Effects of ghrelin on in vitro development of porcine in vitro fertilized and parthenogenetic embryos

The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of addition of ghrelin to in vitro culture medium on preimplantation development of porcine in vitro fertilized and parthenogenetic embryos. In Experiment 1, we sought to compare the in vitro developmental competence of IVF and parthenogenetic embryos. No significant (P<0.05) differences were detected for cleavage rate or blastocyst rate between the in vitro fertilization (IVF)- and parthenogenetic activation-derived embryos. In Experiment 2, parthenogenetic embryos were cultured in Porcine Zygote Medium-3 containing various concentrations of ghrelin. The blastocyst rate was remarkably (P<0.05) increased when 5 ng/ml (PA-5) and 500 ng/ml (PA-500) of ghrelin was added to in vitro culture medium compared with the other groups. Total cell number per blastocyst was slightly promoted in the ghrelin treatment groups compared with the controls. However, the ratio of inner cell mass (ICM) cell number/total cell number was significantly reduced in the PA-50 group compared with the controls (P<0.05). In Experiment 3, we cultured in vitro fertilized embryos in Porcine Zygote Medium-3 supplemented with ghrelin at different dosages. The rate of blastocyst formation was markedly (P<0.05) elevated when 500 ng/ml ghrelin was added to culture medium (IVF-500) compared with the controls. Increased total cell numbers (P<0.05) were observed when in vitro fertilized embryos were cultured in IVF-50 and IVF-500 compared with the controls. However, the ratio of ICM cell number/total cell number was decreased in the ghrelin treatment groups compared with the controls (P<0.05). Taken together, the results suggest that ghrelin can enhance blastocyst formation of porcine in vitro fertilized and parthenogenetic embryos while exerting a negative effect on the structural integrity of the blastocysts.     

Normal calves produced after transfer of embryos cultured in a chemically defined medium supplemented with epidermal growth factor and insulin-like growth factor I following ovum pick up and in vitro fertilization in Japanese black cows

The objective of this study was to examine whether high concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and/or insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) would have a beneficial effect on bovine embryo development in vitro and to obtain normal calves by using an ovum pick up method and embryo culture in a chemically defined medium. When compared with controls, EGF (100 or 200 ng/ml) or IGF-I (50 or 100 ng/ml) significantly increased the rate of embryos that developed into blastocysts during an 8-day culture after the in vitro fertilization of oocytes obtained from ovaries from a slaughterhouse. IGF-I induced a dose-dependent increase in cell number in both the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm, whereas EGF stimulated proliferation only in the inner cell mass. A combination of EGF (100 ng/ml) and IGF-I (50 ng/ml) produced an additive effect, and embryos developed into blastocysts at a comparatively high rate (27.9%) compared with controls (12.0%). A similar rate of development was achieved using a combination of EGF and IGF-I in the culture of embryos following ovum pick up by ultrasound-guided transvaginal follicular aspiration and in vitro fertilization, and 5 blastocysts that developed after the culture were transferred into uteri; two embryos implanted, and normal calves were born. These results suggest that the combined use of EGF and IGF-I makes bovine embryo culture in a chemically defined medium a practical and useful procedure for producing blastocysts, and its application to embryo culture following ovum pick up and in vitro fertilization could be useful for producing normal calves.     

Live offspring from cryopreserved embryos following in vitro growth, maturation and fertilization of oocytes derived from preantral follicles in mice

This study was undertaken to examine pre- and postimplantation developmental potency of cryopreserved embryos that had undergone in vitro growth (IVG), maturation (IVM) and fertilization (IVF) of oocytes from the preantral follicle stage. An oocyte culture system for IVG and IVM was used in oocyte-granulosa cell complexes (OGCs) derived from preantral follicles in 12-day-old mice. The rate of oocyte maturation was improved by the addition of gonadotropins (FSH/LH) and cytokines (IGF-I/SCF) to culture medium for IVG. During culture for IVG, estradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations increased progressively to the latter period of culture. This culture system enabled IVG, IVM, IVF and pre- and postimplantation development. From 90 cryopreserved 2-cell stage embryos transferred into recipients after warming, 10 live pups were produced. Cryopreservation of embryos by vitrification at the 2-cell stage showed no harmful effect on development to the blastocyst stage or on the cell numbers of the inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE). This study demonstrated that embryos derived from oocytes grown in vitro have tolerance for vitrification and competence to develop to term after warming. This IVG-IVM-IVF technology combined with embryo cryopreservation might be useful for assisted reproduction in mice.     

