333 EFFECTS OF BOVINE OOCYTE QUALITY ON KINETICS OF NUCLEAR MATURATION AND EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT AFTER IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 322
Author(s):  
I. Carvalhais ◽  
M. Faheem ◽  
A. Habibi ◽  
A. Geraldo ◽  
R. Agrícola ◽  
...  

Many factors act together to prepare the immature oocyte for successful development to a competent embryo after fertilization. Defects in oocyte maturation and further development can possibly be caused by the oocyte quality or an inadequate nuclear maturation or even by a failure of both. In the present study, the effect of COCs quality on meiotic development and further embryo-development after in vitro fertilization was evaluated. A total of 3604 COCs was separated according to their morphological aspect and were classified as A, B, and C categories. Briefly, in class A, oocytes possessed compact layers of cumulus cells, being difficult to evaluate their number having a homogenous ooplasm with uniform color. In class B, oocytes show more or equal to five layers of cumulus cells, easily identifiable under a stereomicroscope and/or granulations in the ooplasm. In class C, some granulation was observed in oocytes with about three layers of cumulus cells. The total number of oocytes was divided into two groups (I and II) in which in the group I, COCs (n = 540) were fixed 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, and 30 h following ovarian aspiration, DNA was stained with aceto-orcein, and the nucleus were observed under a phase contrast microscope. In the Group II, COCs (n = 3064) were fertilized with frozen/thawed bull semen after 24 h of maturation, which was made in M199 medium (Sigma, St, Louis, MO, USA). The development of the embryos was evaluated on the third and seventh day after fertilization. Embryos were co-cultured with monolayers of granulosa cells in 45 μL droplets of B2 medium (CCD Laboratory, Paris, France), supplemented with 10% serum under mineral oil, at 39°C and 5% CO2 in air. It was observed that, other than the oocytes achieved metaphase II at 24 h was greater for the oocytes classified as A (65.4%), and B (61.0%) greater than C (51.2%), no statistical difference was observed between oocyte quality and capability to maturation. As far as the embryonic development is concerned, the same tendency was observed for the cleavage and for the morulae/blastocyst stage after 7 days after fertilization (P < 0.001). The percentages of cleaved oocytes classified as A, B, and C, were respectively 65.2%, 58.4%, and 48.0%. The development to the morulae/blastocyst stage of the cleaved embryos was A = 38.5%/27.4%, B = 33.6%/25.0%, and C = 30.9%/17.2% (Table 1). The results of our study clearly demonstrate that the morphology of the oocytes plays an important role on the in vitro embryonic developmental competence after fertilization. Table 1.Development of oocytes according to COCs quality, evaluated 3 and 7 days after fertilization The first author is supported by the Regional Foundation for Science and Technology of the Azores Government. This study was supported by the IBBA Institute grant number M2.1.2/I/022/2008 CITA-A is fully acknowledged.

Author(s):  
Muhammad-Baqir M-R. Fakhrildin

Successful oocyte fertilization and normal embryonic development of mice were considered the most important diagnostic criteria for the safety of materials and tools used for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET). Therefore, we studied the influence of cumulus cells co-culture and protein supplement within culture medium on percentages of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and normal development of early stages of mouse embryo later. Oocytes were collected and treated with hyaluronidase to remove cumulus cells. Oocytes were divided into four groups namely: Group-1: Oocytes incubated within modified Earl’s medium (MEM) supplied with 10% inactivated bovine amniotic fluid as a protein source and cumulus cells; Group-2: Oocytes incubated with MEM supplied with cumulus cells only; Group-3: Oocytes incubated with MEM supplied with 10% inactivated bovine amniotic fluid only; and Group-4: Oocytes  incubated with MEM free of both protein source and cumulus cells. For IVF, 5-6 oocytes were incubated with active spermatozoa under paraffin oil for 18-20 hours at 37° oC in 5% CO2. Percentages of IVF and embryonic development were then recorded. Best results for IVF and normal embryonic development were achieved from oocytes of Group-1 when compared to the other groups. As compared to Group-1, the percentage of IVF for Group-2 and Group-3 were decreased insignificantly and significantly (P<0.002), respectively. Significant (P<0.01) reduction in the percentages of IVF and normal embryonic development were reported in Group-4 as compared to Group-1. Therefore, it was concluded that the presence of cumulus cells co-culture and bovine amniotic fluid as a protein source within culture medium may have an important role on the fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa and oocytes and normal development of pre-implanted mouse embryo later.  


2002 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Z. Bing ◽  
Y. Hirao ◽  
K. Iga ◽  
L. M. Che ◽  
N. Takenouchi ◽  
...  

