Effects of Follicular Fluid Components on Oocyte Maturation and Embryo Development In vivo and In vitro

Retinoic acid (RA) is an indigenous metabolite and descriptive physiologically functioning constituent of vitamin A. Retinoids were documented as vital regulators for cell development and distinction, embryonic growth, and reproductive function in both male and female livestock. Previously, RA has been shown to have several positive impacts in vivo and in vitro and critically control many reproductive events, such as oocyte development, follicular growth, and early embryonic growth. In addition, RA manages apoptotic signaling and oxidative damages in cells. Recently, RA has been used widely in assisted reproductive technology fields, especially during in vitro embryo development in various mammalian species, including buffaloes, bovine, goats, sheep, pigs, and rabbits. However, the optimum concentration of RA greatly differs based on the condition of maturation media and species. Based on the obtained findings, it was generally accepted that RA enhances nuclear oocyte maturation, cleavage and maturation rates, blastocyst formation, and embryo development. As such, it possesses antioxidant properties against reactive oxygen species (ROS) and an anti-apoptotic effect through enhancing the transcription of some related genes such as superoxide dismutase, prostaglandin synthase, glutathione peroxidase, peroxiredoxins, and heme oxygenase. Therefore, the current review concludes that an addition of RA (up to 50 nM) has the potential to improve the oocyte maturation media of various species of livestock due to its antioxidant activity.

Download Full-text

Maturation of human oocytes in vitro and their developmental competence

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/rep.0.1210051 ◽

2001 ◽

pp. 51-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 221

Author(s):

A Trounson ◽

C Anderiesz ◽

G Jones

Keyword(s):

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Growth Phase ◽

Developmental Competence ◽

Minimum Size ◽

Success Rates ◽

Human Oocytes ◽

Maturation In Vitro

Complete maturation of oocytes is essential for the developmental competence of embryos. Any interventions in the growth phase of the oocyte and the follicle in the ovary will affect oocyte maturation, fertilization and subsequent embryo development. Oocyte size is associated with maturation and embryo development in most species examined and this may indicate that a certain size is necessary to initiate the molecular cascade of normal nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. The minimum size of follicle required for developmental competence in humans is 5-7 mm in diameter. Maturation in vitro can be accomplished in humans, but is associated with a loss of developmental competence unless the oocyte is near completion of its preovulatory growth phase. This loss of developmental competence is associated with the absence of specific proteins in oocytes cultured to metaphase II in vitro. The composition of culture medium used successfully for maturation of human oocytes is surprisingly similar to that originally developed for maturation of oocytes in follicle culture in vitro. The presence of follicle support cells in culture is necessary for the gonadotrophin-mediated response required to mature oocytes in vitro. Gonadotrophin concentration and the sequence of FSH and FSH-LH exposure may be important for human oocytes, particularly those not exposed to the gonadotrophin surge in vivo. More research is needed to describe the molecular and cellular events, the presence of checkpoints and the role of gene expression, translation and protein uptake on completing oocyte maturation in vitro and in vivo. In the meantime, there are very clear applications for maturing oocytes in human reproductive medicine and the success rates achieved in some of these special applications are clinically valuable.

Download Full-text

2 SPECIFIC FATTY ACID FOLLOW-UP REVEALS RUMEN-PROTECTED FAT SUPPLEMENTATION EFFECTS ON BOVINE OOCYTE QUALITY AND EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv26n1ab2 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 26 (1) ◽

pp. 115 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

A. F. González-Serrano ◽

C. R. Ferreira ◽

V. Pirro ◽

J. Heinzmann ◽

K.-G. Hadeler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Fatty Acid ◽

Palmitic Acid ◽

Embryo Development ◽

Follicular Fluid ◽

Oocyte Quality ◽

Lipid Profiles ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Fat Supplementation

