Metabolic regulation of in-vitro-produced bovine embryos. I. Effects of metabolic regulators at different glucose concentrations with embryos produced by semen from different bulls

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Fernando De La Torre-Sanchez ◽  
Kimberly Preis ◽  
George E. Seidel

The toxic and/or beneficial effects of four metabolic regulators on embryo development were evaluated. In-vitro-produced compact morulae were cultured for 3 days in a chemically defined medium + bovine serum albumin (BSA; CDM-2) plus regulators (4991 total embryos). Phenazine ethosulfate (PES), phloretin (PL), pyrroline-5-carboxylate (P5C), and sodium azide (NaN3) were evaluated at four doses each in factorial combinations with four concentrations of glucose: 0, 0.5, 2, and 8 mm. Phenazine ethosulfate at 0.9 μm resulted in poorer development than lower or no PES. Phloretin was, in general, detrimental for embryo development, but most markedly at the highest dose (270 µm). Pyrroline-5-carboxylate had little effect on post-compaction embryos at the doses studied, 9 to 81 μm. Sodium azide at the concentrations used (3, 9, and 27 μm) had little effect on embryo development compared with controls. Concentrations of glucose had little effect on development of embryos. A fifth metabolic regulator, 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP), was studied at various doses at pre-morula or morula-blastocyst stages cultured in 2 mm glucose. Embryos (2189 total) cultured in 90 µm DNP developed more slowly and were darker than embryos cultured at lower doses. Embryos cultured in 30 µm DNP had a higher blastocyst rate (48.3%) than controls (34.9%). In the last experiment using G1.2/G2.2 media, DNP (30 μm) resulted in a marked decrease in embryonic development when embryos were exposed at the zygote to 8- to 16-cell stages but had little effect when morulae were exposed for 2 days. The dose–response information for these metabolic regulators is crucial for designing future experiments.

2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (5) ◽  
pp. 597 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Fernando De La Torre-Sanchez ◽  
David K. Gardner ◽  
Kimberly Preis ◽  
John Gibbons ◽  
George E. Seidel

The objective was to compare effects of three metabolic regulators on development of post-compaction bovine embryos. In-vitro-produced 8- to 16-cell embryos were allocated to treatments for 72 h in G2.2 medium as follows: 0.3 µm phenazine ethosulfate (PES); 27 µm sodium azide (NaN3); 30 µm 2,4-dinitrophenol (DNP); and control, no regulator. Treatments responded similarly for blastocyst rates and embryo quality responses (P > 0.1). The PES treatment resulted in higher glucose metabolism than the NaN3 treatment (18.5 v. 14.5 pmol per embryo per h, P < 0.05), and both did not differ from DNP or the control. The PES treatment tended to result in more flux of glucose through the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) than the control (50.5 v. 21.5%, P < 0.11). The NaN3 treatment caused more glucose uptake than the PES treatment (38.9 v. 13.1 pmol per embryo per h, P < 0.01), but neither differed from the control or DNP treatment (P > 0.1). Glycolysis for the PES treatment was 187%, which was higher than any of the other groups (88–94%; P < 0.01). There were fewer medium + large lipid granules in the cytoplasm of PES-treated embryos than any other group, including the in vitro control (P < 0.01). However, in vivo control embryos had still fewer large and medium-sized lipid granules (P < 0.01) than the PES treatment. Developmental competence to Day 14 after embryo transfer was similar among treatments. The PES treatment increased glucose metabolism, tended to increase the PPP flux of glucose and clearly reduced accumulation of lipids in embryos produced in the chemically defined media used. Use of PES in culture media may be a promising approach to improving in vitro production of embryos.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 173
Author(s):  
M. J. Sudano ◽  
D. M. Paschoal ◽  
T. S. Rascado ◽  
L. C. O. Magalhães ◽  
L. F. Crocomo ◽  
...  

