Effects of medium composition on murine and human blastocyst formation and hatching rate

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 192-196 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terry T. Olar ◽  
Adele S. Potts
2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 242 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. G. Souza-Fabjan ◽  
E. Corbin ◽  
Y. Locatelli ◽  
N. Duffard ◽  
C. Perreau ◽  
...  

A grade classification (I, II, and III) based on the number of cumulus layers and oocyte morphology is currently used by many laboratories. Oocytes found denuded at collection (grade III) are considered not suitable and routinely discarded. Thus, if a particular strategy could be applied to their use in labour-intensive processes, such as ovum pickup, it would be a benefit. This experiment was performed to examine the effect of IVM medium composition to produce goat embryos in vitro using oocytes already found denuded at collection (DOC). In total, 411 DOC and 141 intact COC (control treatment) obtained by slaughterhouse ovaries were analysed in 4 replicates. The maturation medium consisted in TCM199 supplemented either with (1) 10 ng mL–1 of EGF and 100 µM cysteamine (simplified); (2) 10 ng mL–1 of EGF, 5 IU mL–1 of hCG, 10 IU mL–1 of eCG, 19 ng mL–1 of IGF-1, 2.2 ng mL–1 of FGF, 5 µg mL–1 of ITS, 90 µg mL–1 of l-cystein, 0.1 mM β-mercaptoethanol, 75 µg mL–1 of vitamin C, 720 µg mL–1 of glycine, 0.1 mg mL–1 of glutamine, and 110 µg mL–1 of pyruvate (semidefined); or (3) 10% fetal calf serum (FCS), 100 µM cysteamine, and 50 ng mL–1 of oFSH (complex). Both DOC and COC were subjected to IVM, IVF, and IVD as previously described (Souza-Fabjan et al. 2014, Theriogenology 81, 1021–31). The COC were matured only in simplified medium. On Day 8, all expanded blastocysts were fixed and stained with Hoechst for cell counting. Statistical analysis was performed using all tests with a significant interval of 95%. All variables were compared among treatments using ANOVA and SNK test. The results are described as mean per replicate ± s.e.m. No significant differences were found in simplified, semidefined, or complex medium, respectively, in cleavage rate (52 ± 7.5, 60 ± 9.4, or 51 ± 15.0%), blastocyst from cleaved (36 ± 3.9, 39 ± 9.3, or 41 ± 4.8%), blastocyst from initial DOC (19 ± 5.0, 23 ± 8.1, or 21 ± 3.3%), hatching rate (55 ± 22.9, 55 ± 15.9, or 52 ± 14.8%), or total blastomeres number (184 ± 12.6, 179 ± 12.4, or 190 ± 13.8). The control COC showed no significant differences to any DOC treatment on cleavage (77 ± 3.4%) and blastocyst from cleaved (60 ± 2.2%). However, the blastocyst rate from initial COC was higher (46 ± 0.5%; P < 0.05) than all DOC treatments. Even though the blastocyst yield was lower than COC (~21 v. 46%), it is reasonable to affirm that it is possible to produce embryos from oocytes that would not be utilised, which may represent additional number of embryos. The blastocyst cell numbers in COC (192 ± 13.7) were similar (P > 0.05) to DOC, indicating that the goat embryos produced were of good quality. In conclusion, the inclusion of more complex substances in IVM media did not increase the development rate of DOC and, therefore, more simple IVM media could be used for this purpose. Finally, the goat embryos produced had satisfactorily number of blastomeres, demonstrating that the in vitro development step is able to generate good quality embryos from grade III oocytes. Therefore, some oocytes that in general would be discarded will develop to blastocysts and may represent benefits, especially after ovum pick-up from genetically valuable goats.


2007 ◽  
Vol 88 ◽  
pp. S138-S139
Author(s):  
M.R. Thomas ◽  
C.S. Sipe ◽  
A.E. Sparks ◽  
A. Dokras ◽  
G.L. Ryan ◽  
...  

2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis B. Ferré ◽  
Yanina Bogliotti ◽  
James L. Chitwood ◽  
Cristóbal Fresno ◽  
Hugo H. Ortega ◽  
...  

