Stereomicroscopic and histological examination of bovine embryos following extended in vitro culture

Attempts to support survival of mammalian embryos after hatching have met with limited success, although some mouse studies have reported growth at the post-implantation stage. The aim of the present research was to establish and characterise an in vitro culture system that could support extended growth and differentiation of bovine embryos. Abattoir-derived oocytes were matured and fertilised in vitro. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in modified synthetic oviduct fluid (SOFaaci) medium supplemented with 5% cow serum (CS). On Day 9, single hatched blastocysts (n = 160) were randomly allocated to SOFaaci supplemented with either 5% bovine serum albumin, 5% CS, 5% fetal calf serum (FCS) or SOF only and cultured on a collagen gel substrate for up to 45 days. Embryos were evaluated at various time-points until complete disaggregation or the total disappearance of embryonic cells. Blastocyst viability post hatching was severely compromised in protein-free SOFaaci medium. Addition of FCS generated increased embryonic growth for the longest time period (Day 45) when compared to the other groups. Long-term survival of embryonic cells was observed stereomicroscopically by the proliferation and development of three-dimensional tubular structures to 85% confluence in culture. Haematoxylin and eosin staining of morphological structures obtained from all treatment groups revealed embryos displaying trophoblast, inner cell mass and hypoblast development to varying degrees. Regardless of treatment, extended in vitro culture did not result in development comparable with that described for in vivo embryos. In the present work, however, there was evidence of extended culture of bovine embryos beyond that achieved previously. However, further research is required to identify the exact requirements for extended in vitro culture for bovine embryos.

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140 PRODUCTION OF RECONSTRUCTED IN VITRO PRODUCED BOVINE EMBRYOS BY INNER CELL MASS AND TROPHECTODERM AGGREGATION IN VITRO

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv23n1ab140 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 23 (1) ◽

pp. 174

Author(s):

I. P. Emanuelli ◽

E. Razza ◽

C. M. Barros ◽

M. F. G. Nogueira

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Culture ◽

Fetal Calf Serum ◽

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Bos Indicus ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Cell Aggregation ◽

Bovine Embryos ◽

Advanced Stages

The efficiency of embryonic chimerism tends to decrease when embryos in advanced stages of development, such as morulae and blastocysts, are used. To perform the inner cell mass (ICM) transfer to a trophectoderm (TE) receptor, it is essential to use embryos at an advanced stage and blastocoel presence. This method of embryo reconstruction has been performed only by the micromanipulator microinjection method (Zheng et al. 2005 Zygote 1, 73–71; Loi et al. 2007 Trends Biotechnol. 25, 195–200; Roth et al. 1989 Biol. Reprod. 41, 675–682; and Murakami et al. 2006 Cloning Stem Cells 8, 51–60). This study aimed to validate a manual procedure to reconstruct embryos using the method of ICM and TE approximation in the presence of phytohemagglutinin. Bos indicus ovaries from the abattoir were used to obtain 230 cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC; quality I and II). The COC were matured in 90-μL drops of TCM-199 bicarbonate supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS) and incubated in vitro for 22 to 24 h. Fertilization occurred in TALP-IVF medium, and the COC were incubated for 18 h. Presumptive zygotes were transferred to SOF medium to in vitro culture. Incubation conditions were 38.5°C and 5% CO2 in air. In vitro produced (IVP) embryos 8.5 days after fertilization were used for the experiment. Ninety-three hatching or hatched blastocysts were put into 3-μL microdrops of protein-free HEPES-buffered SOF (HSOF) medium to hold the embryos on the dish bottom and to allow handmade sections of ICM and TE. The section was performed with a microblade (Ultra-Sharp Splitting Blade, Bioniche, Bogart, GA, USA) under a stereomicroscope (35× magnification). Seventy half-structures from 35 different blastocysts were obtained to form pairs (ICM+TE). Each pair was transferred to drops with 500 μg mL–1 of phytohemagglutinin-L (3 min) before the approximated pairs were transferred to SOF medium in cell aggregation well-of-the-well (WOW) micro-wells (Vajta et al. 2000 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55, 256–264) to in vitro culture (38.5°C; 5% O2 and 5% CO2). The aggregation rate was 25.7% (9/35) and all the reconstructed blastocysts by aggregation (24 h) re-expanded after 48 h of culture. The technique of handmade ICM and TE section and posterior aggregation in the presence of an agglutinating agent was feasible for the structural and functional reconstruction and re-expansion of the blastocyst produced. Financial support: FAPESP, Brazil (06/06491-2, 07/07705-9, 09/10679-5, and 09/04888-0).