Phenazine ethosulfate (PES) is a metabolic regulator that inhibits fatty acid synthesis and favours the pentose-phosphate pathway. Supplementation of fetal calf serum (FCS) during culture has been correlated with the reduction of quality of in vitro produced bovine embryos (IVPE). The aim of the present study was to evaluate embryo development and apoptosis in blastocysts after the supplementation of PES and FCS in culture medium of IVPE. Oocytes (N = 4320) were matured and fertilized in vitro (Day 0). The zygotes (Bos indicus) were cultured in SOFaa medium with 4 concentrations of FCS (0, 2.5, 5, and 10%) and with the use or not of 0.3 μM PES from Day 4 (after 96 h of embryo culture). Embryo development was evaluated after 7 days of culture. Apoptosis in blastocysts (N = 60–80) was accessed through TUNEL reaction. Embryos (Bos indicus) recovered from superstimulated cows were used as in vivo control (n = 15). Data were analysed by ANOVA followed by LSD using PROC GLIMMIX (SAS; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) means ± SEM. Increasing FCS concentration in the culture media did not change cleavage (86.7 ± 1.7, 82.3 ± 1.6, 86.3 ± 1.4, 87.0 ± 1.5, P > 0.05) and augmented blastocyst production (30.5 ± 2.5a, 41.8 ± 2.4b, 40.5 ± 2.6b, 47.2 ± 2.8b, P < 0.05), respectively, for 0, 2.5, 5, and 10%. Additionally, increasing FCS concentration increased apoptosis in blastocysts (13.8 ± 1.2b, 19.1 ± 1.8b, 20.7 ± 1.9bc, 28.4 ± 2.3c, P < 0.05, respectively, for 0, 2.5, 5, and 10%). The addition of PES from Day 4 in the culture medium did not affect (P > 0.05) cleavage (87.0 ± 1.3 and 84.4 ± 1.3), blastocyst production (42.0 ± 2.8 and 43.0 ± 2.0), and apoptosis in blastocysts (20.7 ± 2.0b and 18.9 ± 2.1b), respectively, for control and PES Day 4 groups. Independent of FCS withdrawal or PES addition to culture medium, the in vivo control group presented the lowest apoptosis rate (6.3 ± 1.1a). Therefore, increasing FCS concentration augmented embryo development and reduced blastocyst quality. However, the addition of 2.5% of FCS in the culture medium increased the embryo development without the reduction of blastocyst quality. Moreover, the PES supplementation from Day 4 did not affect embryo development and blastocyst quality. São Paulo Research Foundation – FAPESP.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Ruiz ◽  
P. J. Hansen ◽  
J. Block