Information on how supplementation of high-yield dairy cows with rumen-protected fat affects fertility in cattle herds is scarce. Here, Holstein-Friesian heifers (n = 84) received a supplement consisting of either rumen-protected conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; cis-9,trans-11-CLA and trans-10,cis-12-CLA) or stearic acid 18 : 0 (SA) on top of an isocaloric grass silage diet. Two supplementation doses were used (100 and 200 g d–1). Blood and follicular fluid were collected at the start and end of the supplementation period for analysis of cholesterol, insulin-like growth factor (IGF), and nonesterified fatty acids (NEFA), and for fatty acid profiling. Although cholesterol, IGF, and NEFA levels did not differ among experimental groups, lipid profiles in blood and follicular fluid were affected in a dose-dependent manner by both supplements. After 45 days of supplementation, oocytes were collected by ovum pick-up (OPU). The mRNA relative abundance of target genes (IGF1r, GJA1, FASN, SREBP1, and SCAP) was analysed in single in vitro- (24 h IVM) and in vivo-matured (collected by OPU 20 h after GnRH injection) oocytes and in vitro-produced blastocysts (Day 8) by qPCR (n = 6/group). Lipid profiling of individual oocytes from the CLA-supplemented (n = 37) and the SA-supplemented (n = 50) was performed by desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (DESI-MS). Oocytes from the CLA-supplemented (n = 413) and the SA-supplemented (n = 350) groups were used for assessing maturation and blastocysts development rates. In immature oocytes, CLA supplementation led to an increase of triacylglycerol 52 : 3 [TAG (52 : 3)] and TAG (52 : 2), squalene, palmitic acid 16 : 0, and oleic acid 18 : 1, and decreased abundance of TAG (56 : 3), TAG (50 : 2) and TAG (48 : 1). In vitro-matured oocytes showed different lipid profiles, with increased abundances of TAG (52 : 3), and TAG (52 : 2) as well as phosphatidylinositol 34 : 1 [Plo (34 : 1)], whereas phosphatidylglycerol (34 : 1) [PG (34 : 1)] and palmitic acid 16 : 0 were less abundant in in vitro-matured oocytes. SCAP was significantly down-regulated in in vitro-matured oocytes from supplemented heifers compared with their in vivo-matured counterparts. Maturation (CLA = 74% v. SA = 67%) and blastocyst rates (CLA = 22.4% v. SA = 12.7%) were different among experimental groups. One-way ANOVA and the Tukey-Kramer test were applied for a multiple comparison of means (P-value ≤ 0.05 was considered as statistically significant). In conclusion, we demonstrate here that fatty acid monitoring along different compartments (i.e. blood system, follicular fluid, and intra-oocyte) after rumen-protected fat supplementation of dairy heifer diet reveals nutritional footprints on oocyte quality and embryo development. These results demonstrate the close relationship between nutrition and cattle herd's fertility and, at the same time, support the role of the bovine model for understanding nutritional-dependent fertility impairments.

Download Full-text

Oocyte maturation, fertilization and embryo development in vitro and in vivo in the gaur (Bos gaurus)

Reproduction ◽

10.1530/jrf.0.1000131 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 100 (1) ◽

pp. 131-136 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

L. A. Johnston ◽

J. J. Parrish ◽

R. Monson ◽

L. Leibfried-Rutledge ◽

J. L. Susko-Parrish ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Bos Gaurus ◽

Development In Vitro

Download Full-text

Changes of follicular fluid composition during estrous cycle: The effects on oocyte maturation and embryo development in vitro

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.b-1030 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

A.A. Mohammed ◽

T. Al-Shaheen ◽

S. Al-Suwaiegh

Keyword(s):

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Follicular Fluid ◽

Extracellular Fluid ◽

Cumulus Cells ◽

Fluid Composition ◽

Lh Surge ◽

Antral Follicles ◽

Positive Effects

Oocytes are bathed in extracellular fluid of the antral follicles, which is termed follicular fluid (FF). Follicular fluid is synthesized from secretions of theca, granulosa, and cumulus cells and from a transudate of blood plasma. Oocytes persist in meiotic arrest in antral follicles until luteinizing hormone (LH) surge or removal the oocytes from the ovarian follicles. This suggests that FF before LH surge might contain meiosis inhibiting factor(s). The microvasculatory bed of the follicular wall and the composition of FF undergo changes during follicular growth and development, which is important for oocyte maturation and subsequent embryo development. Therefore, it is expected that FF composition and components might change according to timing of FF aspiration from follicles. Hence, negative or positive effects could be expected when FF supplemented during oocyte maturation in vitro. Nutrition effects on microvasculatory bed of follicles and their sizes. Thus, the nutritional status of animals is a factor affected on oocyte maturation and embryo development. The present article reviews and discusses these effects.

