scholarly journals Embryonic disc formation following post-hatching bovine embryo development in vitro

Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 160 (4) ◽  
pp. 579-589 ◽  
Author(s):  
Priscila Ramos-Ibeas ◽  
Ismael Lamas-Toranzo ◽  
Álvaro Martínez-Moro ◽  
Celia de Frutos ◽  
Alejandra C Quiroga ◽  
...  

Failures during conceptus elongation are a major cause of pregnancy losses in ungulates, exerting a relevant economic impact on farming. The developmental events occurring during this period are poorly understood, mainly because this process cannot be recapitulated in vitro. Previous studies have established an in vitro post-hatching development (PHD) system that supports bovine embryo development beyond the blastocyst stage, based on agarose gel tunnels and serum- and glucose-enriched medium. Unfortunately, under this system embryonic disc formation is not achieved and embryos show notorious signs of apoptosis and necrosis. The objective of this study has been to develop an in vitro system able to support embryonic disc formation. We first compared post-hatching development inside agarose tunnels or free-floating over an agarose-coated dish in serum- and glucose-enriched medium (PHD medium). Culture inside agarose tunnels shaped embryo morphology by physical constriction, but it restricted embryo growth and did not provide any significant advantage in terms of development of hypoblast and epiblast lineages. In contrast to PHD medium, a chemically defined and enriched medium (N2B27) supported complete hypoblast migration and epiblast survival in vitro, even in the absence of agarose coating. Cells expressing the pluripotency marker SOX2 were observed in ~56% of the embryos and ~25% developed embryonic disc-like structures formed by SOX2+ cells. In summary, here we provide a culture system that supports trophectoderm proliferation, hypoblast migration and epiblast survival after the blastocyst stage.

2018 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 779 ◽  
Author(s):  
N.-Y. Rho ◽  
F. A. Ashkar ◽  
T. Revay ◽  
P. Madan ◽  
G.-J. Rho ◽  
...  

Thyroid hormone receptor (THR) α and THRβ mediate the genomic action of thyroid hormones (THs) that affect bovine embryo development. However, little is known about THRs in the preimplantation embryo. The aim of the present study was to investigate the importance of THRs in in vitro preimplantation bovine embryos. THR transcripts and protein levels were detected in developing preimplantation embryos up to the blastocyst stage. Embryonic transcription of THRs was inhibited by α-amanitin supplementation, and both maternal and embryonic transcription were knocked down by short interference (si) RNA microinjection. In the control group, mRNA and protein levels of THRs increased after fertilisation. In contrast, in both the transcription inhibition and knockdown groups there were significant (P < 0.05) decreases in mRNA expression of THRs from the 2-cell stage onwards. However, protein levels of THRs were not altered at 2-cell stage, although they did exhibit a significant (P < 0.05) decrease from the 4-cell stage. Moreover, inhibition of de novo transcripts of THRs using siRNA led to a significant (P < 0.01) decrease in the developmental rate and cell number, as well as inducing a change in embryo morphology. In conclusion, THRs are transcribed soon after fertilisation, before major activation of the embryonic genome, and they are essential for bovine embryo development in vitro.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 224 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Poleszczuk ◽  
K. Papis ◽  
E. Wenta-Muchalska