The overall objective was to determine the effects of addition of lipid metabolic regulators during embryo culture on blastocyst development and survival following cryopreservation. For Experiment 1, embryos produced in vitro were cultured in 5% (vol/vol) oxygen in SOF-bovine embryo 1 (SOF-BE1) medium supplemented with or without 100 μM trans-10,cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and 0.3 μM phenazine ethosulfate (PES). Treatment with CLA began at the initiation of culture, whereas treatment with PES began at Day 3 after insemination. At Day 7 after insemination, the proportion of oocytes that developed to the blastocyst and advanced blastocyst (expanded, hatching, or hatched) stages was recorded. Blastocysts and expanded blastocyst-stage embryos were harvested and slow frozen in 1.5 M ethylene glycol. Embryos were thawed and then cultured for 72 h in SOF-BE1 medium containing 10% (vol/vol) fetal bovine serum and 50 μM dithiothreitol. Re-expansion and hatching rates were recorded at 24, 48, and 72 h. Addition of CLA had no effect on embryo development, whereas PES reduced (P < 0.01) development to the blastocyst (26.0 ± 0.8 v. 22.1 ± 0.8%) and advanced blastocyst (19.2 ± 0.9 v. 14.4 ± 0.9%) stages. Blastocysts cultured in the presence of CLA had higher (P < 0.05) re-expansion rates at 24, 48, and 72 h (50.8 ± 3.7 v. 65.7 ± 3.7%, 57.2 ± 4.0 v. 72.0 ± 4.05%, and 57.2 ± 4.0 v. 72.0 ± 4.0%, respectively). Addition of CLA tended (P < 0.07) to increase the hatching rate at 24 h and did increase (P < 0.05) the hatching rate at 48 h (12.4 ± 1.3 v. 16.2 ± 1.3% and 39.0 ± 3.2 v. 50.0 ± 3.2%, respectively). Treatment with PES had no effect on re-expansion rates but reduced (P < 0.05) hatching rates at 24 and 48 h (18.2 ± 1.3 v. 10.3 ± 1.3 and 50.2 ± 3.2 v. 38.8 ± 3.2%, respectively). There was no interaction between CLA and PES affecting embryo development or cryosurvival. For Experiment 2, embryos were produced in vitro as in Experiment 1 and cultured in SOF-BE1 medium with or without 3.03 mM L-carnitine (LC) and 10 μM forskolin (FK). Treatment with LC began at the initiation of culture and treatment with FK began at Day 6. All other methods were as described for Experiment 1. Addition of LC did not affect development to the blastocyst stage but reduced (P < 0.05) development to the advanced blastocyst stage (21.0 ± 1.2 v. 17.1 ± 1.2%). Treatment with FK had no effect on embryo development to the blastocyst or advanced blastocyst stages. Blastocysts cultured in the presence of LC had increased (P < 0.05) re-expansion rates at 24, 48, and 72 h (60.2 ± 2.0 v. 78.0 ± 2.0%, 62.9 ± 1.2 v. 83.3 ± 1.2%, and 63.0 ± 2.4 v. 82.8 ± 2.4%, respectively) and hatching rates at 48 and 72 h (48.6 ± 4.3 v. 64.1 ± 4.3% and 59.6 ± 3.0 v. 78.5 ± 3.0%, respectively). There was no effect of FK on cryosurvival and no interaction between LC and FK affecting embryo development or cryosurvival. In conclusion, blastocyst yield was not improved by any of the lipid metabolic regulators tested. Cryosurvival was enhanced by addition of CLA and LC but FK reduced survival following freezing. There were no additive effects of either CLA and PES or LC and FK for blastocyst yield or cryosurvival.Support was provided by USDA AFRI Grant 2010-85122-20623.


2004 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 203
Author(s):  
G. Wirtu ◽  
C.E. Pope ◽  
P. Damiani ◽  
B.L. Dresser ◽  
R.A. Godke ◽  
...  

Pre-elongation stage bovine embryos contain insulin receptor, ligands and receptors of IGF-I and IGF-II, and possibly EGF ligand. Cumulus cells and blastocysts also express EGF receptor; however, insulin is not produced (Watson AJ et al. 1992 Mol. Reprod. Dev. 31, 87–95; Tetens F. et al. 2000 Anat. Embryol. 201, 349–55; Yaseen MA et al. 2001 Reproduction 122, 601-10). Reported effects of external growth factors during bovine IVC are conflicting. The present study evaluated effects of EGF and insulin on the development of in vitro-produced embryos in a chemically defined IVC medium. IVM medium was TCM199 plus fetal bovine serum, LH and estradiol. IVF was done in Tyrodes solution containing BSA, lactate, pyruvate, heparin, penicillamine-hypotaurine-epinephrine and nonessential amino acids. At 18h post-insemination, ova were vortexed, washed and placed in IVC treatments. Modified KSOM (Yang BK et al. 1995 J. Reprod. Dev. 41, 213–18) with 1X MEM nonessential and 1X BME amino acids was the base IVC medium. Incubations were done at 39°C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 in air (IVM, IVF) or 5% CO2, 10% O2 and 85% N2 (IVC). Effects of three EGF (0, 50, 100ngmL−1; Experiment 1) or five insulin (0, 5, 10, 15, 20μgmL−1; Experiment 2) doses were tested, in five replicates, by supplementation during the entire IVC period (up to Day 9; Day 0=day of insemination). Embryos were placed in fresh medium on Day 4 post-insemination. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test. In Experiment 1 (n=646 oocytes), EGF treatment did not affect percentages of Day 2 cleavage (83±3, 82±3, and 81±2%, respectively; mean±SEM.) and Day 9 blastocysts (34±4, 33±4 and 33±5%, respectively) or cell number per blastocyst after Hoechst staining (95±5, 88±4 and 89±5, respectively). In Experiment 2 (n=687 oocytes), insulin improved the frequency of cleavage and percentage of expanding, hatching and total blastocysts. It also increased blastocyst cell number (see Table 1). Lack of effect of EGF on bovine IVC is in contrast to its widely reported beneficial effects in mice. In many bovine IVC studies, the beneficial effects of external insulin were seen at or after the morula stage. The present study demonstrates that insulin can influence embryonic development as early as the initial cleavage stage and before embryonic genome activation. Reseach was funded in part by J. Bennett Johnston Science Foundation. Table 1 Effects of insulin (μgmL−1) on development to &gt;2-cell (Day 2), expanded, hatched and total blastocysts (Day 9: %±SEM) and on blastocyst cell number (Day 9: mean±SEM)


