PS48 promotes in vitro maturation and developmental competence of porcine oocytes through activating PI3K/Akt signalling pathway

Oocyte maturation plays a vitally important role in porcine reproduction. Regrettably, the quality of oocytes matured in vitro is weaker than that of in vivo matured oocytes. We collected and cultivated porcine cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) in vitro with phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1 (PDK1) activator 5-(4-chloro-phenyl)-3-phenyl-pent-2-enoic acid (PS48), whose concentrations were 0, 2, 5, 10 and 20 µM to investigate whether the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase/protein kinase B (PI3K/Akt) signalling pathway would impact the oocyte quality. The results showed that 10 µM PS48 increased the oocyte proportion of metaphase II (MII) stage and improved the expansion of cumulus cells (CCs). What's more, the activation of PI3K/Akt signalling pathway could regulate the expression of maturation-related genes and proteins. The results of quantitative real-time PCR showed that 10 µM PS48 increased the mRNA and protein levels of Akt and regulated maturation-related genes, including cyclin B1, MOS, BMP15, GDF9, CDC2, mTOR, BAX, BCL2 and caspase-3. The results of Western blot indicated that 10µM PS48 increased the protein abundance of Akt, phosphorylation of Akt Thr308 (p-Akt^Thr308) and cyclin B1, but decreased the protein abundance of pro-apoptotic BAX. These results suggested that adding 10 µM PS48 to mature culture medium could promote the maturation of porcine oocytes, potentially through activating the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.     

Effect of FH535 on in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes by inhibiting WNT signaling pathway

Wingless‐int (WNT) signaling pathway is vital to modulate life processes, including cell fate determination, cell differentiation, cell proliferation, cell apoptosis and embryogenesis. To demonstrate the uncertain effect of the canonical WNT signaling pathway on oocyte maturation, immature porcine oocytes were collected and cultured in vitro with the WNT/β‐catenin inhibitor FH535. The concentrations of FH535 were selected as 0.00, 0.01, 0.10, 1.00 and 10.00 μmol/L. The results showed that the optimum concentration of FH535 on oocyte maturation was 1.00 μmol/L. In this concentration, the proportion of MII oocytes increased (P < 0.05). The rate of cleavage was the same with the control (P > 0.05), while the rate of blastocysts in the 1.00 μmol/L FH535 treated group was higher than that of control (P < 0.01). Additionally, the average number of nuclei in blastocysts raised significantly (P < 0.05). The inhibition of WNT could regulate expression of maturation‐related genes, including Cdc‐2, Bmp‐15, Gdf‐9 and Mos. In the 1.00 μmol/L FH535 treated group, the messenger RNA level of β‐catenin showed no significant change compared to the control (P > 0.05), but the protein abundance was decreased (P < 0.05). This study revealed that the inhibition of FH535 on the WNT signaling pathway could promote the maturation of porcine oocytes and altered gene expressions in vitro.     

牦牛卵巢卵母细胞体外培养成熟条件的建立

研究了不同采集方法和不同培养液对牦牛卵母细胞体外成熟的培养效果。结果:在牦牛乏情期,每个卵巢平均回收卵数为(9.33±4.30),可用卵数为(5.63±4.19)。将牦牛卵丘卵母细胞复合体分别置于5种成熟培养液中培养,成熟率分别为75.56%、71.11%、81.33%、77.33%和77.78%,卵裂率分别为42.22%、33.33%、49.33%、46.67%和42.22%,其中C的成熟液效果最好。来自卵巢表面卵泡的COCs的成熟率(81.33(vs69.33(,P>0.05)高于来自卵巢内卵泡的COCs,卵裂率(49.33%vs34.67%,P<0.05)显著高于来自卵巢内卵泡的COCs。来自明亮卵泡的COCs的成熟率(81.33%vs33.33%,P<0.01)和卵裂率(49.33%vs3.33%,P<0.01)极显著高于来自混浊卵泡的COCs。     