Many different systems of free radical scavengers have been investigated during the last few years for in vitro culture of mammalian embryos. Melatonin is a potent reactive oxygen species scavenger and has been tested in the promotion of mouse embryo development in vitro (Ishizuka et al. 2000 J. Pin. Res. 28, 48–51). An effect of melatonin on bovine embryo development in vitro is described here. Slaughterhouse-derived oocytes were subjected to standard in vitro maturation and fertilization procedures. Presumptive zygotes randomly allocated to experimental groups were cultured for 3 days (Day 1–Day 3) in CR1aaLA medium (Papis et al. 2000 Theriogenology 54, 651–658) supplemented with two different concentrations of melatonin (10−6 M or 10−4 M; Sigma, St. Louis, MO, USA) or without melatonin (control). Culture was performed under two different gas atmospheres containing 4% CO2 and either normal (7%) or enhanced (20%) oxygen concentration (2 × 3 factorial analysis). At the end of Day 3, embryos from each treatment group, developed to at least the 4-cell stage, were collected and cultured without melatonin until Day 10 at optimum 4% CO2 and 7% O2 atmosphere. The numbers of blastocysts at Day 8 and hatching/hatched blastocysts at Day 10 were recorded. Five replicates of each treatment were performed. Blastocyst formation rates of presumptive zygotes and of Day 3, 4-cell embryos were calculated for each group. Differences between groups were analyzed using chi-square and/or Fisher's exact tests where appropriate. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Out of 100, 100, and 101 presumptive zygotes cultured for the first 3 days in 7% oxygen with 10−4 M, 10−6 M, or no melatonin, 31 (31%), 40 (40%), and 44 (43.5%) developed to blastocyst stage and 25 (25%), 33 (33%), and 36 (36%) to hatching/hatched blastocyst stage, respectively. On the other hand, out of 102, 102, and 100 zygotes cultured in the same concentrations of melatonin, but under 20% of oxygen, an opposite tendency was observed, as 42 (41%), 25 (24.5%), and 32 (32%) blastocysts and 26 (25.5%), 21 (20.6%), and 25 (25%) hatching/hatched blastocysts developed, respectively. No statistical significance was reached here. However, out of 4-cell embryos put into in vitro culture after initial treatments in different melatonin concentrations, a decreased ratio of blastocyst formation was observed in the 10−4 M melatonin group (31/65, 47.7%) compared to that of the control (44/65, 67.7%; P = 0.0327) when the lower oxygen concentration was applied. However, a beneficial effect of melatonin was observed in the presence of 20% oxygen. Out of 61 embryos, 42 (68.9%) developed to the blastocyst stage after treatment in 10−4 M melatonin concentrations, vs. 32/63 (50.8%; P = 0.0458) blastocysts developed in control group. In conclusion, a beneficial or a harmful effect of melatonin on bovine embryo in vitro development was observed depending on the oxygen concentration during the treatment. Results presented seem to confirm a potent free radicals scavenging activity of melatonin in a bovine embryo culture system.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 748
Author(s):  
Joanna Kochan ◽  
Agnieszka Nowak ◽  
Barbara Kij ◽  
Sylwia Prochowska ◽  
Wojciech Niżański

The aim of this study was to analyze the morphokinetic parameters of feline embryos using a time lapse system. Oocytes matured in vitro were fertilized (IVF) and in vitro cultured in a time lapse-system (Primo Vision®, Gothenburg, Sweden). The first cell division of embryos occurred between 17 h post insemination (hpi) and 38 hpi, with the highest proportion of embryos (46%) cleaving between 21 and 24 hpi. The timing of the first cleavage significantly affected further embryo development, with the highest development occurring in embryos that cleaved at 21–22 hpi. Embryos that cleaved very early (17–18 hpi) developed poorly to the blastocyst stage (2%) and none of the embryos that cleaved later than 27 hpi were able to reach the blastocyst stage. Morphological defects were observed in 48% of the embryos. There were no statistically significant differences between the timing intervals of the first cleavage division and the frequency of morphological defects in embryos. Multiple (MUL) morphological defects were detected in more than half (56%) of the abnormal embryos. The most frequent single morphological defects were cytoplasmic fragmentation (FR) (8%) and blastomere asymmetry (AS) (6%). Direct cleavage (DC) from 1–3 or 3–5 blastomeres, reverse cleavage (RC) and vacuoles were rarely observed (2–3%). The timing of blastocyst cavity formation is a very good indicator of embryo quality. In our study, blastocyst cavity formation occurred between 127–167 hpi, with the highest frequency of hatching observed in blastocysts that cavitated between 142–150 hpi. Blastocysts in which cavitation began after 161 h did not hatch. In conclusion, the timing of the first and second cleavage divisions, the timing of blastocyst cavity formation and morphological anomalies can all be used as early and non-invasive indicators of cat embryo development in vitro.


2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 219 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.E. Ferguson ◽  
T.R. Davidson ◽  
M.R.B. Mello ◽  
A.S. Lima ◽  
D.J. Kesler ◽  
...  

