title: Fetal bovine serum influences apoptosis and apoptosis-related gene expression in porcine parthenotes developing in vitro.
abstract: This study was conducted to determine the effects of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), fetal bovine serum (FBS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) on blastocoel formation, total cell number, apoptosis and Bcl-xL and Bak gene expression in porcine presumptive diploid parthenotes developing in vitro. The addition of 0.4% BSA to the culture medium enhanced the development of 2-cell or late 4-cell stage parthenotes to the blastocyst stage (P < 0.01) while FBS decreased the incidence of blastocoel formation. FBS also reduced the frequency of blastocysts developed from both 2-cell (P < 0.001) and late 4-cell (P < 0.05) embryos and increased the percentage of blastocysts undergoing apoptosis (P < 0.001). The relative abundance of Bcl-xL mRNA in presumptive diploid parthenotes in the control, PVA- and BSA-supplemented medium was similar to that of in vivo-derived embryos, but was significantly higher than in parthenotes cultured with FBS supplement (P < 0.05). Bak mRNA significantly increased at the blastocyst stage in FBS-supplemented cells (P < 0.01). These results suggest that apoptosis-related gene expression is significantly affected by FBS, and that this may result in alteration of apoptosis and embryo viability of porcine embryos developing in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Sciences, Research Center for Bioresource and Health, Chungbuk National University, Gaesin-dong, Cheongju, Chungbuk, 361-763, South Korea.
authors.forename: Xiang-Shun
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Yu-Jeong
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Hwa-Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Sun-Hong
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cheon
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005312:Fetal Blood; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol / Q000494:pharmacology; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D013552:Swine; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D050998:bcl-2 Homologous Antagonist-Killer Protein; D051020:bcl-X Protein; D011142:Polyvinyl Alcohol