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cumulus cells on the in vitro maturation (IVM) and glutathione (GSH) synthesis of porcine oocytes cultured in the presence or absence of cysteamine under different oxygen tensions, and on their subsequent male pronucleus formation after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and cumulus-denuded oocytes (DOs) were cultured for 45 h in modified TCM-199 supplemented with or without 150 m cysteamine under a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air (20%�O2) or 5% CO2, 5% O2 and 90% N2. When cultured in medium supplemented with cysteamine under 20% O2 tension, the rates of COC maturation to the metaphase II (MII) stage were significantly higher than those of DOs (P<0.05). Regardless of the addition of cysteamine and oxygen tension, the rates of male pronucleus formation in COCs after IVM and IVF were significantly higher than in DOs (P<0.05). The GSH content of oocytes was significantly increased by the addition of cysteamine to the maturation medium (P<0.05), with significantly higher GSH content in COCs than in DOs (P<0.05). However, the GSH content of COCs and DOs was not significantly different when cultured in medium without cysteamine. These results indicate that cumulus cells play an important role in nuclear maturation to MII, GSH synthesis in porcine oocytes cultured in the presence of cysteamine, and subsequent male pronucleus formation after IVF.


Reproduction ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 131 (2) ◽  
pp. 289-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason R Herrick ◽  
Amber M Brad ◽  
Rebecca L Krisher

The objectives of this study were to manipulate metabolism of glucose through glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation, and determine the effects of this manipulation on meiotic progression, intracellular glutathione (GSX) concentrations and embryonic development. Cumulus-oocyte complexes isolated from abattoir ovaries were matured (40–44 h) in Purdue Porcine Medium for maturation alone (control) or supplemented with pyrroline-5 carboxylate (PC, 0.1 μM; PPP stimulator), diphenyleneiodonium (DPI, 0.1 μM; PPP inhibitor), dinitrophenol (DNP, 10 μM; glycolytic stimulator), hexametaphosphate (HMP, 100 μM; glycolytic inhibitor), PC + HMP or DNP + DPI. At the conclusion of in vitro maturation, cumulus cells were removed and oocytes were randomly allocated for analysis of GSX, metabolism and nuclear maturation, or in vitro fertilization and embryo culture. Both DPI and DNP + DPI decreased (P ≤ 0.05) the activity of glycolysis and the PPP, increased (P ≤ 0.05) the percentage of immature oocytes, and decreased (P ≤ 0.05) the proportion of mature oocytes compared with control oocytes and oocytes from the other treatments. Embryonic development (cleavage and blastocyst stage) and the intracellular content of GSX were also decreased (P ≤ 0.05) following exposure to DPI or DNP + DPI compared with control oocytes and oocytes from the other treatments. Oocyte metabolism, nuclear maturation, GSX content and embryonic development were unaffected (P > 0.05) following exposure to PC, DNP, HMP or PC + HMP. Our results suggest that metabolism of glucose through the PPP and/or glycolysis plays a key role in the control of nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes in vitro.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Liga Wuri

Mice are one of the most commonly used rodent species as a model for biomedical research to better understand molecular, genetic, and cellular causes of human disease and disorders. The production of good quality oocytes is one of the important determinant factors for successful assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) clinical outcome as well as reproductive biology research. Mouse oocyte quality, morphology and functions are influenced by a variety of the factors such as euthanasia methods of female donors, superovulation regimes and cryopreservation. The objectives of these studies were mainly to investigate the methods and factors that are influencing oocyte quality, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryonic development. First, how different euthanasia methods including cervical dislocation (CD), high flow rate CO[2] (H CO[2]) and low flow CO2 (L CO[2]) would affect the quality and integrity of the metaphase II (MII) oocytes have been investigated. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from female donors that were euthanized by three different methods and then the oocytes' subcellular structures including microtubules, F-actin, cortical granules (CGs) and mitochondria integrities were detected by specific fluorescence dyes. The results showed that L CO[2] caused significant increase in the incidence of premature cortical granule exocytosis (PCGE) which might be responsible for significantly reducing the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryonic development rate compared to CD and H CO[2]. Secondly, how the superovulation methods would affect the resulting oocyte morphology, quality, IVF competence and embryonic development was investigated. The anti-inhibin serum (AIS) superovulation method produced a significantly higher number of oocytes compared to the pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). Overall, both methods yielded oocytes with similar sizes and comparable subcellular structures including microtubules, F-actin, cortical granules and mitochondria. However, superovulation with AIS produced significantly thinner zona pellucide than PMSG and the perivitelline space of the oocytes generated from AIS were significantly larger than PMSG. There were no differences in terms of two-cell embryo development, or morula and blastocyst formation rates between AIS and PMSG when the oocytes from two methods were in-vitro fertilized with fresh sperm. Morula and blastocyst development rates were significantly higher for AIS compared to PMSG when oocytes were fertilized with frozen-thawed sperm. Thirdly, clutches of mouse cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) were cryopreserved by the cryoloop vitrification method after PMSG superovulation. The cryo-survival rate and integrity and distribution of subcellular structures including the meiotic spindles, F-actin, cortical granules and mitochondria were examined and compared with fresh MII oocytes. The vitrified-warmed oocytes maintained their subcellular structures to a high degree and resulted in acceptable IVF and embryonic development. In conclusion, for optimal research and clinical outcome, considerations should be given regard to euthanasia methods of oocyte donor mice and type of superovulation regimes. Despite of its high oocyte yield, superovulation of mice with AIS provides comparable quality oocytes to the PMSG method. Cryopreservation of the clutches of mouse COCs via cryo-loop vitrification should be considered for genome banking of genetically modified mice and biomedical research.