There has been much debate over a direct role for progesterone (P4) in early bovine embryo development. While previous attempts to supplement bovine embryos in vitro with P4 produced results that vary and are often contradictory, this may be a response of administering P4 at inappropriate times. Therefore, the objective of these experiments was to determine if P4 could exert a direct effect on developing IVF-derived bovine embryos when administered at an appropriate time of embryo development. In Exp. I, IVF-derived bovine 8-cell embryos were randomly allotted to treatments: (1) control, CR1aa medium (n = 168); (2) vehicle, CR1aa + ETOH (0.01%) (n = 170); and (3) P4, CR1aa + ETOH + P4 (20 ng/mL in 50-μL droplet) (n = 173). In Exp. II, IVF-derived bovine 8-cell embryos were randomly allotted to treatments: (1) control, CR1aa medium (n = 160); (2) vehicle, CR1aa + DMSO (0.01%) (n = 180); and (3) P4, CR1aa + DMSO (0.01%) + P4 (20 ng/mL in 50-μL droplet) (n = 170). All embryos were evaluated on Days 6 to 9 post-insemination and rates calculated from 8-cell embryos. In Exp. I, ETOH tended to have a detrimental effect with significantly fewer (P < 0.05) embryos (53%) developing to the blastocyst stage on Day 7 compared with the control (62%) and P4 (71%) groups. At Day 7, significantly more embryos cultured in P4 (71%) developed to the blastocyst stage compared with the control group (62%). P4 treatment significantly increased the number of Grade 1 blastocysts (25%) on Day 7 compared with vehicle (15%) and control (17%) groups. At the end of culture, there were also significantly more Day 9 hatched blastocysts in the P4 group (33%) compared with vehicle (22%) and control (21%) groups. Supplementing P4 in the culture medium increased the rate of development, resulting in significantly more blastocysts (8%) on Day 6 and hatched blastocysts (21%) on Day 8 compared with vehicle (3% and 12%) and control (0% and 8%) groups, respectively. In Exp. II, there were no significant differences between treatment groups for Day 7 blastocysts (control 54%, DMSO 61%, P4 57%) and Day 9 hatched blastocysts (control 46%, DMSO 51%, P4 46%). However, there were significantly more Grade 1 blastocysts in the P4 group (22% and 36%) on Days 6 and 8 compared with vehicle (11% and 23%) and control (13% and 23%) groups, respectively. The lack of improvement in Day 7 blastocysts and Day 9 hatched blastocysts rates leads to further uncertainty in understanding the P4 vehicle interactions. In conclusion, the results of these two experiments indicate that P4 can exert a direct effect on the developing IVF-derived bovine embryo; however, due to P4 vehicle interactions; other inert vehicles need to be explored to further evaluate the direct effects of P4 on the developing bovine embryo.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 126 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Feltrin ◽  
F. Forell ◽  
L. dos Santos ◽  
J. L. Rodrigues

The effect of the microenvironment on embryo development during in vitro culture of zona-free embryos after nuclear transfer is still unclear. The aim of this experiment was to determine the effect of the dimensions of the well (WOW; Vajta et al. 2000 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 55, 256-264) culture system on the in vitro development of handmade cloned bovine embryos to the blastocyst stage. Appropriately ground steel needles were pressed slightly by hand to the bottom of the well of a polystyrene four-well dish (176740, Nunc, Life Technologies AS, Roskilde, Denmark). Embryos were produced by the handmade cloning (HMC) technique (Vajta et al. 2003 Biol. Reprod. 68, 571-578) with modifications, using primary cultures of skin fibroblast cells from an adult cow as nuclear donors. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were in vitro-matured in M-199 supplemented with 10% estrous cow serum (ECS), FSH, hCG, and estradiol (E2) for 17 h. After maturation, cumulus cells were removed by pipetting. Following zona pellucida removal in 0.5% protease (Sigma, Brazil), zona-free oocytes were incubated for 15 min in 5 mg/mL cytochalasin B (Sigma) and subsequently hand-bisected and screened for nuclear material under UV light after incubation in 10 mg/mL bisbenzimide (Hoechst 33342). Next, two enucleated halves and one donor cell were aggregated after a quick exposure to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and subsequently fused by two electrical DC pulses of 1 kV/cm for 20 �s, in a BTX 453 chamber coupled to an ECM 2001 Electro Cell Manipulator System (BTX, Inc., San Diego, CA, USA), with additional exposure to brief pre- and post-fusion AC pulses of 15 V. Reconstructed embryos were chemically activated in 5 mM ionomycin (Sigma) for 5 min, followed by 2 mM 6-DMAP (Sigma) for 2.5 h. Finally, activated reconstructed cloned embryos were in vitro-cultured in one of two WOW culture systems (larger vs. smaller micro-wells) in 4-well plates containing 400 mL modified SOF medium supplemented with 10% ECS, under mineral oil, at 5% CO2, 5% O2 and 90% N2, and 39�C for 7 days. In Group 1 (large-size micro-well), embryos were cultured in individual cylindrical micro-wells with an inner diameter and depth of approximately 280 and 250 mm, respectively, whereas in Group 2 (small size micro-well), embryos were cultured in individual conical micro-wells with approximately 130 mm inner diameter and 150 mm depth. Data analysis was performed by the chi-square test. After four replicates, cleavage rates were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in Group 2 (51/63, 80.9%) than in Group 1 (43/67, 64.1%). Embryo development to the blastocyst stage was also greater (P < 0.05) in the small micro-wells (16/63, 25.3%) than in the large ones (8/67, 11.9%). In summary, these results show a significant increase in cleavage and blastocyst developmental rates in handmade cloned embryos cultured in a modified WOW system using individual small size micro-wells, suggesting that a small, tighter micro-well provides favorable in vitro conditions for embryo development.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 177
Author(s):  
P. Bermejo-Álvarez ◽  
A. Gutiérrez-Adán ◽  
P. Lonergan ◽  
D. Rizos