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of sperm motility enhancers and different IVF times on cleavage, polyspermy, blastocyst formation, embryo quality and hatching ability. In Experiment 1, sex-sorted X chromosome-bearing Bos taurus spermatozoa were incubated for 30 min before 18 h fertilisation with hyperactivating factors, namely 10 mM caffeine (CA), 5 mM theophylline (TH), 10 mM caffeine and 5 mM theophylline (CA + TH); and untreated spermatozoa (control). In Experiment 2, matured B. taurus oocytes were fertilised using a short (8 h) or standard (18 h) fertilisation length, comparing two different fertilisation media, namely synthetic oviducal fluid (SOF) fertilisation medium (SOF-FERT) and M199 fertilisation medium (M199-FERT). Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were significantly higher in the CA + TH group (77% and 27%, respectively) compared with the control group (71% and 21%, respectively). Cleavage rates and blastocyst formation were significantly lower for the shortest fertilisation time (8 h) in M199-FERT medium (42% and 12%, respectively). The SOF-FERT medium with an 8 h fertilisation time resulted in the highest cleavage rates and blastocyst formation (74% and 29%, respectively). The SOF-FERT medium produced the highest embryo quality (50% Grade 1) and hatching rate (66%). Motility enhancers did not affect polyspermy rates, whereas polyspermy was affected when fertilisation length was extended from 8 h (3%) to 18 h (9%) and in M199-FERT (14%) compared with SOF-FERT (6%). We conclude that adding the motility enhancers CA and TH to sex sorted spermatozoa and Tyrode’s albumin lactate pyruvate (TALP)-Sperm can improve cleavage and embryo development rates without increasing polyspermy. In addition, shortening the oocyte–sperm coincubation time (8 h) resulted in similar overall embryo performance rates compared with the prolonged (18 h) interval.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 243
Author(s):  
A.T.D. Oliveira ◽  
C. Gebert ◽  
R.F.F. Lopes ◽  
H. Niemann ◽  
J.L. Rodrigues

In spite of in vitro embryo production systems having been greatly improved over recent years, employing a variety of culture conditions (media, protein sources, gas atmosphere, etc.), we still do not know much about the real necessity of embryos to develop under the same conditions as occur in vivo. These differences between in vivo and in vitro culture at preimplantation embryonic stages can produce deviations in gene expression and in normal fetal development (large offspring syndrome). Heat shock proteins (Hsp) are engaged in cell response to regulatory signals or perturbations in the microenviroment and can be used as a sensitive indicator of stress caused by suboptimal culture conditions (Wrenzycki et al., 2001Hum. Reprod. 16, 893–901). Hsp act as chaperones in facilitating protein folding and assembly and stabilize damaged proteins to prevent aggregation of fragments, thereby allowing repair or degradation. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of different embryo/volume ratios on bovine embryo development and the relative abundance of Hsp 70.1 gene transcripts. In this experiment, oocytes were isolated from slaugterhouse ovaries and matured, fertilized and cultured in groups of 5, 10, 20 or 30 per each drop of 100μL. The oocytes were matured in TCM 199 supplemented with 0.4% BSA. After maturation, oocytes were fertilized in TALP medium, using frozen/thawed sperm, selected using a percoll density gradient. The zygotes were cultured to the morula or Day 7 blastocyst stage employing SOF supplemented with 0.4 % BSA. Developmental check points were cleavage rate (Day 3pi), blastocyst formation (Day 8pi) and hatching (Day 11pi). A semi-quantitative RT-PCR assay was used to determine the relative levels of gene transcripts in single embryos at morula (Day 6) and blastocyst (Day 7) stages (Wrenzycki et al., 2001 Biol. Reprod. 65, 309–317). Data of cleavage, blastocyst formation and hatching rates were analyzed using chi-square test. Relative abundance (RA) of Hsp 70.1mRNA were compared in tested groups using ANOVA followed a Tukey test. Differences at P&lt;0.05 were considered significant. Results show that no significative difference in hatching rate per blastocyst produced was detected among the four groups. Cleavage rate and blastocyst formation were significantly higher in groups with 5, 10 and 20 embryos compared with drops containing 30 embryos. Hsp transcripts were detected in morula and blastocyst stages in all groups. In morula stage, no differences were observed in the RA of Hsp 70.1mRNA among groups with 5, 10, 20 and 30 embryos cultured per drop. However, in blastocyst stage, the RA was significantly increased in the group with 20 embryos per drop as compared to the group with 5 embryos. The results show that different embryo/volume ratios in culture influence not only cleavage rate, blastocyst formation and hatching rate, but also expression of Hsp 70.1 gene. Further studies changing other culture conditions and using in vivo-derived bovine embryos will aid in elucidating which culture systems are ideal to produce bovine embryos in vitro. This research was supported by CAPES/DAAD program and CNPq.