2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dezhong Wang ◽  
Yuan Yin ◽  
Shuyi Wang ◽  
Tianyang Zhao ◽  
Fanghua Gong ◽  
...  

AbstractAs a classically known mitogen, fibroblast growth factor 1 (FGF1) has been found to exert other pleiotropic functions such as metabolic regulation and myocardial protection. Here, we show that serum levels of FGF1 were decreased and positively correlated with fraction shortening in diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) patients, indicating that FGF1 is a potential therapeutic target for DCM. We found that treatment with a FGF1 variant (FGF1∆HBS) with reduced proliferative potency prevented diabetes-induced cardiac injury and remodeling and restored cardiac function. RNA-Seq results obtained from the cardiac tissues of db/db mice showed significant increase in the expression levels of anti-oxidative genes and decrease of Nur77 by FGF1∆HBS treatment. Both in vivo and in vitro studies indicate that FGF1∆HBS exerted these beneficial effects by markedly reducing mitochondrial fragmentation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and cytochrome c leakage and enhancing mitochondrial respiration rate and β-oxidation in a 5’ AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK)/Nur77-dependent manner, all of which were not observed in the AMPK null mice. The favorable metabolic activity and reduced proliferative properties of FGF1∆HBS testify to its promising potential for use in the treatment of DCM and other metabolic disorders.


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. 187
Author(s):  
J. De la Fuente ◽  
A. Gutiérrez-Adán ◽  
P. Beltrán Breña ◽  
S. S. Pérez-Garnelo ◽  
A. T. Palasz

It is assumed that, contrary to phosphate buffers, zwitterionic buffers are neutral. However, zwitterionic buffers containing hydroxymethyl or hydroxyethyl residues may interact with OH-groups in the media and produce formaldehyde (Shiraishi et al. 1993 Free Radic. Res. Commun. 19, 315-321). Also, it was shown that three zwitterionic buffers tested in this study interact with DNA (Stellwagen et al. 2000 Anal. Biochem. 287, 167-175). Our objective was to evaluate the effect of the following buffers: TES (T), MOPS (M), HEPES (H) (pKa values at 20�C: 7.2-7.5), and PBS on in vitro development and morphology of bovine embryos. Zwitterionic buffers and PBS were prepared at a concentration of 10 mM in TALP medium and the final pH was adjusted to 7.2. Bovine follicular fluid was aspirated from abattoir-derived ovaries and evenly divided into four tubes. Collected oocytes (five replicates) from each tube were processed separately through the entire IVM, IVF, and IVC procedures using washing medium buffered with: PBS (n = 490), Group 1; H (n = 438), Group 2; M (n = 440), Group 3; and T (n = 394), Group 4. All buffers contained 4 mg/mL BSA. Oocytes were matured in TCM-199 + 10% FCS and 10 ng/mL of epidermal growth factor and fertilized in Fert-TALP containing 25 mM bicarbonate, 22 mM sodium lactate, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 6 mg/mL BSA-FAF, and 10 �g/mL heparin with 1 � 106 spermatozoa/mL. After 24 h, oocytes-sperm co-incubation presumptive zygotes were cultured in SOFaa medium with 8 mg/mL BSA at 39�C under paraffin oil and 5% CO2 in humidified air. Cumulus-oocyte complexes and zygotes were held in designated buffers ?16 min before oocyte maturation, ~7 min after IVM and before IVF, and ~18 min after IVF and before culture. The total time of oocyte/embryo exposure to each buffer was ?41 min. Embryo development was recorded on Days 4, 7, 8, and 9. A total of ten, Day 8 blastocysts were taken randomly from each treatment and fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for total and apoptotic cells counts, and five blastocysts from each replicate and treatment were frozen for later mRNA analysis. Apoptosis were determined by TUNEL, using commercial In situ Cell Death Detection Kit (Roche Diagnostic, SL, Barcelono, Spain). Embryo development among groups was compared by chi-square analysis. The cleavage rates were not different among the groups: PBS, 70.8%; H, 76.5%; M, 77.5% and T, 73.6%. The number of embryos that developed to d8 cells at Day 4 was higher in M, 36.2%, and PBS, 37.6%, than in H, 30.6%, and T, 29.7%, but was not significantly different. However, more (P < 0.05) blastocysts developed at Days 7, 8, and 9 in H and M than in PBS and T groups (21.9% and 22.9% vs. 16.9% and 14.9%, respectively). No difference was found between groups in total cell number (98.8 � 7, PBS; 111.8 � 11.9, M; 106.8 � 12.9, H; and 104.3 � 9.7, T) and the number of apoptotic cells (9.2 � 1.0, P; 9.2 � 0.8, M; 12.9 � 1.8, H; and 9.7 � 0.9, T). Based on the results of this study, we conclude that within our protocol choice of buffer may affect embryo developmental rates but not morphology.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 278
Author(s):  
K. A. Preis ◽  
G. E. Seidel Jr ◽  
D. K. Gardner