Download Full-text

Effect of butafosfan supplementation during oocyte maturation on bovine embryo development

Zygote ◽

10.1017/s0967199419000327 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 27 (05) ◽

pp. 321-328

Author(s):

Lucas Teixeira Hax ◽

Joao Alveiro Alvarado Rincón ◽

Augusto Schneider ◽

Lígia Margareth Cantarelli Pegoraro ◽

Letícia Franco Collares ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Gene Expression ◽

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Cumulus Cells ◽

Oocyte Quality ◽

Bovine Embryo ◽

Cleavage Rate ◽

Nuclear Maturation

SummaryAround 60–80% of oocytes maturated in vivo reached competence, while the proportion of maturation in vitro is rarely higher than 40%. In this sense, butafosfan has been used in vivo to improve metabolic condition of postpartum cows, and can represent an alternative to increase reproductive efficiency in cows. The aim of this study was to evaluate the addition of increasing doses of butafosfan during oocyte maturation in vitro on the initial embryo development in cattle. In total, 1400 cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were distributed in four groups and maturated according to supplementation with increasing concentrations of butafosfan (0 mg/ml, 0.05 mg/ml, 0.1 mg/ml and 0.2 mg/ml). Then, 20 oocytes per group were collected to evaluate nuclear maturation and gene expression on cumulus cells and oocytes and the remaining oocytes were inseminated and cultured until day 7, when blastocysts were collected for gene expression analysis. A dose-dependent effect of butafosfan was observed, with decrease of cleavage rate and embryo development with higher doses. No difference between groups was observed in maturation rate and expression of genes related to oocyte quality. Our results suggest that butafosfan is prejudicial for oocytes, compromising cleavage and embryo development.

Download Full-text

Versican G1 Fragment Establishes a Strongly Stabilized Interaction with Hyaluronan-Rich Expanding Matrix during Oocyte Maturation

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21072267 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (7) ◽

pp. 2267 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eva Nagyova ◽

Antonietta Salustri ◽

Lucie Nemcova ◽

Sona Scsukova ◽

Jaroslav Kalous ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extracellular Matrix ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Follicular Fluid ◽

Cell Function ◽

Ovarian Follicle ◽

Rt Pcr ◽

Positive Form ◽

And Function

In the mammalian ovary, the hyaluronan (HA)-rich cumulus extracellular matrix (ECM) organized during the gonadotropin-induced process of oocyte maturation is essential for ovulation of the oocyte-cumulus complex (OCC) and fertilization. Versican is an HA-binding proteoglycan that regulates cell function and ECM assembly. Versican cleavage and function remain to be determined in ovarian follicle. We investigated versican expression in porcine ovarian follicles by real-time (RT)-PCR and western blotting. The aims of the present work were to determine whether 1) versican was produced and cleaved by porcine OCCs during gonadotropin stimulation; 2) these processes were autonomous or required the participation of mural granulosa cells (MGCs); and 3) versican cleavage was involved in the formation or degradation of expanded cumulus ECM. We demonstrate two cleavage products of G1 domain of versican (V1) accumulated in the HA-rich cumulus ECM. One of them, a G1-DPEAAE N-terminal fragment (VG1) of ~70 kDa, was generated from V1 during organization of HA in in vivo and in vitro expanded porcine OCCs. Second, the V1-cleaved DPEAAE-positive form of ~65 kDa was the only species detected in MGCs. No versican cleavage products were detected in OCCs cultured without follicular fluid. In summary, porcine OCCs are autonomous in producing and cleaving V1; the cleaved fragment of ~70 kDa VG1 is specific for formation of the expanded cumulus HA-rich ECM.

Download Full-text

Human Adipose-Derived Stem Cells’ Paracrine Factors in Conditioned Medium Can Enhance Porcine Oocyte Maturation and Subsequent Embryo Development

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22020579 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (2) ◽

pp. 579

Author(s):

Seok Hee Lee

Keyword(s):

Stem Cells ◽

Conditioned Medium ◽

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Oocyte Development ◽

Adipose Derived Stem Cells ◽

Paracrine Factors ◽

Porcine Oocyte

An essential requirement for the success of in vitro maturation (IVM) of the oocyte is to provide an optimal microenvironment similar to in vivo conditions. Recently, somatic cell-based coculture or supplementation of a conditioned medium during IVM has been performed to obtain better quality of oocytes, because they mimic the in vivo reproductive tract by secreting paracrine factors. In this study, human adipose-derived stem cells (ASC) and their conditioned medium (ASC-CM) were applied to IVM of porcine oocytes to evaluate the effectiveness of ASC on oocyte development and subsequent embryo development. In results, both ASC and ASC-CM positively influence on oocyte maturation and embryo development by regulating growth factor receptors (VEGF, FGFR, and IGFR), apoptosis (BCL2), cumulus expansion (PTGS2, HAS2, and TNFAIP6), and oocyte maturation-related genes (GDF9 and BMP15). In particular, the fluorescence intensity of GDF9 and BMP15 was markedly upregulated in the oocytes from the ASC-CM group. Furthermore, significantly high levels of growth factors/cytokine including VEGF, bFGF, IGF-1, IL-10, and EGF were observed in ASC-CM. Additionally, the ASC-CM showed active scavenging activity by reducing the ROS production in a culture medium. Consequently, for the first time, this study demonstrated the effect of human ASC-CM on porcine oocyte development and the alteration of mRNA transcript levels in cumulus–oocyte complexes.

