Dairy cow fertility has decreased during the last decades, and much evidence indicates that metabolic disorders are an important part of this decline. Insulin is a key factor in the metabolic challenge during the transition period that coincides with the oocyte maturation and may therefore have an impact on the early embryo development. The aim of this study was to test the effect of insulin during oocyte maturation on early embryo development by adding insulin during the oocyte maturation in vitro. In this study, abattoir-derived bovine ovaries were used and cumulus-oocyte complexes (n = 991) were in vitro matured for 22 h according to standard protocols. Insulin was added during maturation in vitro as follows: H (10 µg mL–1 of insulin), L (0.1 µg mL–1 of insulin), or Z (0 µg mL–1 of insulin). After maturation, oocytes were removed and fixed in paraformaldehyde before staining. Click-it TUNEL assay (Invitrogen, Stockholm, Sweden) was used for apoptotic staining and DRAQ5 (BioNordika, Stockholm, Sweden) for nuclear staining (n = 132). Cumulus-oocyte complexes were evaluated using laser scanning confocal microscope (Zeiss LSM 510, Zeiss, Oberkochen, Germany). Five levels of scans were used to assess oocyte maturation (MII stage) and apoptosis. Because of incomplete penetration of the TUNEL stain (3–5 layers of cumulus cells), only the outer 2 layers of the cumulus complex were investigated regarding apoptosis. Apoptotic index was calculated as apoptotic cells/total cells visualised. Remaining oocytes were fertilized and cultured in vitro until Day 8. Day 7 and Day 8 blastocyst formation was assessed as well as blastocyst stage and grade. Effect of insulin treatment on variables was analysed by ANOVA following arc sin √p transformation. Post-ANOVA comparisons between H+L group v. Z were performed by using the contrast option under GLM (Scheffé test). Results are presented as least squares means ± s.e. P-values ≤ 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Insulin treatment during oocyte maturation in vitro had no significant effect on oocyte nuclear maturation or apoptotic index of the cumulus cells (Z: 0.052 ± 0.025, L: 0.039 ± 0.016, H: 0.077 ± 0.044, P > 0.05). No effect was seen on cleavage rates (Z: 0.85 ± 0.02, L: 0.85 ± 0.02, H: 0.89 ± 0.03, P > 0.05), but insulin treatment significantly decreased Day 7 rates from fertilized oocytes (Z: 0.19 ± 0.02, L: 0.14 ± 0.02, H: 0.12 ± 0.02, P < 0.05). This study also showed a significantly retarded developmental stage and decreased grade of blastocysts in insulin-treated groups taken together when compared with the control group (P < 0.05). In this study, no effect of insulin supplementation during in vitro maturation was seen on bovine oocyte maturation and apoptosis of cumulus cells, but blastocyst formation and development were negatively affected. Further studies are needed for understanding the relationship between the addition of insulin during maturation in vitro and impaired blastocyst formation. Insulin is a common supplement in the first phase of the first in vitro maturation medium for pig oocytes and is believed to have a beneficial effect on this species.Funding was received from Stiftelsen Nils Lagerlöfs Fond H12–0051-NLA.
Inferring simple but precise quantitative models of human oocyte and early embryo development