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Effect of bovine oviductal fluid on development and quality of bovine embryos produced in vitro

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rd15238 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 29 (3) ◽

pp. 621 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Ricaurte Lopera-Vasquez ◽

Meriem Hamdi ◽

Veronica Maillo ◽

Valeriano Lloreda ◽

Pilar Coy ◽

...

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Culture ◽

Embryo Development ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Water Channel ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Cell Counting ◽

Bovine Embryos ◽

Oviductal Fluid

To evaluate the effect of bovine oviductal fluid (OF) supplementation during in vitro culture of bovine embryos on their development and quality, in vitro-produced zygotes were cultured in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF; negative control; C–) supplemented with OF or 5% fetal calf serum (positive control; C+). Embryo development was recorded on Days 7–9 after insemination and blastocyst quality was assessed through cryotolerance, differential cell counting of the inner cell mass and trophectoderm, and gene expression. OF was added to the culture medium at concentrations ranging from 0.625% to 25%. The higher OF concentrations (5%, 10% and 25%) had a detrimental effect on embryo development. Lower OF concentrations (1.25% and 0.625%) supported embryo development until Day 9 (27.5%) and produced higher-quality blastocysts, as reflected by their cryotolerance (53.6% and 57.7% survival at 72 h, respectively, vs 25.9% in C+) and total cell number (mean (± s.e.m.) 165.1 ± 4.7 and 156.2 ± 4.2, respectively, vs 127.7 ± 4.9 in C– and 143.1 ± 4.9 in C+). Consistent with these data, upregulation of the water channel aquaporin 3 (AQP3) mRNA was observed in blastocysts supplemented with 1.25% OF compared with C– and C+. Serum supplementation resulted in a reduction in the expression of glucose and lipid metabolism-related genes and downregulation of the epigenetic-related genes DNA methyltransferase 3A (DNMT3A) and insulin-like growth factor 2 receptor (IGF2R). In conclusion, in vitro culture with low concentrations of OF has a positive effect on the development and quality of bovine embryos.

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Development of bovine embryos cultured in CR1aa and IVD101 media using different oxygen tensions and culture systems

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica ◽

10.1556/avet.58.2010.4.7 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 58 (4) ◽

pp. 465-474 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Tamás Somfai ◽

Yasushi Inaba ◽

Yoshio Aikawa ◽

Masaki Ohtake ◽

Shuji Kobayashi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Culture Media ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Bovine Embryos ◽

Blastocyst Formation ◽

Cell Numbers ◽

Culture Systems ◽

Significant Difference

The aim of the present study was to optimise the culture conditions for the in vitro production of bovine embryos. The development of in vitro fertilised bovine oocytes in CR1aa supplemented with 5% calf serum and IVD101 culture media were compared using traditional microdrops and Well of the Well (WOW) culture systems either under 5% or 20% oxygen tension. After 7 days of culture, a significantly higher blastocyst formation rate was obtained for embryos cultured in CR1aa medium compared to those cultured in IVD101, irrespective of O 2 tensions and culture systems. The blastocyst formation in IVD101 was suppressed under 20% O 2 compared to 5% O 2 . Despite their similar total cell numbers, higher rates of inner cell mass (ICM) cells were observed in blastocysts developed in IVD101 medium than in those developed in CR1aa, irrespective of O 2 tensions. There was no significant difference in blastocyst formation, total, ICM and trophectoderm (TE) cell numbers between embryos obtained by microdrop and WOW culture systems irrespective of the culture media and O 2 tensions used. In conclusion, CR1aa resulted in higher blastocyst formation rates irrespective of O 2 tension, whereas IVD101 supported blastocyst formation only under low O 2 levels but enhanced the proliferation of ICM cells.

