313 EFFECT OF DURATION OF THE GROWING PHASE OF OVULATORY FOLLICLES IN SUPERSTIMULATED HEIFERS ON OOCYTE COMPETENCE AFTER IN VITRO FERTILIZATION

2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 303
Author(s):  
F. C. F. Dias ◽  
D. Dadarwal ◽  
M. Honparkhe ◽  
G. P. Adams ◽  
R. J. Mapletoft ◽  
...  

We tested the hypotheses that extending the duration of follicular growth by superstimulation increases oocyte competence, and that FSH starvation at the end of superstimulatory treatment decreases oocyte competence. Heifers were allocated randomly to short FSH duration (n = 8), FSH starvation (n = 8), or long FSH duration (n = 8) groups. Five to 8 days after ovulation, transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle ablation was done to synchronize follicle wave emergence, and a progesterone-releasing device (CIDR; Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY, USA) was placed intravaginally. Short FSH and FSH starvation groups were given 8 doses of FSH (Folltropin-V; Bioniche Animal Health Inc., Belleville, ON, Canada) IM, whereas the long FSH group was given 14 doses of FSH at 12-h intervals, starting from the day of wave emergence (Day 0). Prostaglandin F2α (PGF) was administered twice, 12 h apart, on Day 3 in the short FSH group and on Day 6 in the other 2 groups. In all heifers, the CIDR was removed at the time of the second PGF treatment; pLH (Lutropin-V; Bioniche Animal Health Inc.) was given IM 24 h after CIDR removal, and cumulus–oocyte complexes (COC) were collected 24 h after pLH treatment. The COC were matured in vitro (6 h) and fertilized (IVF), and the embryos were cultured for 10 days. At 12 h after pLH, the long FSH group had a greater number of ≥9 mm follicles than the FSH starvation and short FSH groups (25.4 ± 5.3 v. 11.0 ± 2.1 and 10.6 ± 2.3, respectively; P < 0.03). The long FSH group also had more expanded COC than the FSH starvation group (P < 0.001), but did not differ from the short FSH group (93, 54, and 74%, respectively). The FSH starvation group had a greater proportion (P < 0.0001) of partially expanded COC (32%) and poor quality oocytes (70%) than did the long (1 and 33%) and short (4 and 45%) FSH groups; oocyte quality did not differ between long and short FSH groups. At 48 h after IVF, the cleavage rate was lower in the FSH starvation group compared with the short and long FSH groups (35, 54, and 56%, respectively; P = 0.003). After 9 days in culture, embryo development (morula + blastocyst) in the FSH starvation group was lower than that in the long FSH group, (18 v. 37%; P = 0.04), but did not differ from that in the short FSH group (25%). After removal of the data of one heifer in the FSH starvation group that produced 52% of total embryos in that group (outlier), the Day 9 blastocyst rate was lower in the FSH starvation group than in the short and long FSH groups (2% v. 14 and 21%, respectively; P = 0.02). In conclusion, extending the standard superstimulation protocol by 3 days enhanced ovarian response to FSH treatment, but did not improve oocyte competence, whereas a period of FSH starvation after FSH treatment compromised oocyte quality and embryo development.

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 288 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Berland ◽  
A. von Baer ◽  
V. Parraguez ◽  
P. Morales ◽  
G. P. Adams ◽  
...  