猪植入前胚胎体外培养条件的优化

探讨了更换胚胎培养液及添加FBS、高渗透压和不同浓度VE对猪卵母细胞体外受精(IVF)和孤雌激活(PA)胚胎体外发育的影响,进一步优化了猪植入前胚胎体外培养体系。试验一：在第2天、第4天更换新的培养液(换液组),在换液基础上第4天更换为添加10%FBS的培养液(FBS组)。试验二：胚胎分别在0.05 mol/L蔗糖(蔗糖组)和138 mmol/L氯化钠(氯化钠组)的PZM-3(300～320 mOsmol)中培养2 d后移至PZM-3(288 mOsmol)中培养5 d。试验三：在培养液中分别添加50、100和200 μmol/L VE。对照组均在PZM-3(288 mOsmol)中培养7 d。结果表明：试验一,IVF和PA胚胎FBS组囊胚率显著高于对照组和换液组(P<0.05);试验二,IVF胚胎氯化钠组卵裂率、囊胚率均显著高于对照组与蔗糖组(P<0.05);试验三,IVF胚胎添加100 μmol/L VE组囊胚率显著高于对照组(P<0.05)。结果提示,在换液的基础上添加FBS有利于猪IVF和PA胚胎的体外发育;氯化钠调节的高渗透压可以促进猪IVF胚胎的早期发育;添加100 μmol/L VE可以改善猪IVF胚胎的体外发育体系。     

Effect of potassium simplex optimization medium and NCSU23 supplemented with beta-mercaptoethanol and amino acids of in vitro fertilized porcine embryos

The present study was conducted to examine the comparative efficacy of potassium simplex optimization medium (KSOM) and North Carolina State University (NCSU)-23 medium supplemented with beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-ME) and amino acids (AA) on the developmental competence of porcine in vitro fertilized (IVF) embryos. Four experiments were conducted. KSOM and NCSU-23 medium were used to culture porcine parthenogenetic (Exp. 1) and IVF (Exp. 2) embryos. KSOM and NCSU-23 were equally effective in supporting porcine parthenogenetic and IVF embryo development from the 1-cell stage to blastocysts. The NCSU-23 medium (Exp. 3) and KSOM (Exp. 4) were supplemented with amino acid (AA; 5 microl/ml non-essential amino acids + 10 microl/ml essential amino acids) and/or 10 microM beta-mercaptoethanol (beta-ME). The quality of blastocysts from Exp. 3 and 4 was evaluated by counting the number of total cells and determining the ratio of the inner cell mass (ICM) to trophoectoderm (TE) cells. Supplementing with AA and beta-ME or beta-ME alone in NCSU-23 produced significant (p<0.05) differences in terms of rate of cleavage to the 2- to 4- cell (80.8 to 85.4% vs. 73.6%) and blastocyst (30.4 to 30.5 vs. 23.5%) stages and the number of TE (51.4 to 53.8 vs. 35.8) and total cells (67.2 to 71.2 to 48.8) over the control group. On the other hand, supplementing KSOM with AA and/or beta-ME produced significant (p<0.05) differences in terms of rate of cleavage to the 2- to 4-cell (78.8% vs. 67.7%) and morula (57.8% vs. 46.3%) stages and the number of ICM (18.6 to 19.2 vs. 11.6) and total cells (62.8 to 70.6 vs. 42.8) over control group. In conclusion, our study demonstrates that both KSOM and NCSU-23 medium supplemented with AA and beta-ME and/or only beta-ME alone are superior to normal KSOM and NCSU-23 for porcine IVF embryo culture in terms of embryo developmental competence and quality.     