牛有腔卵泡卵母细胞体外成熟的研究

试验从屠宰场收集了 4 8头青年黄牛、34头青年水牛的卵巢共 16 4个 ,共回收可用卵母细胞 86 4枚。水牛平均每个卵巢可回收 3.2 2枚可用卵母细胞 ,相当于黄牛 (6 .72枚 )的一半。试验结果表明 :水牛卵巢生长卵泡少 ,卵母细胞产量少、质量差 ;3种采集黄牛卵泡卵母细胞的方法 ,用抽吸加切割法平均从每个卵巢回收的可用卵数 (7.71枚 )都极显著高于抽吸法 (6 .19枚 )和切割法 (6 .4 4枚 ) (P <0 .0 1) ,但是该法手续繁杂 ,适于一次且只能收集少量卵巢时使用 ;在黄牛和水牛卵母细胞成熟培养液中用 0 .3%PVP代替 10 %FBS ,牛卵母细胞的体外成熟率无显著差异 (P >0 .0 5 )。     

Effect of medium additives during liquid storage on developmental competence of in vitro matured bovine oocytes

Our aim was to improve the developmental competence of bovine oocytes during their liquid storage by using additives. In vitro matured oocytes were stored for 20 h at 25°C in HEPES buffered TCM 199 medium (base medium). After storage, in vitro embryo development after in vitro fertilization was compared to those of non‐stored (control) ones. Addition of 10% (v/v) newborn calf serum or 10.27 mmol/L pyruvate alone to the base medium did not improve blastocyst formation rates in stored oocytes; however, their simultaneous addition significantly improved the rate compared with those stored in base medium (P < 0.05). Supplementation of the holding medium with dithiothreitol (DTT) at any concentrations did not improve embryo development from stored oocytes. Although supplementation with cyclosporine A (CsA) significantly reduced apoptosis and membrane damage rates during storage, it did not improve the developmental competence of oocytes. 1,2‐bis(2‐aminophenoxy) ethane N,N,N’,N’‐tetraacetic acid tetrakis‐acetoxymethyl ester and ruthenium red had no effect on oocyte apoptotic rates. Blastocyst formation rates in all stored groups remained significantly lower than that of the control. In conclusion, pyruvate and serum had a synergic effect to moderate the reduction of oocyte quality during storage, whereas mitochondrial membrane pore inhibitor CsA and the antioxidant DTT did not affect their developmental competence.     

In vitro maturation using αMEM with reduced NaCl enhances maturation and developmental competence of pig oocytes after somatic cell nuclear transfer

BackgroundCompared to medium containing 108 mM sodium chloride (NaCl), in vitro maturation (IVM) using a simple medium with reduced (61.6 mM) NaCl increases the cytoplasmic maturation and embryonic development of pig oocytes.ObjectivesThis study determines the effect of a complex medium containing reduced NaCl on the IVM and embryonic development of pig oocytes.MethodsPig oocytes were matured in Minimum Essential Medium Eagle-alpha modification (αMEM) supplemented with 61.6 (61αMEM) or 108 (108αMEM) mM NaCl, and containing polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) (αMEMP) or pig follicular fluid (PFF) (αMEMF). Medium-199 (M199) served as the control for conventional IVM. Cumulus cell expansion, nuclear maturation, intra-oocyte glutathione (GSH) contents, size of perivitelline space (PVS), and embryonic development after parthenogenesis (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) were evaluated after IVM.ResultsRegardless of PVA or PFF supplementation, oocytes matured in 61αMEM showed increased intra-oocyte GSH contents and width of PVS (p < 0.05), as well as increased blastocyst formation (p < 0.05) after PA and SCNT, as compared to oocytes matured in 108αMEMP and M199. Under conditions of PFF-enriched αMEM, SCNT oocytes matured in 61αMEMF showed higher blastocyst formation (p < 0.05), compared to maturation in 108αMEMF and M199, whereas PA cultured oocytes showed no significant difference.ConclusionsIVM in αMEM supplemented with reduced NaCl (61.6 mM) enhances the embryonic developmental competence subsequent to PA and SCNT, which attributes toward improved oocyte maturation.     