We have previously documented that both FSH and eCG are equally effective in inducing ovarian superstimulation in llamas, resulting in the recovery of a high number of expanded COC suitable for in vitro fertilization (Ratto et al. 2005 Theriogenology 63, 2445-2457). The objective of the study was to evaluate the ovarian response, morphology, and competence of COC collected by ultrasound-guided follicular aspiration in llamas treated with FSH or eCG. Llamas were assigned randomly into 2 groups (n = 16 per group) and treated for 48 h after follicle ablation with (1)25 mg of FSH (Folltropin, Bioniche Animal Health Canada Inc., Belleville, Canada) i.m. twice daily for 4 d; or (2) 1000IU of eCG (Novormon, Bioniche Animal Health Canada) as a single i.m. dose. The starting of gonadotropin treatment was considered Day 0. Both groups were given an i.m. dose of 5 mg of Armour Standard LH (Lutropin, Bioniche Animal Health Canada) on Day 6, and COC were collected by transvaginal ultrasound follicle aspiration of all follicles ≥7 mm on Day 7. The ovarian response was assessed by transrectal ultrasonography using a 7.5-MHz linear-array transducer (Aloka SSD-500, Clinics, Santiago, Chile) immediately before oocyte collection at 24 to 26 h after LH treatment in both groups. The COC were classified as expanded, compact, denuded, or degenerated. Expanded COC collected from FSH- (n = 147) and eCG-treated llamas (n = 141) were fertilized in vitro using epididymal sperm as previously described (Ratto et al. 2006 Anim. Reprod. Sci. 97, 246-257). Gametes were co-incubated at 38.5°C in air with 5% CO2 and high humidity for 18 h. After in vitro fertilization, presumptive zygotes were co-culture in SOF medium supplemented with 0.6% of BSA with llama granulosa cells at 39°C, 5% CO2, 5% O2, and 90% N2 for 7 days. Embryo development was evaluated on Days 2, 5, and 7 of in vitro culture (Day 0 = IVF). Data were analyzed by Student’s t-test or Fisher’s exact test and presented as mean ± SEM. The FSH and eCG treatment groups did not differ with respect to the number of follicles ≥7 mm at the time of COC collection (16.0 ± 2.7 v. 14.0 ± 1.9; P = 0.5), the number of COC collected (11.5 ± 1.9 v. 9.7 ± 1.2; P = 0.4), or the collection rate per follicle aspirated (77.0 v. 71.5%; P = 0.2). No difference was detected between FSH and eCG-treated llamas in the number of expanded COCs (9.8 ± 1.4 v. 9.4 ± 1.2; P = 0.8). The percentage of presumptive zygotes to develop into 2 to 8 cells on Day 2 (65.3 v. 63.1), morulas on Day 5 (46.2 v. 42.5), and blastocyst stage on Day 7 (23.1 v. 20.5) did not differ (P > 0.05) between FSH and eCG-treated llamas, respectively. In conclusion, FSH and eCG treatments were equally effective for ovarian superstimulation and oocyte collection. The recovery of a high number of expanded COC can be used directly for in vitro fertilization and their competence is not affected by gonadotropin treatment. The study was supported by Convenio Desempeño en Investigacion (2007-DGI-CDA-04), Universidad Catolica de Temuco.


Reproduction ◽  
2001 ◽  
pp. 737-744 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z Roth ◽  
A Arav ◽  
A Bor ◽  
Y Zeron ◽  
R Braw-Tal ◽  
...  

The fertility of dairy cows decreases during the summer and remains low during the cooler autumn although the animals are no longer under heat stress. The aim of this study was to characterize a delayed effect of summer heat stress on oocyte quality in the autumn and to improve oocyte quality by enhanced removal of follicles damaged during the previous summer. Lactating cows (n = 16) were subjected to heat stress during the summer. In autumn, ovarian follicles (3-7 mm in diameter) were aspirated by an ultrasound-guided procedure during four consecutive oestrous cycles. Follicles were aspirated from control cows on day 4 and from treated cows on days 4, 7, 11 and 15 of each oestrous cycle. All cows received PGF(2alpha) and GnRH injections on days 19 and 21, respectively, and maintained cyclicity, as indicated by plasma progesterone concentrations. On day 4 of each cycle, the oocytes recovered were examined morphologically, matured and activated in vitro, and cultured for 8 days. In cycle 1 (early October) both groups showed low percentages of grade 1 oocytes, cleavage, four- and eight-cell embryos, morulae and parthenogenetic blastocysts. Subsequently, the number of grade 1 oocytes increased earlier (cycle 2) in treated than in control cows (cycle 3; P < 0.05). The cleavage rate in the control group remained relatively low throughout (32-58%), whereas in the treated group it increased from 40% (cycle 1) to 75% (cycles 3 and 4; P < 0.05). The number at each stage of embryo development increased slightly but remained low throughout in the control group, whereas in the treated group significant (P < 0.05) increases of all stages were observed in cycles 3 and 4. The results show a delayed effect of summer heat stress on oocyte quality and embryo development in the autumn. Enhanced removal of the impaired cohort of follicles led to earlier emergence of healthy follicles and high quality oocytes in the autumn.


Zygote ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.L.S. Guimarães ◽  
S.A. Pereira ◽  
N.R. Kussano ◽  
M.A.N. Dode

SummaryThis study aims to evaluate if a pre-maturation culture (PMC) using cilostamide as a meiotic inhibitor in combination with insulin, transferrin and selenium (ITS) for 8 or 24 h increases in vitro embryo production. To evaluate the effects of PMC on embryo development, cleavage rate, blastocyst rate, embryo size and total cell number were determined. When cilostamide (20 μM) was used in PMC for 8 or 24 h, 98% of oocytes were maintained in germinal vesicles. Although the majority of oocytes resumed meiosis after meiotic arrest, the cleavage and blastocyst rates were lower than the control (P < 0.05). When the cilostamide concentration was lowered (10 μM) and oocytes were arrested for 8 h, embryo development was improved (P < 0.05) and was similar (P > 0.05) to the control. The deleterious effect of 20 μM cilostamide treatment for 24 h on a PMC was confirmed by lower cumulus cell viability, determined by trypan blue staining, in that group compared with the other groups. A lower concentration (10 μM) and shorter exposure time (8 h) minimized that effect but did not improve embryo production. More studies should be performed to determine the best concentration and the arresting period to increase oocyte competence and embryo development.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-292
Author(s):  
Johanna Leiva Revilla ◽  
Carolina Maside ◽  
Luis Vieira ◽  
Jesús Cadenas ◽  
Ana Clara Ferreira Acioly ◽  
...  