The use of embryonic stem cell derived bioactive material as a new protein supplement for the in vitro culture of bovine embryos

Embryonic stem (ES) cells are expanded versions of the inner cell mass cells that compose the early mammalian blastocyst. Components derived from ES cells may contain various bioactive materials (BM) helpful for early preimplantation embryo growth. In this study, we examined the effect of human ES cell derived BM (hES-BM) on in vitro culture of bovine embryos. When bovine parthenogenetic day 2 embryos were cultured in 10% hES-BM, a significantly higher embryo development rate (44.3%) and increased cell numbers were observed relative to control medium containing 3 mg/ml BSA (19.5%; P<0.01). Among the various concentrations (5, 10 and 15%) and days of treatment (2 or 4 days) tested, 10% hES-BM treatment for 4 days provided the best culture environment to support the growth of bovine embryos in vitro (P<0.05). Little difference was observed between 10% hES-BM and 10% FBS treatment in the examined parthenogenetic or in vitro fertilized embryos, although the hES-BM group developed at a slightly better rate. However, the ICM cell numbers were significantly higher in the hES-BM group in irrespective of embryo origin (P<0.05). In addition, the relative levels of pluripotency (Oct4, × 1.8 fold; Nanog. × 3.3 fold), embryogenesis (Stat3, × 2.8 fold; FGF4, × 18.8 fold; E-cad, × 2.0 fold) and growth (Glut5, × 2.6 fold) genes were significantly higher in the 10% hES-BM group than in the 10% FBS group (P<0.05), while the levels of other genes (Bax, Bcl2, MnSOD and Connexin43) were not different. This is the first report examining the positive effects of hES-BM on bovine embryo development in vitro. Based on our results, we conclude that hES-BM can be used as a new protein supplement for bovine preimplantation embryo development.     

Leptin enhances maturation and development of calf oocytes in vitro

We investigated the effects of leptin on the in vitro maturation (IVM) and development of calf oocytes. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in IVM medium containing 0-100 ng/ml leptin. Experiment 1 showed that exposure of calf oocytes to IVM medium containing 1 or 10 ng/ml leptin significantly increased rates of development to the metaphase II stage compared with the control (81.7 ± 3.0% and 83.3 ± 2.1% for 1 and 10 ng/ml leptin, respectively, vs 64.1 ± 5.1% for control; p < 0.05). Experiment 2 showed that 1 or 10 ng/ml leptin significantly improved cleavage rates after in vitro fertilization when compared to control (58.6 ± 3.3% and 59.3 ± 2.9% for 1 and 10 ng/ml leptin, respectively, vs 48.5 ± 2.6% for control; p < 0.05); in addition, when compared to control medium, the addition of 10 ng/ml leptin to the IVM medium resulted in more presumptive zygotes reaching the 4- to 8-cell stage after 48 h of in vitro culture (30.3 ± 2.3% vs 20.1 ± 2.3%; p < 0.05) and developing into blastocysts after 8 days of culture (20.4 ± 1.6% vs 11.7 ± 1.7%; p < 0.05). Experiment 3 showed that the addition of 1 or 10 ng/ml leptin significantly increased the total number of blastocyst cells on day 8 of culture (114.6 ± 7.8 and 117.4 ± 5.9 for 1 and 10 ng/ml leptin, respectively, vs 92.7 ± 8.3 for control; p < 0.05) and trophectoderm (TE) cells (88.5 ± 5.5 and 90.6 ± 3.7 for 1 and 10 ng/ml leptin, respectively, vs 70.1 ± 5.9 for control; p < 0.05). In summary, these results indicate that the addition of leptin to IVM medium enhances meiotic maturation and embryo development from calf oocytes and improves the quality of embryos derived from these oocytes.     

17β雌二醇对鸡胚原始生殖细胞体外培养的影响

为探讨17β雌二醇（E2）对体外鸡胚原始生殖细胞（EPGC）发育的影响,采用EDTA 胰酶解离法获得第28期鸡胚性腺中的PGCs,依据差速贴壁原理分离纯化PGCs,然后置于添加不同浓度 （0、5、10、20 ng/mL）17βE2的培养液中进行培养。结果显示,5 ng/mL 17βE2添加组与0 ng/mL 17βE2对照组相比,PGCs的发育能力无显著差异,而10 ng/mL和20 ng/mL 17βE2两添加组与0 ng/mL及5 ng/mL组相比,PGCs的发育能力差异显著（P<0.05）。但是,10 ng/mL和20 ng/mL 17βE2两添加组相比,PGCs的发育能力无显著差异。由此说明在体外环境中,一定浓度的17βE2（10 ng/mL、20 ng/mL）可促进鸡原始生殖细胞的发育。     