Conditions affecting growth and developmental competence of mammalian oocytes in vitro

Mammalian ovaries contain a large number of oocytes at different stages of growth. To utilize potential female gametes, it is important to develop culture systems that permit oocytes to achieve full growth and competence in order to undergo maturation, fertilization and development. The desired culture systems should meet at least the following three conditions: (i) oocytes remain healthy and functional so that they can execute intrinsic programs that direct their growth and development; (ii) granulosa cells that are adjacent to oocytes proliferate efficiently to prevent oocytes from becoming denuded; and (iii) granulosa cells maintain (and develop) appropriate associations with oocytes during the culture period. For this reason, several systems have been developed, and they can be classified into four categories based on the structure and components of the follicle/oocyte–granulosa cell complex and the location of the oocyte in the physical organization of the complex. The resultant diverse morphologies are due to multiple factors, including the method for initial isolation of follicles, the culture substrate, and hormones and other factors added into the medium. It is important to find an optimal combination of such factors involved in the process to facilitate future research efforts.     

Cytoskeletal and mitochondrial properties of bovine oocytes obtained by Ovum Pick‐Up: the effects of follicle stimulation and in vitro maturation

Follicle stimulation by follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) is known to improve developmental competence of bovine oocytes obtained by Ovum Pick‐Up (OPU); however, the exact factors in oocytes affected by this treatment have remained unclear. We compared in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes obtained at the immature stage from cows by OPU either without or with stimulation with FSH (non‐stimulated and stimulated OPU, respectively) to those obtained by superstimulation and in vivo maturation in terms of cytoskeleton morphology, mitochondrial distribution, intracellular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) content and H₂O₂ levels at the metaphase‐II stage and intracellular Ca²⁺ levels after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Confocal microscopy after immunostaining revealed reduced size of the meiotic spindle, associated with increased tendencies of microfilament degradation and insufficient mitochondrial re‐distribution in non‐stimulated OPU‐derived IVM oocytes compared with those collected by stimulated OPU, which in turn resembled in vivo matured oocytes. However, there was no difference in mitochondrial functions between oocytes obtained by stimulated or non‐stimulated OPU in terms of ATP content, cytoplasmic H₂O₂ levels, base Ca²⁺ levels and the frequencies and amplitudes of Ca²⁺ oscillations after IVF. Larger size of metaphase spindles in oocytes obtained by stimulated OPU may reflect and potentially contribute to their high developmental competence.     

Effect of estradiol‐17β during in vitro growth culture on the growth,maturation, cumulus expansion and development of porcine oocytes from early antral follicles

Growing porcine oocytes from early antral follicles can acquire meiotic and developmental competence under suitable culture conditions, but at lower rates compared to full‐grown oocytes. We postulated that estradiol‐17β (E₂) supported the acquisition of meiotic and developmental competence as well as cumulus‐expansion ability during growth culture. Growing oocytes from early antral follicles (1.2 to 1.5 mm in diameter) were grown in vitro for 5 days in a medium containing 0, 10^?7, 10^?6, 10^?5 or 10^?4 mol/L E₂; after in vitro maturation, 35, 58, 47, 74 and 49% of oocytes matured to metaphase II, 25, 79, 77, 90 and 97% acquired cumulus‐expansion ability, and 23, 54, 63, 89 and 64% were fully surrounded by cumulus cells, respectively. Following maturation, electro‐stimulation was applied to the oocytes grown with 10^?5 mol/L E₂. After 6 days of culture, in vitro‐grown oocytes developed to the blastocyst stage at a rate similar to that for full‐grown oocytes (31% and 40%, respectively). Therefore, we suggest that the use of E₂ during growth culture improves the meiotic and developmental competence of oocytes, cumulus‐expansion ability, and cumulus cell attachment to the oocytes.     

The localization and function of p38α mitogen‐activated protein kinase in rat oocytes

P38α mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK), which is a member of the canonical MAPK family, is activated in response to various extracellular stresses and plays a role in multiple cellular processes. In this study, we investigated the expression, subcellular localization and functional roles of p38α MAPK during the meiotic maturation of rat oocytes. We found that p38α MAPK phosphorylation (p‐p38α MAPK, indicative of p38α MAPK activation) was low at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage, increased 3 hr after germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and maintained its maximum at metaphase I (MI) or metaphase II (MII). The p‐p38α MAPK mainly accumulated in the GV and had no obvious expression in the nucleus. From GVBD to MII, p‐p38α MAPK was distributed in the cytoplasm around either the chromosomes or the spindle. We used SB203580, an inhibitor of p38α MAPK, to investigate the possible functional role of p38α MAPK during rat oocyte meiotic maturation. Treatment of GV stage oocytes with 20 μM SB203580 blocked p‐p38α MAPK activity, and the spindles appeared abnormal. Additionally, the rate of GVBD after 3 hr of culture with 20 μM SB203580 (58.8%) was significantly inhibited compared with the control (82.5%, p < .05), and the polar body extrusion rate after 12 hr of culture with SB203580 was also significantly decreased compared with the control (40.1% vs 73.3%, p < .05). Taken together, these data indicate that p38α MAPK may play a vital role in rat oocyte meiotic maturation.     