Most anticancer drugs like doxorubicin (DXR) have low specificity that results in undesirable effects especially when it comes to collateral effects on reproduction. Plants are excellent sources when searching for new drugs. Auxemma oncocalyx (A. oncocalyx) and its main component Oncocalyxone A (onco A) have anti-tumoral activity and are less toxic than DXR in reproductive parameters. However, there are no studies on the action of these drugs regarding the porcine in vitro oocyte competence and embryo development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of A. oncocalyx and onco A exposure during in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes (Experiment 1) or in vitro embryo culture (IVC) (Experiment 2) on the oocyte developmental competence. For experiment 1, COCs were distributed in IVM medium alone (control) or supplemented with DXR (0.3 g/mL), A. oncocalyx (1.2 g/mL) and onco A (1 g/mL). Then, oocytes were submitted to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in vitro embryo culture. For experiment 2, zygotes were cultured with DXR, A. oncocalyx and onco A for 7 days. Viability, maturation, fertilization and embryo developmental parameters were evaluated in both experiments. In experiment 1; DXR, A. oncocalyx and onco A reduced (P<0.05) oocyte viability  and  IVM  efficiency.  Onco A increased (P<0.05) the meiotic resumption. After IVF, all drugs reduced (P<0.05) viability, IVF efficiency and percentage of cleaved embryos, nevertheless, only DXR decreased the percentage of blastocyst. In experiment 2; all drugs reduced (P<0.05) the percentage of penetration, but only DXR and onco A decreased (P<0.05) IVF efficiency. DXR and A. oncocalyx decreased (P<0.05) the percentage of cleaved embryo, but had no effect on blastocyst formation. In conclusion, the addition of DXR during IVM or IVC negatively affected the IVF efficiency and cleavage rate. In addition, the exposure of COCs to DXR only during IVM was more detrimental to oocyte viability and blastocyst formation than A. oncocalyx and onco A.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3581
Author(s):  
Anthony Estienne ◽  
Adeline Brossaud ◽  
Maxime Reverchon ◽  
Christelle Ramé ◽  
Pascal Froment ◽  
...  

Some evidence shows that body mass index in humans and extreme weights in animal models, including avian species, are associated with low in vitro fertilization, bad oocyte quality, and embryo development failures. Adipokines are hormones mainly produced and released by white adipose tissue. They play a key role in the regulation of energy metabolism. However, they are also involved in many other physiological processes including reproductive functions. Indeed, leptin and adiponectin, the most studied adipokines, but also novel adipokines including visfatin and chemerin, are expressed within the reproductive tract and modulate female fertility. Much of the literature has focused on the physiological and pathological roles of these adipokines in ovary, placenta, and uterine functions. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current knowledge regarding the involvement of leptin, adiponectin, visfatin, and chemerin in the oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo development in both mammals and birds.


2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 200
Author(s):  
S. Di Francesco ◽  
E. Mariotti ◽  
M. Rubessa ◽  
G. Campanile ◽  
R. Di Palo ◽  
...  