Effect of linoleic acid-albumin on post-thaw survival of in vitro-produced bovine embryos at the 16-cell stage

The effect of addition of linoleic acid-albumin (LAA) to culture medium before freezing on the survival rate of bovine 16-cell embryos after freezing-thawing was investigated. Embryos were incubated in CR1aa containing LAA (0.25 mg/ml) for 4 days after insemination. A conventional slow cooling method was used, in which embryos were cooled at a rate of 0.3 degrees C/min to -30 degrees C in medium supplemented with 1.5 M ethylene glycol and 0.2 M trehalose. The developmental rate to the blastocyst stage of thawed embryos that had been cultured with LAA-containing medium before freezing was higher than that of these cultured without LAA (P<0.05). However, with fresh, non-frozen, embryos that were incubated under the same culture conditions (with and without LAA), no such difference was found.     

Reduced quality of bovine embryos cultured in media conditioned by exposure to an inflamed endometrium

OBJECTIVE: A suboptimal uterine environment contributes to the bovine repeat breeder syndrome. Subclinical endometritis is a component, so the mechanism by which inflammation affects embryo survival was investigated by assessing the effect of non-cellular products of an inflamed endometrium on embryo development to blastocyst. DESIGN: Endometrial fluid from a lactating dairy cow was collected by lavage using embryo culture medium. Aseptic inflammation was then induced by infusion of glycogen and lavage was repeated 6 h later. The recovered fluid was used to culture Day 5 in-vitro-derived embryos for 2 days. Embryo development and quality were compared for two treatment groups (culture media conditioned by inflamed or non-inflamed endometrium) and two controls (control or control + serum). RESULTS: Development to blastocyst was higher for conditioned media or media + serum (inflamed 42.2%; non-inflamed 49.3%; control + serum 50.9%; control 16.9%; P < 0.001). Blastocyst cell numbers were lower for the conditioned-inflamed group (inflamed, 83.1; non-inflamed, 99.8; control + serum, 100.6; control, 110.1; P < 0.001). Trophectoderm cell number, but not inner cell mass number, was reduced in the conditioned-inflamed group and the inner cell mass:trophectoderm ratio was increased (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Altering the embryo culture environment with the products of endometrial inflammation had a subtle effect on embryo quality. An increased inner cell mass:trophoblast ratio is likely to negatively affect embryonic survival. Altered embryo quality is a mechanism for early embryonic failure in cows with subclinical endometritis. Culture of embryos with normal endometrial fluid may improve in vitro embryo production.     

Beneficial Effect of Two Culture Systems with Small Groups of Embryos on the Development and Quality of In Vitro‐Produced Bovine Embryos

Currently, in vitro‐produced embryos derived by ovum pick up (OPU) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) technologies represent approximately one‐third of the embryos worldwide in cattle. Nevertheless, the culture of small groups of embryos from an individual egg donor is an issue that OPU‐IVF laboratories have to face. In this work, we tested whether the development and quality of the preimplantation embryos in vitro cultured in low numbers (five embryos) could be improved by the addition of epidermal growth factor, insulin, transferrin and selenium (EGF‐ITS) or by the WOW system. With this aim, immature oocytes recovered from slaughtered heifers were in vitro matured and in vitro fertilized. Presumptive zygotes were then randomly cultured in four culture conditions: one large group (LG) (50 embryos/500 μl medium) and three smaller groups [five embryos/50 μl medium without (control) or with EGF‐ITS (EGF‐ITS) and five embryos per microwell in the WOW system (WOW)]. Embryos cultured in LG showed a greater ability to develop to blastocyst stage than embryos cultured in smaller groups, while the blastocyst rate of WOW group was significantly higher than in control. The number of cells/blastocyst in LG was higher than control or WOW, whereas the apoptosis rate per blastocyst was lower. On the other hand, the addition of EGF‐ITS significantly improved both parameters compared to the control and resulted in similar embryo quality to LG. In conclusion, the WOW system improved embryo development, while the addition of EGF‐ITS improved the embryo quality when smaller groups of embryos were cultured.     