2010 ◽  
Vol 94 (2) ◽  
pp. 543-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mika R. Thomas ◽  
Amy E. Sparks ◽  
Ginny L. Ryan ◽  
Bradley J. Van Voorhis

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 212
Author(s):  
J. M. Kelly ◽  
D. O. Kleemann ◽  
S. K. Walker

Studies have shown that supplementation with hyaluronic acid (HA), a glycosaminoglycan found in mammalian follicular, oviduct, and uterine fluids, improves in vitro development and post-thaw survival of bovine embryos. In this study, we examined the effect of HA supplementation on ovine embryo development and on survival after vitrification using the minimum volume cooling (MVC) cryotop method. Abattoir sourced ovine oocytes were in vitro matured and fertilized as per routine procedures (Walker et al. 1996 Biol. Reprod. 55, 703–708). In Experiment 1 (5 replicates), presumptive zygotes were randomly allocated to IVC medium supplemented with 0.8 mg mL–1 BSA, amino acids, and 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0 mg mL–1 HA. Cleavage rates were recorded and blastocyst development evaluated on Day 7 (Day 0 = day of IVF). In Experiment 2 (3 replicates), presumptive zygotes were placed in in vitro culture (IVC) medium with or without 1.0 mg mL–1 HA. Embryos were vitrified using the MVC cryotop method (Kelly et al. 2004 Reprod. Fert. Dev. 16, 172) on either Day 5 (morula–blastocyst stages), Day 6 (compact morula–hatching blastocyst stages), or Day 7 (blastocyst–hatching blastocyst stages). Vitrified embryos were thawed 7 days later and placed into IVC medium. Embryo survival (assessed by blastocoele re-expansion) and hatching rates were recorded on Day 8. Variables were assessed using procedure CATMOD in SAS (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA). In Experiment 1, the addition of HA did not affect cleavage or blastocyst formation rates but hatching rates were significantly (P < 0.05) improved at concentrations of 0.5 to 1.5 mg mL–1 (Table 1). In Experiment 2, HA supplementation (1.0 mg mL–1) compared with control medium did not affect cleavage (96.8 and 97.1%, respectively) or blastocyst formation rates (68.6 and 70.2%, respectively). HA significantly (P < 0.05) improved survival after thawing of embryos vitrified on Day 5 (100 v. 85.6%, n = 85 and 90). However no effect was observed when embryos were vitrified on either Day 6 (97.8 v. 97.8%, n = 91 and 92) or Day 7 (96.7 v. 97.9%, n = 92 and 94). Within day, HA supplementation did not affect hatching rate compared with control medium (Day 5, 54.1 v. 53.2%; Day 6, 62.9 v. 65.6%; Day 7, 71.9 v. 62.0%, respectively). These results demonstrate that HA supplementation of IVC medium significantly improves hatching rate of ovine embryos and we speculate that this improvement may correlate with comparable improvements in pregnancy rates after transfer. Hyaluronic acid binds to CD44, a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of preimplantation ovine embryos and shown to play a role on embryo development (Luz et al. 2012 Genet. Mol. Res. 11, 799–809). Hyaluronic acid plays a role in cell migration and we suggest that, in the early blastocyst, it affords an advantage to the trophectoderm cells. Table 1.Effect of hyaluronic acid (HA) supplementation in IVC medium on cleavage, blastocyst, and hatching rates


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