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Evaluation of bovine embryos produced in vitro vs. in vivo by differential staining of inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells

Theriogenology ◽

10.1016/0093-691x(96)84684-x ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 211 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

F. Du ◽

C.R. Looney ◽

X. Yang

Keyword(s):

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Differential Staining ◽

Bovine Embryos ◽

Trophectoderm Cells

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50SPATIAL EXPRESSION OF OCT4 IS NORMALLY REGULATED IN PREIMPLANTATION STAGE BOVINE SOMATIC CELL CLONES

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv16n1ab50 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 147

Author(s):

S. Kurosaka ◽

S. Eckardt ◽

M.K. Friez ◽

N.A. Leu ◽

R. Reinbold ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Marker Gene ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Ectopic Expression ◽

Cell Lineage ◽

Embryonic Cells ◽

Oct4 Protein

Oct4 is a member of the POU family of transcription factors and is expressed in blastomeres, pluripotent embryonic cells and the germ cell lineage. In the mouse blastocyst, expression of Oct4 becomes restricted to the inner cell mass (ICM). In bovine, Oct4 has not been considered to be a marker for pluripotency because Oct4 protein is expressed in both the ICM and the trophectoderm (TE) of bovine blastocysts (van Eijk MJT et al., 1999 Biol. Reprod. 60, 1093–1103; Kirchhof N et al., 2000 Biol. Reprod. 63, 1698–1705). Oct4 has been used as a marker gene for nuclear reprogramming in cloned embryos. Aberrant spatial distribution and levels of Oct4 have been observed in the majority of mouse clone blastocysts and blastocyst outgrowths (Boiani M et al., 2002 Genes Dev. 16, 1209–1219), indicating reprogramming failure of mouse clones. Lack of or abnormal Oct4 protein expression was also observed in cloned monkey embryos (Mitalipov SM et al., 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68 (suppl 1), 159). The spatial distribution of Oct4 mRNA and protein in bovine clones has not been reported. Bovine oocytes were obtained from a commercial supplier (BOMED, Inc., Madison, WI, USA), and were matured in vitro. Enucleated oocytes were fused with fibroblasts from ear skin and then treated with 10μgmL−1 cycloheximide and 1.25μgmL−1 cytochalasin D for 6h. Embryos were cultured in SOF supplemented with 1% fetal calf serum (FCS) at 39°C under 5% CO2, 5% O2 and 90% N2 for 2 days. At Day 2, embryos were transferred to SOF supplemented with 5% FCS and cultured under the same conditions until Day 7. Blastocysts were analyzed at Day 7. Oct4 mRNA expression was visualized by whole-mount in situ hybridization using a bovine Oct4-specific antisense riboprobe. Oct4 protein was detected by immunocytochemistry. Control embryos were produced by IVF and were cultured under the same conditions to the blastocyst stage (Day 7). We found that Oct4 mRNA signal was restricted to the ICM in bovine blastocysts. Bovine clones were not different from control embryos in that distribution of Oct4 mRNA signal was typically restricted to the ICM (14 of 16). In contrast to our previous report on mouse clones (Boiani M et al., 2002 Genes Dev. 16, 1209–1219), ectopic expression of Oct4 mRNA in the TE was rarely detected in bovine clones (2 of 16). Distribution of Oct4 protein was also similar between clones and controls with distribution in both the ICM and TE (clones: 9 of 9; controls: 9 of 9). It is unclear why defects in Oct4 distribution should differ between bovine and other species tested including monkey (Mitalipov SM et al., 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68 (suppl 1), 159–160); however, the higher rate of normal Oct4 distribution is consistent with the generally higher rates of postimplantation development of bovine clones (Shi W et al., 2003 Differentiation 71, 91–113).

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Immunosurgical studies on Inner cell mass development in rat and mouse blastocysts before and during implantation in vitro

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.60.1.255 ◽

1980 ◽

Vol 60 (1) ◽

pp. 255-269

Author(s):

Horst Spielmann ◽

Ursula Jacob-Müller ◽

Werner Beckord

Keyword(s):