Investigation of developmental toxicity and teratogenicity of macrolide antibiotics in cultured rat embryos

Macrolides are considered to be one of the safest anti-infective groups in clinical use, with severe adverse reactions being rare. However, there are limited data about their embryotoxicity and teratogenicity. We aimed to investigate and compare the effects of these agents on embryonic growth and development. Rat embryos were cultured in vitro for 48 h in rat serum. Whole rat serum was used as a culture medium for the control group while different concentrations of spiramycin and azithromycin (1.25-6.25 microg/ml), and clarithromycin (2.5-30 microg/ml) were added to rat serum for the experimental groups. Dose-dependent effects of macrolides on embryonic developmental parameters were compared using morphological methods. Embryos were evaluated for the presence of any malformations. After morphological examination of the embryos, total DNA was extracted from the cells using standard procedures to determine fragmentation of nuclear DNA of embryonic cells. When compared with the control embryos, the macrolides significantly decreased all growth and developmental parameters dose dependently. While clarithromycin was found to cause more developmental toxicity than spiramycin and azithromycin, azitromycin was determined to have more teratogenicity potential. Compared with controls, there was no difference regarding the fragmentation of nuclear DNA of all the agents used. According to these results, when the toxic and teratogenic potential of the used agents compared, because of the lower toxic and teratogenic effects observed with spiramycin, this agent may be preferred for parturients.     

低聚壳聚糖硒抗玉米赤霉烯酮对IPEC-J2细胞紧密连接蛋白表达的影响

试验旨在探究低聚壳聚糖硒抗玉米赤霉烯酮（zearalenon，ZEN）对猪小肠上皮细胞（IPEC-J2）紧密连接蛋白表达的影响。试验分为对照组（C）、ZEN （30 μg/mL ZEN）、ZEN+0.5 Se （30 μg/mL ZEN+0.5 μmol/L低聚壳聚糖硒，以Se计）、ZEN+1.5 Se和ZEN+3 Se组。待细胞长至60%~70%汇合时，ZEN+0.5 Se、ZEN+1.5 Se和ZEN+3 Se组培养液更换为含对应Se浓度的培养液，C和ZEN组更换为正常培养液，12 h后向含ZEN组加入30 μg/mL ZEN，继续培养24 h。收集各组细胞培养液，检测碱性磷酸酶（AKP）活性；Western blotting法检测闭锁连接蛋白（zonula occludens-1，ZO-1）、闭合蛋白（Occludin）的表达，免疫荧光法检测ZO-1和Occludin蛋白的表达和定位情况。AKP活性检测结果表明，与对照组相比，ZEN、ZEN+0.5 Se、ZEN+1.5 Se组AKP活性均显著升高（P<0.05），ZEN+3 Se组AKP活性差异不显著（P>0.05）；与ZEN组相比，ZEN+1.5 Se和ZEN+3 Se组AKP活性均显著降低（P<0.05）。Western blotting检测结果表明，与对照组比，ZEN组ZO-1和Occludin蛋白表达水平均显著降低（P<0.05）；与ZEN组比，ZEN+0.5 Se、ZEN+1.5 Se和ZEN+3 Se组ZO-1表达水平均差异不显著（P>0.05），但随着Se浓度的增加，ZO-1表达水平逐渐升高，ZEN+0.5 Se、ZEN+1.5 Se、ZEN+3 Se组Occludin表达水平均显著升高（P<0.05）。免疫荧光结果表明，低聚壳聚糖硒可缓解ZEN引起的ZO-1和Occludin蛋白荧光信号减弱现象，并恢复ZO-1和Occludin蛋白的定位分布。由此说明，低聚壳聚糖硒可降低ZEN引起的IPEC-J2细胞AKP活性升高，上调ZEN引起的ZO-1、Occludin蛋白表达水平下降，并调节其定位分布。     

Vitrification of Bovine Blastocysts Produced In Vitro Inflicts Selective Damage to the Inner Cell Mass