The faster-developing blastocysts in IVC systems are generally considered more viable and better able to survive following cryopreservation or embryo transfer than those that develop more slowly. However, evidence from several species indicates that embryos that reach the blastocyst stage earliest are more likely to be males than females. The aim of this study was to determine whether the duration of maturation could affect early embryo development and, furthermore, the sex ratio of early- or late-cleaved embryos and blastocysts. Cumulus–oocyte complexes were matured in vitro for 16 h (n = 2198) or 24 h (n = 2204). Following IVF, presumptive zygotes from each group were examined every 4 h between 24 and 48 h postinsemination (hpi) for cleavage, and all embryos were cultured to Day 8 in synthetic oviduct fluid to assess blastocyst development. Two-cell embryos at each time point and blastocysts on Days 6, 7, and 8 from both groups were snap-frozen individually for sexing. Sexing was performed with a single PCR using a specific primer BRY. There was a significantly lower number of cleaved embryos from the 16-h compared with the 24-h maturation group at 28 (10.0 � 1.51 v. 28.8 � 3.57%), 32 (35.3 � 1.48 v. 57.6 � 3.33%), 36 (54.8 � 1.76 v. 67.4 � 2.81%), 40 (63.3 � 1.82 v. 72.0 � 2.54%), and 48 (70.6 � 1.78 v. 77.1 � 2.18%) hpi, respectively (mean � SEM; P d 0.05). However, the blastocyst yields on Day 6 (17.1 � 3.11 v. 16.4 � 2.11%), 7 (30.6 � 4.10 v. 34.6 � 3.51%), or 8 (34.1 � 3.90 v. 39.4 � 4.26%) were similar for both groups (mean � SEM; 16 v. 24 h, respectively). Significantly more 2-cell early cleaved embryos (up to 32 hpi) were male compared with the expected 1:1 ratio from both groups (16 h: 1.24:0.76 v. 24 h: 1.17:0.83, P ≤ 0.05); however, the overall sex ratio among 2-cell embryos was significantly different from the expected 1:1 in favor of males only for the 16-h group (1.18:0.82, P ≤ 0.05). The sex ratio of blastocysts on Day 6, 7, or 8 from both groups was not different from the expected 1:1. However, the total number of male blastocysts obtained after 8 days of culture from the 24-h group was significantly different from the expected 1:1 (1.19:0.81, P ≤ 0.05) and approached significance in the 16-h group. These results show that the maturational stage of the oocyte at the time of fertilization has an effect on the kinetics of early cleavage divisions but not on blastocyst yield. Furthermore, irrespective of the duration of maturation, the sex ratio of early-cleaving 2-cell embryos was weighted in favor of males, and this observation was maintained at the blastocyst stage.