2017 ◽  
Vol 114 (29) ◽  
pp. E5796-E5804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ye Yuan ◽  
Lee D. Spate ◽  
Bethany K. Redel ◽  
Yuchen Tian ◽  
Jie Zhou ◽  
...  

Assisted reproductive technologies in all mammals are critically dependent on the quality of the oocytes used to produce embryos. For reasons not fully clear, oocytes matured in vitro tend to be much less competent to become fertilized, advance to the blastocyst stage, and give rise to live young than their in vivo-produced counterparts, particularly if they are derived from immature females. Here we show that a chemically defined maturation medium supplemented with three cytokines (FGF2, LIF, and IGF1) in combination, so-called “FLI medium,” improves nuclear maturation of oocytes in cumulus–oocyte complexes derived from immature pig ovaries and provides a twofold increase in the efficiency of blastocyst production after in vitro fertilization. Transfer of such blastocysts to recipient females doubles mean litter size to about nine piglets per litter. Maturation of oocytes in FLI medium, therefore, effectively provides a fourfold increase in piglets born per oocyte collected. As they progress in culture, the FLI-matured cumulus–oocyte complexes display distinctly different kinetics of MAPK activation in the cumulus cells, much increased cumulus cell expansion, and an accelerated severance of cytoplasmic projections between the cumulus cells outside the zona pellucida and the oocyte within. These events likely underpin the improvement in oocyte quality achieved by using the FLI medium.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. S. Manik ◽  
M. S. Chauhan ◽  
V. Gupta ◽  
S. K. Singla ◽  
P. Palta

Very limited information is available in the literature on in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in vitro culture (IVC) of oocytes collected through the transvaginal oocyte retrieval (TVOR) technique in buffaloes. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to examine the post IVF cleavage rates and embryonic development up to the blastocyst stage in the Murrah breed of buffalo subjected to TVOR. The five cyclic Murrah buffaloes were synchronized for estrus by a single prostaglandin injection. The animals were subjected to TVOR once weekly for seven weeks. TVOR was performed using an ultrasound machine with a transvaginal convex transducer (5 MHz), a needle guide, a single-lumen 19-gauge 60-cm-long needle, and a vacuum pressure of 50 mmHg. The number and size of follicles in each ovary was determined before puncture. The follicles were characterized on the basis of their diameter as small (3-5 mm), medium (6-9 mm), and large (e10 mm). The oocytes recovered were classified as grade A, cumulus-oocytes complexes with e5 layers of cumulus cells; grade B, those with two to four layers; grade C, partially denuded oocytes; and grade D, completely denuded oocytes. IVM, IVF and IVC were carried as reported by Chauhan et al. (1999 J. Dairy Science 82, 918-926). Briefly, the oocytes were cultured for 24 h in a CO2 incubator (5% CO2 in air) at 38.5�C for in vitro maturation. Frozen-thawed semen was used in Bracket and Olyphant medium for capacitation and fertilization. The in vitro-fertilized and cleaved embryos were cultured further for 9 days in modified synthetic oviductal fluid. The small follicles constituted a major proportion (60%) of the total observed follicles, although a substantial proportion of medium (19%) and large (21%) follicles were also present. A total of 76 oocytes were recovered by aspiration of 110 follicles, with an overall recovery rate of 70% (range 67-74%). Of these, 45 (59%) were of grades A and B, and 31 (41%) were of grades C and D. The mean number of total follicles and the oocytes recovered per session did not differ significantly among individual donors. Out of the 37 oocytes subjected to IVM and IVF, 19 (51%) cleaved at Day 2 post-insemination. A total of four embryos (11%) developed into morulae/blastocysts. This study demonstrates the use of TVOR as a mean of obtaining oocytes, their fertilization, and further embryo development in the Murrah breed of buffalo.


