef","family":"Tal","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"1"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"416","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ejogrb.2025.113992","article-title":"Surgical management of longitudinal vaginal septum: a case report and literature review","volume":"310","author":"Akcaoglu","year":"2025","journal-title":"Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1585","DOI":"10.1242\/bio.019711","article-title":"Adamts18 deletion results in distinct developmental defects and provides a model for congenital disorders of lens, lung, and female reproductive tract development","volume":"5","author":"Ataca","year":"2016","journal-title":"Biol Open"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1432-0436.1992.tb00774.x","article-title":"The germ layer origin of mouse vaginal epithelium restricts its responsiveness to mesenchymal inductors: uterine induction","volume":"49","author":"Boutin","year":"1992","journal-title":"Differentiation"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib4","first-page":"520","article-title":"Effects of vaginal septa on the reproductive performance of BALB\/cByJNarl mice","volume":"52","author":"Chang","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib5","first-page":"895","article-title":"Vaginal septa in mice: incidence, inheritance, and effect on reproductive, performance","volume":"26","author":"Cunliffe-Beamer","year":"1976","journal-title":"Lab Anim Sci"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.ijscr.2023.108682","article-title":"Surgical management of a transverse vaginal septum: about a rare case","volume":"110","author":"El Abbassi","year":"2023","journal-title":"Int J Surg Case Rep"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"462","DOI":"10.1111\/joa.12029","article-title":"Development of epithelial and mesenchymal regionalization of the human fetal utero-vaginal anlagen","volume":"222","author":"Fritsch","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Anat"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib8","first-page":"418","article-title":"Increased incidence of vaginal septum in C57BL\/6J mice since 1976","volume":"54","author":"Gearhart","year":"2004","journal-title":"Comp Med"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0097909","article-title":"Estrogen-dependent proteolytic cleavage of semaphorin 4D and plexin-B1 enhances semaphorin 4D-induced apoptosis during postnatal vaginal remodeling in pubescent mice","volume":"9","author":"Ito","year":"2014","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"829","DOI":"10.3892\/mmr.2014.2773","article-title":"Semaphorin 4D induces vaginal epithelial cell apoptosis to control mouse postnatal vaginal tissue remodeling","volume":"11","author":"Ito","year":"2015","journal-title":"Mol Med Rep"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"99","DOI":"10.1016\/j.diff.2010.06.007","article-title":"Developmental origin of vaginal epithelium","volume":"80","author":"Kurita","year":"2010","journal-title":"Differentiation"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"76","DOI":"10.1016\/j.reprotox.2014.10.023","article-title":"Segregated responses of mammary gland development and vaginal opening to prepubertal genistein exposure in Bscl2(\u2212\/\u2212) female mice with lipodystrophy","volume":"54","author":"Li","year":"2015","journal-title":"Reprod Toxicol"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1016\/j.repbio.2021.100537","article-title":"ADAMTS18 regulates vaginal opening through influencing the fusion of Mullerian duct and apoptosis of vaginal epithelial cells in mice","volume":"21","author":"Lin","year":"2021","journal-title":"Reprod Biol"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1389","DOI":"10.1016\/S1097-2765(00)00136-2","article-title":"The combined functions of proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members bak and bax are essential for normal development of multiple tissues","volume":"6","author":"Lindsten","year":"2000","journal-title":"Mol Cell"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"899","DOI":"10.1016\/j.fertnstert.2020.06.014","article-title":"Longitudinal vaginal septum: a proposed classification and surgical management","volume":"114","author":"Ludwin","year":"2020","journal-title":"Fertil Steril"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1045","DOI":"10.1292\/jvms.59.1045","article-title":"Vaginal atresia with transverse septum in a cat","volume":"59","author":"Nomura","year":"1997","journal-title":"J Vet Med Sci"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1390","DOI":"10.1126\/science.1190217","article-title":"BID, BIM, and PUMA are essential for activation of the BAX- and BAK-dependent cell death program","volume":"330","author":"Ren","year":"2010","journal-title":"Science"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib20","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"115","DOI":"10.1006\/dbio.1997.8522","article-title":"Mouse vaginal opening is an apoptosis-dependent process which can be prevented by the overexpression of Bcl2","volume":"184","author":"Rodriguez","year":"1997","journal-title":"Dev Biol"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"56","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.1995.206.01.56","article-title":"Vaginal septa in dogs: 15 cases (1983\u20131992)","volume":"206","author":"Root","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib22","first-page":"252","volume-title":"The Principles of Humane Experimental Technique","author":"Russell","year":"1960"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4939-9086-3_1","article-title":"The applicability of mouse models to the study of human disease","volume":"1940","author":"Rydell-Tormanen","year":"2019","journal-title":"Methods Mol Biol"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"358","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-7020-5319-1.00015-3","article-title":"Female Genital System","volume-title":"Jubb, Kennedy & Palmer\u2019s Pathology of Domestic Animals","author":"Schlafer","year":"2016","edition":"Sixth Edition"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"333","DOI":"10.1530\/jrf.0.0700333","article-title":"Studies on the inheritance of vaginal septa in mice, a trait with low penetrance","volume":"70","author":"Shire","year":"1984","journal-title":"J Reprod Fertil"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3749","DOI":"10.1210\/en.2016-1418","article-title":"A murine 5-fluorouracil-based submyeloablation model for the study of bone marrow-derived cell trafficking in reproduction","volume":"157","author":"Tal","year":"2016","journal-title":"Endocrinology"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib27","first-page":"e273","article-title":"Occurrence of a vaginal septum in a foal diagnosed with pyometra","volume":"33","author":"Volkmann","year":"2021","journal-title":"Equine Veterinary Education"},{"key":"2026070714152987400_bib26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"36","DOI":"10.1186\/s12958-023-01084-8","article-title":"RA-RAR signaling promotes mouse vaginal opening through increasing beta-catenin expression and vaginal epithelial cell apoptosis","volume":"21","author":"Zheng","year":"2023","journal-title":"Reprod Biol Endocrinol"}],"container-title":["Reproduction and Fertility"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/raf.bioscientifica.com\/view\/journals\/raf\/7\/2\/RAF-26-0035.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/raf.bioscientifica.com\/downloadpdf\/journals\/raf\/7\/2\/RAF-26-0035.xml","content-type":"text\/html","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/raf\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1530\/RAF-26-0035\/521564\/raf-26-0035.pdf","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"syndication"},{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/raf\/article-pdf\/doi\/10.1530\/RAF-26-0035\/521564\/raf-26-0035.pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,7]],"date-time":"2026-07-07T18:16:52Z","timestamp":1783448212000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/journals.bioscientifica.com\/raf\/article\/7\/2\/RAF260035\/77661\/Surgical-resection-of-longitudinal-vaginal-septum"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]},"references-count":26,"journal-issue":{"issue":"2","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]}},"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1530\/raf-26-0035","relation":{},"ISSN":["2633-8386"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2633-8386","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,1]]},"article-number":"RAF260035"}}