In vitro maturation of immature oocytes results in limited success in both clinical and research laboratories. Although reduced oxygen concentration is beneficial to embryo development, the optimal concentration for oocyte maturation has yet to be determined. The objective of this study was to determine whether oxygen tension (20% or 5% O2) affects oocyte physiology. Additionally, the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) in maturation medium on oocyte metabolic activity and subsequent embryo development was determined. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs; n = 231) were collected from 28-day-old unprimed F1 (C57BL/6 × CBA/ca) mice. COCs were individually matured in defined medium at 37°C in 6% CO2 in one of four groups (Table 1). For the metabolism study, COCs were further divided into two groups: individual maturation in a 2-µL drop of medium for 16 h (n = 131); or individual maturation in 5-μL for 12 h and then placed in a 0.5-μL drop of medium for 4 h (n = 100), the time of greatest metabolic activity of the COC. At 17 h of maturation, COCs were individually fertilized, and zygotes were individually cultured until 96 h, at which time blastocyst development was assessed. Metabolic profiles were analyzed by ANOVA, and blastocyst rates were analyzed by Fisher's exact test. Maturation rates and blastocyst development were not different between groups. However, at 12–16 h of maturation, metabolism of COCs was affected by both oxygen tension and EGF (Table 1). Concerning metabolism over the entire course of maturation, glucose uptake and lactate production were higher in COCs in 5% O2 + 100 ng EGF (P < 0.05) than in the remaining three groups. There was no difference between 5% O2 and 20% O2 + 100 ng EGF, but 20% O2 caused less glucose uptake and lactate production than did the other three treatment groups (P < 0.05). Results of this study are the first to show that oxygen tension alters COC metabolism: COCs matured under 5% O2 were more active metabolically than COCs matured under 20% O2. The effect of oxygen tension is to some extent moderated by the presence of EGF, as metabolic activity of COCs matured under 20% O2 + 100 ng EGF was closer to that of COCs matured under 5% O2 conditions. Although blastocyst rates were similar across the four groups, embryos derived from oocytes matured in different oxygen tensions may exhibit different developmental potential. In conclusion, results of this study have implications for the improvement of maturation conditions in both clinical and research laboratories. Table 1. Carbohydrate metabolism of individual COCs at 12–16 h of maturation


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 133
Author(s):  
J. O. Carvalho ◽  
M. M. Franco ◽  
G. M. Machado ◽  
M. A. N. Dode