Guinea Pig ◽

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Cell Number ◽

C57bl Mouse ◽

Before And After ◽

Rabbit Complement

Eighty per cent of rat blastocysts (Wistar, SW72) cultured for 96 h in NCTC-109 supplemented with fetal calf serum (FCS) hatched from the zona pellucida and developed a trophoblast giant cell layer. Thirty seven per cent of the rat blastocysts developed an inner cell mass (ICM) which, in about 7 %, consisted of two germ layers (ectoderm and endoderm), compared to 84% in NMRI mice. A significantly better ICM development was obtained with cultured rat blastocysts that had hatched in vivo. Similar to the in vivo situation LDH-5 was present in rat blastocysts after implantation in NCTC-109-FCS. Differentiation of C57BL mouse blastocysts in NCTC-109-FCS proceeded as poorly as in the rat. ICM development of rat and mouse blastocysts in NCTC-109-FCS was studied in detail. ICMs of the two species were isolated immunosurgically using complement from different species, e.g. human, rat and rabbit complement, since guinea-pig complement did not lyse trophectoderm cells of rat blastocysts. All immunosurgically isolated rat ICMs degenerated within 48 h, but mouse ICMs isolated with rat or rabbit complement developed significantly better than mouse ICMs isolated with guinea-pig complement. Determinations of theblastocyst total cell number (BTCN) and of the cell number of immunosurgically isolated ICMs were performed in rat and mouse blastocysts to investigate growth kinetics of the ICM before implantation in vitro. In the mouse an exponential increase in both BTCN and cell number of the ICM was observed during the 48 h before implantation in NCTC-109-FCS and also during the 16-24 h before implantation in vivo. In the rat, doubling of the BTCN was found only during the first 24 h in NCTC-109-FCS and there was hardly any increase in the cell number of the ICM during the first 48 h in culture. ICM growth of blastocysts in NCTC-109-FCS is, therefore, stimulated in the mouse before and after implantation and. in the rat it is inhibited already before implantation.

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The development of trophoblast in vitro from blastocysts containing varying amounts of inner cell mass

Development ◽

10.1242/dev.33.1.177 ◽

1975 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 177-185

Author(s):

J. D. Ansell ◽

M. H. L. Snow

Keyword(s):

Giant Cell ◽

Cell Transformation ◽

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Calf Serum ◽

Foetal Calf Serum ◽

Trophoblast Cells ◽

Intact Mouse

When intact mouse blastocysts are cultured in vitro in medium supplemented with foetal calf serum, trophoblast cells proliferate and undergo giant cell transformation such as occurs in vivo. If the amount of inner cell mass in the blastocyst is decreased by culture with [3H]-thymidine then giant cell transformation occurs normally but proliferation is reduced. In the absence of inner cell mass no proliferation occurs, and giant cell transformation is more rapid than in undamaged blastocysts.

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Splitting of IVP bovine blastocyst affects morphology and gene expression of resulting demi-embryos during in vitro culture and in vivo elongation

Zygote ◽

10.1017/s0967199414000677 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 18-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alejandra E. Velasquez ◽

Fidel O. Castro ◽

Daniel Veraguas ◽

Jose F. Cox ◽

Evelyn Lara ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Survival Rate ◽

In Vitro Culture ◽

Inner Cell Mass ◽

Cell Mass ◽

Embryo Morphology ◽

Developmental Potential ◽

Bovine Blastocyst

SummaryEmbryo splitting might be used to increase offspring yield and for molecular analysis of embryo competence. How splitting affects developmental potential of embryos is unknown. This research aimed to study the effect of bovine blastocyst splitting on morphological and gene expression homogeneity of demi-embryos and on embryo competence during elongation. Grade I bovine blastocyst produced in vitro were split into halves and distributed in nine groups (3 × 3 setting according to age and stage before splitting; age: days 7–9; stage: early, expanded and hatched blastocysts). Homogeneity and survival rate in vitro after splitting (12 h, days 10 and 13) and the effect of splitting on embryo development at elongation after embryo transfer (day 17) were assessed morphologically and by RT-qPCR. The genes analysed were OCT4, SOX2, NANOG, CDX2, TP1, TKDP1, EOMES, and BAX. Approximately 90% of split embryos had a well conserved defined inner cell mass (ICM), 70% of the halves had similar size with no differences in gene expression 12 h after splitting. Split embryos cultured further conserved normal and comparable morphology at day 10 of development; this situation changes at day 13 when embryo morphology and gene expression differed markedly among demi-embryos. Split and non-split blastocysts were transferred to recipient cows and were recovered at day 17. Fifty per cent of non-split embryos were larger than 100 mm (33% for split embryos). OCT4, SOX2, TP1 and EOMES levels were down-regulated in elongated embryos derived from split blastocysts. In conclusion, splitting day-8 blastocysts yields homogenous demi-embryos in terms of developmental capability and gene expression, but the initiation of the filamentous stage seems to be affected by the splitting.

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