1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (5) ◽  
pp. 835 ◽  
Author(s):  
T Pinyopummintr ◽  
BD Bavister

Effects of amino acids on early bovine embryo development in vitro were examined using a chemically-defined, protein-free culture medium. Bovine embryos produced in vitro were cultured from 18 h to 72 h post insemination in a simple medium containing lactate as the only energy source except for the amino acid treatments. Subsequently, embryos were transferred to TCM-199 supplemented with serum for blastocyst development to substantiate their developmental competence. Treatments were: (1) non-essential amino acids from TCM-199 (NEA); (2) essential amino acids from TCM-199 (EA); (3) NEA+EA; (4) Eagle's minimum essential medium amino acids (MEM AA); (5) 11 amino acids present in HECM-6 (11 AA); and (6) 0.2 mM glutamine (GLN). A higher proportion of embryos (percentage of inseminated ova) cleaved to the > or = 8-cell stage by 72 h post insemination in NEA (56.7%), EA (41.2%), 11 AA (40.3%) and GLN (51.1%) than in either NEA+EA (30.0%) or MEM AA (33.1%). However, after transfer to complex medium, embryos that had developed in EA, as well as those in MEM AA or NEA+EA, produced significantly fewer blastocysts (37.1%, 34.4% and 25.6% respectively) than those in NEA (56.7%), GLN (48.9%) or 11 AA (37.7%). The ability of blastocysts to hatch from their zonae pellucidae was also affected by amino acid treatment during cleavage stages. The present study indicated that the addition of NEA or GLN or 11 AA to a chemically-defined culture medium during the cleavage phase of bovine embryo development increases their subsequent ability to reach the blastocyst stage. These data have implications for understanding the nutritional needs of bovine embryos produced in vitro and for optimizing the composition of culture media to support their development.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 119
Author(s):  
S. Arat ◽  
H. Bagis ◽  
A. Tas ◽  
T. Akkoc

The activation of oocytes is one of the most important steps for a successful cloning and has great importance on embryo development in vitro. The objective of this study was to examine the different parameters affecting parthenogenetic embryo development in vitro. In the first experiment, two activation protocols were compared to examine the effect of electrical pulse on activation. Bovine oocytes isolated from slaughterhouse ovaries were matured in TCM-199 supplemented with fetal bovine serum (FBS), sodium pyruvate, penicillin/streptomycin, rat insulin-like growth factor (rIGF-1), bovine follicle-stimulating hormone (bFSH), and bovine luteinizing hormone (bLH). A group of oocytes was exposed to a DC pulse of 133 V/500 �m for 25 �s, and then activated by calcium ionophore (5 �M) for 10 min, cytochalasin D (CD) (2.5 �g/mL) + cycloheximide (CHX, 10 �g/mL) for 1 h, and CHX alone for 5 h (Group 1). Another group of oocytes was activated only by chemicals without electrical pulse. Activated oocytes were cultured for 72 h in G1-3 and then 4-6 days in G2-3 medium. In the second experiment, oocytes activated by electrical pulse and chemicals were cultured in Barc medium for 7-9 days or 72 h in G1-3 and then 4-6 days in G2-3 medium. In the third experiment, oocytes activated by electrical pulse and chemicals were cultured for 48 h or 72 h in G1-3 and then 5-7 days or 4-6 days in G2-3 medium. The differences among groups were analyzed by one-way ANOVA after arcsin square transformation. In the first experiment, cleavage rate (75.6%), development rate (37.3%), and blastocyst cell number (78.4 � 3.2) of oocytes activated by electrical pulse was higher than for the group without electrical pulse (28.7%, 8.0%, 59.5 � 4.3, respectively; P < 0.05). This result showed that activation was started more effectively by electrical pulse than by chemicals. In the second experiment, there was no significant difference on cleavage rate between the two groups (66.6%, 65.0%, respectively), and the blastocyst development rate of parthenogenetic embryos cultured in G1-3/G2-3 (36.6%) was higher than in the Barc medium group (16.6%; P < 0.05). This result showed that G1-3/G2-3 medium was more effective for parthenogenetic embryo development than Barc medium. In the third experiment, although significant differences could not be found between the two groups in the development rate of parthenogenetic embryos cultured for a total of 7-9 days (30.8%, 39.2%, respectively), the development rate of embryos cultured for 72 h in G1-3 was higher (26.4%) than for the 48-h group (15%; P < 0.05) on Day 7. This result showed that embryos developed more slowly when cultured for a shorter time in G1-3 medium before transfer to G2-3 medium. This study was supported by a grant from TUBITAK, Turkey (VHAG-1022).


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