In mammals, a correct DNA methylation reprogramming and the maintenance of genomic imprinting after fertilization are essential for embryo development and pregnancy. One important imprinted gene, related to embryo development and placentation, is the insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) gene. Therefore, embryos with different sizes could show differences in the methylation pattern of IGF2 gene. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methylation pattern of the differentially methylated region (DMR) located within exon 10 of the IGF2 gene, of in vitro-produced Nellore bovine embryos that were different in size on day D14 of development. The embryos were produced from oocytes obtained by follicular aspiration of slaughter house ovaries. On D7 after in vitro fertilization only grade I blastocysts were selected and, in groups of 10 embryos, were transferred non-surgically to the uteri of previously synchronized recipients with similar conditions. Seven days after being transferred, embryos were collected (Day 14 of development) and measured using Motic Images Plus 2.0 program (Motic, Richmond, BC, Canada). Embryos >45 mm were considered large (L) and those <25 mm were considered small (S). After being measured, a portion of each trophoblast layer was biopsied and used to determine the methylation status of the IGF2 gene by bisulfite sequencing. The methylation pattern was evaluated on individual embryos considered as separate replicates. At least 5 to 8 clones were evaluated per embryo and the sequences were analysed with the BiQAnalyser software (Max-Planck-Institut für Informatik, Saarbrücken, Germany), using the GenBank sequence NM_174087.3 as reference. The methylation pattern of the different groups was compared using Kruskal-Wallis test (P < 0.05). No differences in DNA methylation were found between S (26.7 ± 8.3%, n = 37 clones, 5 embryos) and L (34.8 ± 2.9%, n = 20 clones, 4 embryos) embryos. It is already known that the region studied is hypermethylated in sperm and hypomethylated in oocytes and, in some somatic cell types, it is expected to be around 50% methylated, being an imprinted region. Although we found a lower percentage of methylation than that expected for an imprinted region, this pattern may be the physiological pattern for trophoblast cells. This is the first report describing the methylation pattern of this region of the IGF2 gene in Day 14 bovine embryos of different sizes. It can be concluded that the methylation pattern of the intragenic DMR on exon 10 of IGF2 gene of in vitro-produced embryos on Day 14 of development is not affected by embryo size.This work was supported by CNPq, FAP-DF.


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 297
Author(s):  
P. Koyner ◽  
J. E. Pino ◽  
M. Lasso ◽  
F. Rodriguez

Panama, like many countries in Central America, has a tropical climate with high temperature and humidity throughout the year. These conditions negatively affect the fertility and productivity of dairy cattle; therefore, it is necessary to develop and apply technologies to improve those parameters in heat-stressed cattle. One such technology is in vitro embryo production (IVP). The objectives of this study were to a) introduce, for the first time in Panama, IVP procedures for bovine embryos and b) evaluate the efficacy of novel sequential media (SM) on in vitro embryo development and pregnancy rates. Oocytes collected from slaughterhouse ovaries of Holstein cows were matured and fertilized (with Senepol semen) in vitro using standard procedures. The resultant zygotes were cultured in an atmosphere of 6% CO2, 5% O2, and 89% N2 at 38.5°C in either control medium plus BSA (3 mg mL-1; mSOF, Tanaka et al. 1996 JICA Manual) for 144 h post-insemination (hpi; n = 1,072) or a semi-defined medium for 96 hpi followed by a second semi-defined medium for 48 h additional culture (n = 1,081; see Table 1). The experiment was replicated 5 times between January 2007 and May 2009, and data were analyzed using chi-square. Zygotes cultured in SM resulted in more >4-cell embryos at 48 hpi than controls (93 v. 81%; P < 0.01), more >8-cell embryos at 96 hpi than controls (79 v. 65%; P < 0.01), and more blastocysts at 144 hpi than controls (45 v. 37%; P < 0.05). A subset of quality grade 1 blastocysts produced in SM (n = 35) or mSOF (n = 30) were transferred nonsurgically to synchronized recipients. Pregnancy rates at 60 days were similar between SM and mSOF embryos (62 v. 45%, respectively). From the first 14 embryo transfers, 7 calves have been born (4 from SM and 3 from mSOF). These results demonstrate that the SM used in this study, which contained antioxidants and growth factors, supported enhanced in vitro embryo development. Additional transfers are needed to determine if the use of SM will also result in a statistically higher pregnancy rate, which would be economically important from a commercial point of view. This represents the first report of IVP calves in Central America. Table 1.Composition of novel sequential media


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