title: Development of porcine embryos produced by IVM/IVF in a medium with or without protein supplementation: effects of extracellular glutathione.
abstract: This study was designed to examine the effects of extracellular reduced glutathione on development of pig embryos, produced by in vitro maturation (IVM) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF), in a chemically defined North Carolina State University (NCSU) 23 medium or in NCSU 23 medium with bovine serum albumin (BSA). Microfilament distribution, as a marker of embryo quality, was also examined by immunocytochemical staining and confocal microscopy. When the inseminated oocytes were cultured in the defined medium containing 0-0.5 mM glutathione, blastocyst formation as observed only in the media with glutathione (8.5-16.0%). Increased numbers of blastomeres were observed in the blastocysts as the concentration of glutathione was increased (18.8 +/- 7.2 to 31.0 +/- 8.6). In NCSU 23 medium with 4 mg BSA/ml, addition of glutathione at concentrations of 0.125-0.5 mM significantly increased the proportions of oocytes that developed to blastocysts (39.2-52.5%) compared with the control (29.5%). However, no difference was observed in the average cell number in the blastocysts (41.9 +/- 15.6 to 49.1 +/- 15.5). There were no significant differences in the microfilament distribution in the embryos produced in the defined medium and in the BSA-containing medium. These results indicate that pig embryos produced by IVM/IVF can develop to the blastocyst stage in a defined medium. BSA and glutathione have a synergistic effect on pig embryo development.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing. wangweihua11@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Billy N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Day
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D005978:Glutathione / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes; D013552:Swine / Q000196:embryology*
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D005978:Glutathione