Download Full-text

191 SUPPLEMENTATION OF MATURATION MEDIUM WITH FOLLICULAR FLUID, EPIDERMAL GROWTH FACTOR AND NEUREGULIN AFFECTS MITOCHONDRIAL DNA REPLICATION, OOCYTE MATURATION AND EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT IN PIGS

Reproduction Fertility and Development ◽

10.1071/rdv24n1ab191 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

pp. 208

Author(s):

J. Mao ◽

K. M. Whitworth ◽

L. D. Spate ◽

E. M. Walters ◽

J. Zhao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Factor ◽

Embryo Development ◽

Oocyte Maturation ◽

Follicular Fluid ◽

Copy Number ◽

In Vitro Maturation ◽

Meiotic Maturation ◽

Mtdna Copy Number ◽

Maturation Medium

Mitochondria supply the majority of ATP in a cell. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number in oocytes might be used as a marker of viability and might be a key determinant of pre-implantation embryo development. However, little is known about mtDNA copy number changes during porcine oocyte maturation and its regulation by extracellular growth factors. The objectives of the current study were to determine the effects of supplementation of in vitro maturation medium with porcine follicular fluid (pFF; 0, 10, 20 and 30%), epidermal growth factor (EGF; 10 ng mL–1), neuregulin 1 (NRG; 20 ng mL–1) and NRG + IGF1 (insulin-like growth factor-1; 100 ng mL–1 + NRG, 20 ng mL–1) during in vitro maturation on mtDNA copy number, oocyte meiotic maturation and subsequent embryo development after parthenogenic activation. Follicular fluid used for the pFF supplementation experiment was prepared from medium-sized (3–6 mm in diameter) healthy follicles. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from antral follicles (3–6 mm in diameter), cultured in LH- and FSH-containing maturation medium for 22 h at 38.5°C, transferred into basic maturation medium without FSH and LH and cultured for another 22 h. The basic maturation medium was TCM-199 supplemented with 0.1% polyvinylalcohol (w/v), 3.05 mM D-glucose, 0.91 mM sodium pyruvate, 10 μg mL–1 of gentamicin, 0.57 mM cysteine and without or with different growth factors depending on the experimental design. In total, 177 germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes and 3837 MII oocytes were used for this study. All data were analyzed by the general linear model (GLM) procedure of SAS software (V9.2). The mtDNA copy number in oocytes increased (P < 0.05) from GV to MII stage oocytes (MII oocytes from all treatment groups pooled). Supplementation of IVM media with 10% pFF decreased mtDNA copy number (P < 0.05), whereas 20 and 30% pFF had no major effect on mtDNA copy number, resulting in a quadratic correlation between percentage of pFF and mtDNA copy number. There was a negative linear correlation between percentage of pFF and oocyte meiotic maturation, with a higher percentage of pFF inhibiting meiotic maturation (73.2 ± 5.2, 71.9 ± 4.8, 64.1 ± 8.5 and 65.8 ± 6.4% for 0, 10, 20 and 30% pFF groups, respectively). The mtDNA copy numbers in EGF and NRG-treated MII oocytes were significantly higher than those in GV oocytes, whereas the control was not different (EGF, 237 042.6 ± 22 198.2; NRG, 281 293.4 ± 22 893.5; and control, 231 856.8 ± 21 883.5 in MII oocytes vs 192 288.7 ± 21 675.4 in GV oocytes). The EGF, NRG and NRG+IGF1 treatments enhanced oocyte maturation as well. There was no difference in Day-7 blastocyst formation between EGF, NRG+IGF1 and the control, whereas the NRG treatment enhanced blastocyst formation as compared to the control (23.8 ± 2.4 vs 15.1 ± 2.1%; P < 0.05). This study demonstrated that there was an increase in mtDNA copy number during in vitro maturation. The EGF and NRG treatments stimulated mitochondria biogenesis, which may provide new means to increase oocyte quality and enhance embryonic development.

Download Full-text