牛卵泡卵母细胞的体外成熟和冷冻保存

在简化牛卵母细胞体外成熟的基础上,观察了保护剂、平衡温度、预平衡方法、解冻方法以及冷冻方法对牛卵泡卵母细胞冷冻的影响。结果表明:在体外成熟培养液中添加26.2 mmol/L的NaHCO3和对屠宰场卵巢进行选择更能促进牛卵母细胞的体外成熟;无论是程序冷冻还是玻璃化冷冻,乙二醇(EG)与甘油(GLY)相比更能促进牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻效果;在程序冷冻中,冷冻液中添加0.1 mol/L蔗糖比添加0.3mol/L的蔗糖更能促进牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻;在玻璃化冷冻中,37℃和25℃的平衡温度比4℃更适合牛卵泡卵母细胞的冷冻;在10%、5%、1%的预平衡浓度之间,5%的预平衡浓度即可达到预平衡的效果;在解冻时,多步脱除保护剂更能保护冷冻的卵母细胞;比较了几种最小样本量(minimum size sample,MSS)玻璃化冷冻方法,解冻成熟培养后的成熟率,拉细毛细玻璃管冷冻法为(41.67±3.19)%,极显著高于未拉细毛细玻璃管冷冻法(glassmicropipette,GMP)的(30.19±1.93)%和固体表面冷冻法(solid surface vitrification,SSV)的(28.33±2.89)%(P<0.01)。     

高浓度葡萄糖对猪卵母细胞体外成熟和早期胚胎发育的影响

试验旨在探究高浓度葡萄糖对猪卵母细胞体外成熟及早期胚胎发育能力的影响。取体外分离处于生发泡期的猪卵丘卵母细胞复合体(COCs),分为3个处理组。分别用含葡萄糖浓度为5.6 mmol/L(C组)、10 mmol/L(G-1组)、15 mmol/L(G-2组)的培养液,进行体外成熟(IVM)处理,42 h后观察,并统计卵丘细胞扩散情况和第一极体排出率;对体外成熟42 h后的卵母细胞孤雌激活,统计2-细胞、4-细胞和第7天囊胚发育。结果发现,G-1组和G-2组卵丘细胞扩散度显著低于C组(P<0.05);G-1组和G-2组的MII期卵母细胞死亡率和存活率与C组相比无显著差异(P>0.05),但G-1组极体率显著降低(P<0.05),G-2组极体率极显著低于C组(P<0.01)。孤雌激活后,与C组相比,G-1组和G-2组的2-细胞分裂率显著降低(P<0.05),4-细胞分裂率以及囊胚发育率均极显著降低(P<0.01),但G-1、G-2组囊胚细胞数量与C组相比无显著性差异(P>0.05)。进一步线粒体染色发现,G-1组和G-2组的线粒体与C组相比分布不均。...     