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 827-832 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koichi Kyono

There is a long-held credo, as illustrated in Langman's Medical Embryology (11th ed., Sadler, 2010), that dichorionic diamniotic (DD) twins develop after embryo splitting in the early stages of embryonic development. However, from our clinical experiences of the examination of data from single-embryo transfers in 16 fertility clinics in Japan and from various reports, the majority of occurrences of DD twins have been found in the blastocyst stages.


Antioxidants ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1594
Author(s):  
Zhi Yin ◽  
Jing-Tao Sun ◽  
Hong-Di Cui ◽  
Chao-Qian Jiang ◽  
Yu-Ting Zhang ◽  
...  

To investigate the effects of tannins (TA) on porcine oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM), different concentrations of TA (0, 1, 10 and 100 μg/mL) were supplemented with a maturation medium and the COCs and subsequent embryonic development were examined. The results showed that 10 µg/mL TA significantly improved the cumulus expansion index (CEI), cumulus-expansion-related genes (PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3, TNFAIP6 and HAS2) expression and blastocyst formation rates after parthenogenetic activation (PA), in vitro fertilization (IVF) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) compared to the control groups, but not oocyte nuclear maturation. Nevertheless, 10 µg/mL TA dramatically enhanced the mRNA expression of oocyte-development-related genes (BMP15, GDF9, CDC2 and CYCLIN B1), GSH, ATP, SOD1, PGC1α, BMP15, GDF9 and CDC2 levels and reduced intracellular ROS level in porcine oocytes. These results indicated that porcine oocyte cytoplasmic maturation was improved by 10 µg/mL TA treatment during IVM. In contrast, a high concentration of TA (100 μg/mL) significantly decreased the CEI and PTGS1, PTGS2, PTX-3 and HAS2 mRNA expressions in cumulus cells, and reduced oocyte nuclear maturation and the total cell numbers/blastocyst. In general, these data showed that 10 μg/mL TA supplementation has beneficial effects on oocyte cytoplasmic maturation and subsequent embryonic development in pigs.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 249 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Maedomari ◽  
N. Kashiwazaki ◽  
M. Ozawa ◽  
A. Takizawa ◽  
J. Noguchi ◽  
...  

It is generally accepted that cumulus cells (CCs) support the nuclear maturation of immature oocytes in mammals. However, the precise mechanism of interaction between cumulus cells and oocytes has not been clarified. Furthermore, the role of cumulus cells in embryonic development has not been reported. In the present study, the effect of denuding cumulus cells from porcine oocytes on oocyte maturation, ertilization, and their subsequent development to the blastocyst stage was examined in vitro. In vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture were carried out as previously reported (Kikuchi et al. 2002 Biol. Reprod. 66, 1033-1041). Porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected; some of them were completely denuded of cumulus cells immediately after the collection (DO-0 group). The remaining intact COCs and the DO-0 oocytes were cultured for 24 h in the presence of dbcAMP and hormones. After the initial culture, some of the intact COCs were denuded either completely (DO-24 group) or partially (H-DO-24 group). Additionally, some of DO-24 oocytes were co-cultured with the cumulus cells removed at 0 h and pre-cultured for 24 h (DO-24 + CCs group). The denuded oocytes in each experimental group and intact COCs (control) were further cultured for total 46 h. The remaining oocytes with a first polar body were either examined for the levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) or fertilized in vitro with frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa. The inseminated oocytes were cultured and examined for their fertilization status after 10 h and for their developmental competence after 6 days. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by the Duncan's multiple range tests. The maturation rates of all denuded groups were significantly lower (P < 0.05; 34.3 to 45.0%) than that of the control group (64.5%). Intracellular GSH concentrations of all denuded groups were also significantly lower (P < 0.05; 4.03 to 7.00 pmol/oocyte) than that of the control group (9.60 pmol/oocyte); however, the GSH level of H-DO-24 oocytes was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the GSH levels in the other denuded groups. Male pronuclear formation rates of completely denuded oocytes (DO-0, DO-24, and DO-24 + CCs groups) were significantly lower (P < 0.05; 41.4 to 59.3%) than those of the control (89.4%) and the H-DO-24 (80.0%) groups. The blastocyst rate of the control group was significantly higher (P < 0.05; 19.9%) than that of H-DO-24 group (11.6%), and these rates were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of the completely denuded groups (3.0 to 4.5%). The results suggest that the presence of cumulus cells during maturation culture improves nuclear maturation of oocytes and plays an important role in embryonic development to the blastocyst stage in vitro.


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