Effect of hyaluronic acid on the development of porcine 1-cell embryos produced by a conventional or new in vitro maturation/fertilization system.
In pigs, it is difficult to produce normal fertilized embryos from immature oocytes in vitro. However, a new maturation/fertilization system in which the percentage of normal fertilized embryos is comparatively high has been developed recently. In the present study, porcine 1-cell embryos were produced both by a conventional and a new system and then cultured in NCSU-23 supplemented with hyaluronic acid at various concentrations. In the conventional system, the percentage of oocytes with monospermic penetration and 1 male pronucleus and 1 female pronucleus was only 6%. At 144 h after insemination, the percentage (5%) of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage in medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/mL hyaluronic acid was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that (2%) in medium without hyaluronic acid. When oocytes were matured and inseminated using the new system, monospermic penetration and the formation of 1 male and 1 female pronucleus were observed in 69% of the penetrated oocytes. However, blastocyst formation (8 to 14%) at 144 h after insemination was not affected by the concentration (0 to 1.0 mg/mL) of hyaluronic acid. These results indicate that the effect of hyaluronic acid on the development of in vitro-produced porcine embryos varies with the conditions of oocyte maturation and fertilization.
Miyoshi
K
K
Animal Reproduction Unit, Graduate School of Agriculture, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. miyoshik@bios.tohoku.ac.jp
Umezu
M
M
Sato
E
E
D000818:Animals; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000187:drug effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology*
D006820:Hyaluronic Acid