卵泡大小和颗粒细胞对山羊卵泡卵母细胞体外成熟和体外受精的影响

用切割法采集卵泡液,收集卵丘一卵母细胞复合体（Cumulus oocytes comlexs,COCs）和自然裸卵,将部分COCs去除卵丘细胞获得机械裸卵,COCs放入体外成熟培养液中培养为成熟卵母细胞,加入获能的精子液,进行体外受精。结果表明：卵母细胞的体外成熟率和卵裂率与卵泡直径密切相关,大卵泡（80．95％,P〈0．01）和中等卵泡（75．50％,P〈0．05）的卵母细胞成熟率高于小卵泡（50．27％）;犬卯泡（53．53％）和中等卵泡（47．13％）的卵裂率显著高于小卵泡的32．26％（P〈0．05）。COCs、机械裸卵和自然裸卵的体外成熟率分别为75．0％、54．2％和10．5％,差异极显著（P〈0．01）,卵裂率分别为53．8％、10．8％和0％,差异极显著（P〈0．01）。对照组和1×10^5、1×10^6个／mL颗粒细胞组卵母细胞体外成熟率分别为68．6％、69．6％和67．8％,无显著差异（P〉0．05）,但均显著高于1×10^7个／mL（51．5％,P〈0．05）和1×10^10个／mL（35．5％,P〈0．05）颗粒细胞组,但各组间的体外受精率无显著差异（P〉0．05）。结果提示,大卵泡和中卵泡的卵母细胞的体外成熟率和卵裂率显著高于小卵泡,体外成熟培养液中添加高浓度的颗粒细胞能显著抑制卵母细胞的体外成熟。     

Effects of the preservation medium and storage duration of domestic cat ovaries on the maturational and developmental competence of oocytes in vitro

We examined the effectiveness of saline, Euro-Collins solution (EC), and ET-Kyoto solution (ET-K) as preservation media for the cold storage of feline ovaries. Ovaries were maintained in these media at 4°C for 24, 48, or 72 h until oocyte retrieval. The ET-K group exhibited a higher oocyte maturation rate than the saline group after 72 h of storage. Moreover, ET-K could sustain the competence of the feline oocytes to cleave after 48 h, and the morula formation rate of the ET-K group was higher than that of the other groups after 24 and 48 h. Furthermore, the ET-K group exhibited a higher blastocyst formation rate than the other groups after storage for 24 h, and only ET-K retained the developmental competence in blastocysts after 48 h of storage. In addition, regarding the cell numbers of the blastocysts, there was no significant difference among the tested groups. In conclusion, our results indicate that ET-K is a suitable preservation medium for feline ovaries.     

密闭气袋在牛卵母细胞体外成熟培养中的应用

通过简易避光密闭气袋在人体呼出的气相环境下（CO2浓度约5%,O2浓度约15%）,利用生化培养箱进行牛卵母细胞的体外成熟培养。结果显示,牛卵母细胞在密闭气袋中培养与对照组（正常培养）相比成熟率（74.79%比71.69%,P〉0.05）、孤雌激活后卵裂率（83.07%比81.39%,P〉0.05）和囊胚发育率上（26.75%比22.87%,P〉0.05）均无显著差异,但是密闭气袋培养各项数据均略高于对照组。本试验验证了该技术的方便性和有效性,为此技术在生产实践中的推广应用提供依据。     

Alpha-lipoic acid improves the maturation and the developmental potential of goat oocytes in vitro

Oxidative stress inevitably occurs during oocyte maturation in vitro. α-lipoic acid (α-LA) has a strong antioxidant capacity, but the effect of α-LA on parthenogenetic activation of oocytes was rarely reported. This study aims to investigate the effect of supplementing α-LA to in vitro maturation medium on the subsequent developmental ability of goat parthenogenetic embryos during oocytes maturation. In the study, the goat cumulus-oocyte complex was divided into the experimental (with 25 μmol/L α-LA) and the control (without α-LA) groups. Oxidase expression was measured using RT-qPCR. After 18–22 hr of maturation, the oocytes were then parthenogenetic activated. The total antioxidant capacity of embryos was measured after 0, 24, 48, 72 and 96 hr of culture. Rates of oocyte maturation and the rates of development for parthenogenetic embryos in the α-LA group were significantly improved by 7.88% (p < .05) and 5.41% (p < .05) compared with those in the control group, respectively. After 24 hr, the difference in total antioxidant capacity was extremely significant in both groups. An evident decrease in the control group and a minor decrease in the α-LA group were observed (p < .01). The ratio of inner cell mass cells to the total cell number of blastocysts in the α-LA group increased compared with that in the control group (p < .05) on day 8. α-LA significantly promoted the expression of SOD and GPX4 of parthenogenetic blastocysts and maturated oocytes. α-LA (25 μmol/L) improved the maturation rate and the developmental competence of the parthenogenetic activation of oocytes, which might be mediated by maintaining the total antioxidant ability of oocytes during the culture period.     