In contrast to the embryos derived from live animals, the embryos produced in vitro undergo increased damage and reduced survival after cryopreservation, particularly when produced with serum. In medium containing serum, retinoic acid increases cell numbers in the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm without altering their relative proportions in the bovine blastocyst. In this work, in medium without serum, we analyzed the contribution of retinoic acid to the development of blastocyst and survival to vitrification, and found a strong cell reduction in the inner mass when compared to the trophectoderm. Day-6 in vitro -produced morulae were treated for 24 h with retinoic acid (0.7 and 1.4 μ m ) and subsequently cultured without additives for a further 24 h period. Day-8 blastocyst production and cell counts in hatched blastocysts were unaffected by retinoic acid. However, Day-7 expanded, vitrified embryos produced with retinoic acid 1.4 μ m survived at lower rates than controls when cultured after warming. Vitrification greatly reduced cell numbers in the inner mass (p < 0.0001), while cells in the trophectoderm remained unaltered. Differential cell counts analysis in blastocysts should be taken up to replace unspecific determination of total cells to appreciate substantial modifications in their exact terms. The strong reduction we found in the inner cell mass could explain why in vitro survival to cryopreservation is sometimes scarcely informative on the viability of the embryo after transfer to recipients.     

Investigation of Developmental Toxicity and Teratogenicity of Antiemetics on Rat Embryos Cultured In Vitro

In this study, we aimed to investigate and compare the direct toxic and teratogenic effects of dimenhydrinate, metoclopramide and trimethobenzamide HCl, antiemetic drugs on embryonic growth and development in cultured rat embryos. Embryos were explanted on day 9.5 of gestation and cultured. Whole rat serum was used as a culture medium for the control group while different concentrations of dimenhydrinate (2.5–20 μg/ml), metoclopramide (10–50 μg/ml) and trimethobenzamide HCl (25–100 μg/ml) were added to serum for the experimental groups. Effects of antiemetics on embryonic developmental parameters were compared, and embryos were evaluated for the presence of any malformations. Also, the total DNA was extracted from the cells to determine the fragmentation of nuclear DNA of embryonic cells. Compared with the control embryos, the antiemetics significantly decreased all growth and developmental parameters dose dependently. There was no difference regarding the fragmentation of nuclear DNA of the all used agents and controls. Amongst the agents, trimethobenzamide HCl was found to have more toxic and teratogenic potential, and metoclopramide appears to be the least toxic antiemetic and therefore could be more safely used and might be preferred for the treatment of nausea and vomiting in pregnancy.     

Effects of purple sweet potato anthocyanins on development and intracellular redox status of bovine preimplantation embryos exposed to heat shock

The development of cleavage stage preimplantation embryos is disrupted by exposure to heat shock, such as high temperatures in the summer season. In this study, we investigated whether addition of anthocyanins, which are strong scavengers of reactive oxygen species (ROS), improves development and intracellular redox status of heat-exposed bovine preimplantation embryos by reduction of heat shock-derived oxidative stress. After in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryos were cultured at 38.5 C through Day 8 (Day 0=day of IVF) with 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 microg/ml anthocyanins (non-heat-shocked group). On Day 2, embryos were cultured at 41.5 C for 6 h with 0, 0.1, 1 and 10 microg/ml anthocyanins followed by culture at 38.5 C until Day 8 (HS group). After exposure to heat shock, the intracellular ROS and glutathione (GSH) contents of individual embryos were measured in the non-heat-shocked and HS groups using fluorescent probes. On Day 8, the blastocysts formation rates of the embryos and total cell numbers of blastocysts were evaluated. Embryos exposed to heat shock without anthocyanins showed a significant decrease in blastocyst formation rate and GSH content (P<0.05) and an increase in intracellular ROS (P<0.05) compared with non-heat-shocked embryos. In contrast, addition of 0.1 microg/ml anthocyanins significantly (P<0.05) improved the blastocyst formation rate of the heat-shocked embryos. Addition of any dose of anthocyanins produced a significant decrease in the ROS levels (P<0.05) and tended to increase the GSH levels under heat-shock conditions. However, addition of higher concentrations (1 and 10 microg/ml) of anthocyanins to the culture media under heat shock did not improve the development of embryos. These results indicate that anthocyanins maintain the intracellular redox balance of heat-shocked bovine embryos by reducing intracellular oxidative stress and increasing the GSH levels. Thus, alterations of the redox state using natural antioxidative polyphenols is a useful approach for reducing heat shock-derived oxidative stress.     

