222 EFFECT OF THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF PERCOLL CENTRIFUGATION; PENICILLAMINE, HYPOTAURINE, AND EPINEPHRINE; AND HEPARIN ON IN VITRO PRODUCTION OF BOVINE EMBRYOS

Protocols for the production of bovine embryos in vitro routinely include Percoll centrifugation of semen, usually include heparin, and often include penicillamine, hypotaurine, and epinephrine (PHE) in the fertilization media. This study examined the contribution of each of these components to the success of in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes and subsequent blastocyst development. Bovine oocytes were aspirated from 2- to 10-mm follicles within 5 h after slaughter of cattle at a local abattoir. Groups of 30 to 40 cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) were matured in 0.5 mL of TCM-199 with 10% FCS, 4 µg mL–1 of FSH, and 6 µg mL–1 of LH (NOBL Laboratories, Sioux Center, IA, USA) for 24 h (39°C, 4% CO2 in air). The COC were then washed and placed in 0.5 mL of modified Tyrode-lactate medium for IVF with various combinations of 2 µg mL–1 of heparin, 20 µM penicillamine, 10 µM hypotaurine, and 1 µM epinephrine. Each group of COC was inseminated with 0.25 × 106 frozen–thawed sperm from a single bull after 30 min of centrifugation with (Exp. 1) or without (Exp. 2) a 45/90% Percoll gradient with sperm TALP. Oocytes were vortexed to remove the cumulus after 18 h and placed in co-culture wells containing a monolayer of buffalo rat liver cells and 0.5 mL of Menezo’s B2 medium supplemented with 10% FCS. On the fourth day of in vitro culture, cleavage was defined as 2 cells or greater and embryos were transferred to fresh co-culture wells. There were 4 replicates in the first experiment and 6 in the second. Data were analysed by ANOVA. In the first experiment, the use of a Percoll gradient during centrifugation for separation of viable sperm from seminal plasma and cryprotectants resulted in significantly higher cleavage and Day 8 blastocyst rates than did the absence of Percoll when PHE and heparin were used together, and both cleavage and blastocyst rates were lower when only PHE or heparin was used separately compared with when both were used together (Table 1). The absence of Percoll, PHE, and heparin resulted in the lowest rates of cleavage and development. In the second experiment, the absence of either PHE or heparin resulted in lower cleavage rates, but not blastocyst rates, compared with the use of both, and the absence of both resulted in the lowest cleavage and blastocyst rates in spite of the use of Percoll. Table 1.Effects of Percoll; penicillamine, hypotaurine, and epinephrine (PHE); and heparin on cleavage and subsequent embryo development per oocyte

Gastric estrogen directly induces ghrelin expression and production in the rat stomach

Ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for the GH secretagogue receptor, is predominantly produced in the stomach. Little is known about the regulation mechanism of gastric ghrelin. Here, we report that estrogen synthesized in the stomach induces rat gastric ghrelin gene expression and production. We established a gastric ghrelin cell enrichment method using Percoll centrifugation and then studied the effect of estrogen and/or its antagonist on ghrelin expression and production. Treatment with estrogen for 8 h significantly increased the level of ghrelin expression, and ICI-182 780, an estrogen receptor (ER) antagonist, completely reversed this effect. Reverse transcriptase-PCR analysis clearly showed that ERα and aromatase are expressed in the female rat stomach. Moreover, treatment with an aromatase inhibitor, 4-hydro-xyandrostenedione (formestane), significantly decreased the level of ghrelin mRNA expression in minced stomach tissue. In vivo studies revealed that the ghrelin mRNA expression and production did not change in gonadectomized rat 3 weeks after surgery. These results strongly suggest that estrogen produced in the stomach directly induces ghrelin expression and production in both female and male rat stomachs.

Functional capacity and fertilizing longevity of frozen-thawed scimitar-horned oryx (Oryx dammah) spermatozoa in a heterologous in vitro fertilization system

This study was conducted to determine if cryopreservation and thawing reduces the quality of scimitar-horned oryx spermatozoa and thus might be responsible for sub-optimal artificial insemination (AI) efficiency. Functional capacity of frozen–thawed oryx spermatozoa was compared in a heterologous bovine in vitro fertilization (IVF) system after being prepared by four methods. Fertilizing longevity was also assessed after thawing and pre-incubating spermatozoa for 12 or 24 h before IVF. Sperm characteristics (viability, morphology, acrosomal and capacitation status) were superior for samples prepared by Percoll centrifugation and standard swim-up compared with microdrop swim-up and wash methods. Regardless of variation in sperm characteristics over time, fertilization success and embryo development were high and did not differ among treatments. Fertilization and cleavage success for spermatozoa pre-incubated for 12 h before IVF were comparable with that achieved with non-incubated spermatozoa. Even 24 h after thawing, spermatozoa were capable of fertilizing oocytes, but percentage fertilization and embryo cleavage were significantly lower than for spermatozoa pre-incubated for 12 h. Overall, functional capacity of oryx spermatozoa after thawing appears comparable with that of domestic bull spermatozoa. When used for AI, frozen—thawed oryx spermatozoa should be capable of fertilizing oocytes in females ovulating 12 or even 24 h after insemination, providing sperm transport mechanisms are adequate. The functional capacity and fertilizing longevity of oryx sperm after thawing is high, and therefore unlikely to be responsible for decreased AI efficiency in the scimitar-horned oryx.

Effect of culture, incubation and acrosome reaction of fresh and frozen-thawed ram spermatozoa for in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection

This study evaluated different sperm treatments for fertilization of sheep oocytes by intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and in vitrofertilization (IVF). In Experiment 1, fresh and frozen semen was separated by Percoll centrifugation and incubated at 30°C or 39°C in HSOF or BSOF medium for 1 h before use for IVF or ICSI. For IVF, oocytes were inseminated and incubated with sperm for 30 min, 4 h and 19 h. Sperm were assessed for acrosome integrity after Percoll centrifugation and 1 h incubation, and those used for IVF were assessed after each period of exposure to the oocytes. Fertilization rates after ICSI were higher for fresh than for frozen-thawed sperm and were highest 19 h after IVF with fresh or frozen-thawed sperm in the presence of HSOF at 30°C. In Experiment 2, fresh semen was separated by Percoll centrifugation and incubated for 5 h in HSOF, and the acrosome reaction was induced with lysophosphatidylcholine. Acrosome integrity was then assessed. Fertilization rates after ICSI were similar for acrosome-reacted and control spermatozoa. These results suggest that induction of the acrosome reaction in spermatozoa before ICSI is unnecessary, whereas a capacitating treatment of spermatozoa is required before IVF.