Theca cell-conditioned medium added to in vitro maturation enhances embryo developmental competence of buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes after parthenogenic activation

Theca cells (TCs) play a key role in follicular growth and atresia. TCs synthesize androgens that act as substrate for granulosa cells (GCs) aromatization to estrogens needed for oocyte maturation. However, the effects of TCs in the form of conditioned medium on in vitro maturation (IVM) and developmental competence of buffalo oocytes remain unclear. In the present study, we examined the impacts of TC-conditioned medium (TCCM) on maturation efficiency and embryo development of buffalo oocytes after parthenogenic activation (PA). Our results showed that TCCM that was collected on day 2 and added to IVM medium at a 20% proportional level (2 days & 20%) exerted no significant effect on IVM rate (43.06% vs. 44.71%), but significantly (p  < .05) enhanced embryo development (oocyte cleavage, 80.93% vs. 69.66%; blastocyst formation, 39.85% vs. 32.84%) of buffalo oocytes after PA compared with the control group. However, monolayer TC significantly (p < .05) promoted both maturation efficiency (48.84% vs. 44.53%) and embryo development (oocyte cleavage, 80.39% vs. 69.32%; blastocyst formation, 35.38% vs. 29.25%) of buffalo oocytes after PA compared to that in the control group. Furthermore, TCs secreted some testosterone into the conditioned medium, which significantly (p < .05) promoted the expression levels of oestrogen synthesis-related genes (CYP11A1, CYP19A1 and 17β-HSD) in buffalo cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs). Our study indicated that TCCM (2 days & 20%) did not significantly affect IVM efficiency, but enhanced embryo developmental competence of oocytes after PA principally by stimulating the secretion of testosterone and facilitating estradiol synthesis of buffalo COCs.     

Meiosis in bovine oocytes matured in vitro and in vivo

Meiosis in bovine oocytes has; been studied after maturation in vitro or in vivo. Oocytes for in vitro maturation were collected from the ovaries of slaughtered cattle without regard to the phase of the estrous cycle while in vivo maturation was studied in oocytes from gonadotrophin-stimulated heifers at times varying between 6 and 36 h after the beginning of behavioural estrus. Oocytes from slaughtered cattle were classified according to their cumulus complex and ooplasm and were cultured for 6, 12, 18, 24, 36 or 48 h in modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer before fixation) for cytogenetic analysis. Oocytes from stimulated heifers were aspirated from follicles or flushed from the oviducts, classified according to cumulus and ooplasm, and fixed within 6 h of collection. Nuclear maturation was more rapid in vitro than in vivo. The largest proportion of oocytes reached maturity (Mil) after 12 to 18 h in culture or 30 to 36 h after the onset of behavioural estrus. Oocytes devoid of cumulus cells or showing signs of vacuolation or degeneration had virtually no capacity for nuclear maturation.     

Effects of Wnt10b on dermal papilla cells via the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway in the Angora rabbit

Wnt10b is a member of Wnt family that plays a variety of roles in biological functions, including those in the development of hair follicles. To investigate the effect of Wnt10b on hair growth in the Angora rabbit and to determine the underlying molecular mechanism, we cultured dermal papilla (DP) cells with exogenous Wnt10b in vitro. We observed the expressions of downstream critical gene β‐catenin and lymphoid enhancer‐binding factor 1 (LEF1) in Wnt/β‐catenin pathway. The levels of β‐catenin mRNA and protein were higher in the Wnt10b group of DP cells than in the Control group, and the mRNA level of LEF1 in the Wnt10b group was higher than in the Control group. Moreover, translocation of β‐catenin from cytoplasm to nucleus was activated in the Wnt10b group. Furthermore, the mRNA levels of the hair follicle‐regulatory genes, insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the protein activity of ALP was also upregulated in the Wnt10b group compared to their corresponding levels in the Control group. These data suggest that Wnt10b could activate the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway to induce DP cells in the Angora rabbit. In addition, the proliferation of DP cells was significantly promoted when cultured with Wnt10b for 48 and 72 hr, suggesting that Wnt10b plays a pivotal role in the proliferation and maintenance of DP cells in vitro. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that Wnt10b may promote hair follicle growth in Angora rabbit through the canonical Wnt/β‐catenin signalling pathway that promotes the proliferation of DP cells.