It was previously reported that osteopontin (OPN), an acidic single-chain phosphorylated glycoprotein found in the oviductal fluid in cattle (Gabler C et al. 2003 Reproduction 126, 721–729), is able to facilitate fertilization in this species (Gasparrini B et al. 2008 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 20(Suppl. I), 180 abst). The present study aimed to investigate whether the addition of OPN to the fertilization medium would affect both cleavage and postfertilization embryo development in the buffalo. To assess the influence of OPN on cleavage and blastocyst rates, in vitro-matured oocytes were fertilized in modified Tyrode’s albumin lactate pyruvate medium (Lu KH et al. 1987 Vet. Rec. 121, 259–260) supplemented with penicillamine, hypotaurine, and heparin, in the presence of 0.0 (n = 258), 0.1 (n = 263), 1 (n = 261), and 10 μg mL–1 (n = 264) of OPN. In vitro fertilization was carried out with frozen–thawed spermatozoa from a bull already tested for IVF. After 20 to 22 h of co-incubation at 38.5°C and 5% CO2 in air, putative zygotes were gently pipetted to remove cumulus cells, washed, and transferred, 10 per droplet, into 20 μL of SOF medium including essential and nonessential amino acids and BSA (Tervit HR et al. 1972 J. Reprod. Fertil. 30(3), 493–497), in a controlled gas atmosphere consisting of 5% CO2, 7% O2, and 88% N2, in humidified air, at 38.5°C. The culture medium was changed on Day 5 (Day 0 = day of insemination), when cleavage rate was assessed and embryos were moved into fresh medium for an additional 2 days. On Day 7, development rates into blastocysts of superior quality were recorded. Differences in the percentages of both cleavage and blastocyst rates among groups were analyzed by chi-square test. Significantly higher cleavage rates (59.3, 70.3, 71.6, and 42.4%, respectively, in the control group and in the groups with 0.1, 1, and 10 μg mL–1 of OPN; P < 0.01) were observed in the groups with 0.1 and 1 μg mL–1 of OPN compared with the other groups. Likewise, higher blastocyst rate percentages (17.4, 27.4, 29.9, and 9.5%, respectively, in the control group and in the groups with 0.1, 1, and 10 μg mL–1 of OPN; P < 0.01) were observed in the groups with 0.1 and 1 μg mL–1 of OPN compared with the other groups. In conclusion, these results showed that addition of low concentrations of OPN in the fertilization medium improved both cleavage and postfertilization embryo development in the buffalo, whereas the higher concentration resulted in impaired late-stage embryo development.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
yigong Fang ◽  
huanfang Xu ◽  
chensi Zheng ◽  
liyun He ◽  
tongsheng Su ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Poor ovarian response (POR), a manifestation of low ovarian reserve and ovarian aging , leads to a significantly reduced pregnancy rate after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) . Acupuncture is effective at improving ovarian reserve. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of acupuncture on increasing the number of retrieved oocytes after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH) in women with POR. Methods: This is a multicenter randomized controlled trial . A total of 140 women with POR will be randomly assigned to receive acupuncture or non-treatment for 12 weeks before COH. The primary outcome will be the number of retrieved oocytes. The secondary outcomes include antral follicle count (AFC), serum level of anti-müllerian hormone (AMH), basal serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and estradiol (E2) , the score of the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), the fertilization rate, the cleavage rate, the available embryo rate and the high-quality embryo rate. The safety of acupuncture will also be assessed. Discussion: The results of this trial will identify the effectiveness of acupuncture in the treatment of POR. This will provide a new treatment option for POR patients and physicians.


Zygote ◽  
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 ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Liga Wuri

Mice are one of the most commonly used rodent species as a model for biomedical research to better understand molecular, genetic, and cellular causes of human disease and disorders. The production of good quality oocytes is one of the important determinant factors for successful assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) clinical outcome as well as reproductive biology research. Mouse oocyte quality, morphology and functions are influenced by a variety of the factors such as euthanasia methods of female donors, superovulation regimes and cryopreservation. The objectives of these studies were mainly to investigate the methods and factors that are influencing oocyte quality, in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryonic development. First, how different euthanasia methods including cervical dislocation (CD), high flow rate CO[2] (H CO[2]) and low flow CO2 (L CO[2]) would affect the quality and integrity of the metaphase II (MII) oocytes have been investigated. Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from female donors that were euthanized by three different methods and then the oocytes' subcellular structures including microtubules, F-actin, cortical granules (CGs) and mitochondria integrities were detected by specific fluorescence dyes. The results showed that L CO[2] caused significant increase in the incidence of premature cortical granule exocytosis (PCGE) which might be responsible for significantly reducing the in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryonic development rate compared to CD and H CO[2]. Secondly, how the superovulation methods would affect the resulting oocyte morphology, quality, IVF competence and embryonic development was investigated. The anti-inhibin serum (AIS) superovulation method produced a significantly higher number of oocytes compared to the pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG). Overall, both methods yielded oocytes with similar sizes and comparable subcellular structures including microtubules, F-actin, cortical granules and mitochondria. However, superovulation with AIS produced significantly thinner zona pellucide than PMSG and the perivitelline space of the oocytes generated from AIS were significantly larger than PMSG. There were no differences in terms of two-cell embryo development, or morula and blastocyst formation rates between AIS and PMSG when the oocytes from two methods were in-vitro fertilized with fresh sperm. Morula and blastocyst development rates were significantly higher for AIS compared to PMSG when oocytes were fertilized with frozen-thawed sperm. Thirdly, clutches of mouse cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) were cryopreserved by the cryoloop vitrification method after PMSG superovulation. The cryo-survival rate and integrity and distribution of subcellular structures including the meiotic spindles, F-actin, cortical granules and mitochondria were examined and compared with fresh MII oocytes. The vitrified-warmed oocytes maintained their subcellular structures to a high degree and resulted in acceptable IVF and embryonic development. In conclusion, for optimal research and clinical outcome, considerations should be given regard to euthanasia methods of oocyte donor mice and type of superovulation regimes. Despite of its high oocyte yield, superovulation of mice with AIS provides comparable quality oocytes to the PMSG method. Cryopreservation of the clutches of mouse COCs via cryo-loop vitrification should be considered for genome banking of genetically modified mice and biomedical research.


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