Development of bovine embryos cultured in CR1aa and IVD101 media using different oxygen tensions and culture systems

The aim of the present study was to optimise the culture conditions for the in vitro production of bovine embryos. The development of in vitro fertilised bovine oocytes in CR1aa supplemented with 5% calf serum and IVD101 culture media were compared using traditional microdrops and Well of the Well (WOW) culture systems either under 5% or 20% oxygen tension. After 7 days of culture, a significantly higher blastocyst formation rate was obtained for embryos cultured in CR1aa medium compared to those cultured in IVD101, irrespective of O2 tensions and culture systems. The blastocyst formation in IVD101 was suppressed under 20% O2 compared to 5% O2 . Despite their similar total cell numbers, higher rates of inner cell mass (ICM) cells were observed in blastocysts developed in IVD101 medium than in those developed in CR1aa, irrespective of O2 tensions. There was no significant difference in blastocyst formation, total, ICM and trophectoderm (TE) cell numbers between embryos obtained by microdrop and WOW culture systems irrespective of the culture media and O2 tensions used. In conclusion, CR1aa resulted in higher blastocyst formation rates irrespective of O2 tension, whereas IVD101 supported blastocyst formation only under low O2 levels but enhanced the proliferation of ICM cells.     

Effects of bovine serum albumin and estrous cow serum on development and ultrastructure of in vitro-produced porcine embryos

This study evaluated the effects of bovine serum albumin (BSA; 4 mg/ml) and estrous cow serum (ECS; 10%) in North Carolina State University (NCSU) 23 medium on the development of in vitro-matured and in vitro-fertilized porcine oocytes. Early cleavage rate was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in NCSU/ECS (71.3 +/- 14.7%) vs. NCSU/BSA (60.6 +/- 4.7%). Cleavage beyond the four-cell stage was not different between the two culture media (43.5 +/- 9.5% and 41.4 +/- 17.7%, respectively). The proportion of development to blastocysts was--with borderline significance (P = 0.05)--higher in NCSU/BSA (28.0 +/- 4.4%) than in NCSU/ECS (20.4 +/- 7.3%). Blastocysts produced in NCSU/BSA had significantly (P < 0.001) higher cell numbers than those cultured in NCSU/ECS (29.5 +/- 20.1 vs. 16.9 +/- 10.8). The ultrastructure of in vitro-produced blastocysts from both culture systems was compared vs. in vivo-derived blastocysts. The latter showed a clear differentiation between trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) cells. The TE cells were anchored to other TE cells or ICM cells by long, well-developed junctional complexes. The apical membrane of trophoblast cells was covered with numerous microvilli. Mitochondria were abundant, round to elongated in shape, and showed clear transverse cristae. The ultrastructure of blastocysts cultured in NCSU/BSA mimicked that of in vivo-derived embryos closely. In contrast, blastocysts from the NCSU/ECS culture system displayed an irregular ultrastructure with reduced numbers of organelles and numerous cytoplasmic inclusions, such as lipid-yolk-vacuoles and vacuoles with lipid content. In some sections of these embryos, cellular debris was detected in cytoplasm. The shape of mitochondria was more ovoid and cristae were not visible. In summary, our results demonstrate a beneficial influence of ECS in the culture medium on initial cleavage of in vitro-produced porcine embryos. Clearly negative effects of ECS in the subsequent culture period are associated with marked ultrastructural changes of embryonic cells.     

Effect of phosphonoformic acid in the development of bovine embryos in vitro

This research evaluated the ability of phosphonoformic acid to inhibit bovine herpesvirus 1 (BHV-1) in cumulus cells commonly used in co-culture with bovine in vitro-produced embryos. At 200 and 400 microg/ml, phosphonoformic acid inhibited 4 logs of BHV-1. Subsequently, phosphonoformic acid (200 and 400 microg/ml) added to both in vitro fertilization and culture medium resulted in a decrease in the proportion of developed blastocysts, and the number of cells per blastocyst was lower in the treated embryos. Therefore, while phosphonoformic acid can effectively inhibit replication of BHV-1 in co-culture cells, it also inhibits development of in vitro-produced bovine embryos.