Ultrastructural morphometry of precompacted bovine embryos produced in vivo and in vitro after activation by electric pulse AC/DC.
Early bovine precompacted embryos (at 1- to 8-blastomere stage) were analyzed by electron microscopy. The volume density of cellular components was determined by morphometric analysis to quantify the ultrastructure of early bovine embryos produced either in vivo or parthenogenetically after stimulation of oocytes by electric pulse AC/DC. In embryos obtained in vivo, most of cellular volume was occupied by cytoplasm (82.93%). The relative volume of lipids, vacuoles, mitochondria was relatively low (5.46; 5.07; 3.78%, respectively), and the relative volume of Golgi apparatus and cell inclusions was the lowest (1.51%). AC/DC-derived parthenogenotes had a relative high area occupied by vacuoles and lipids (18.68 vs. 14.33%) and a significantly lower relative volume was occupied by cytoplasm (60.63%) when compared with the control in vivo embryos. These observations demonstrated that parthenogenetic embryos had significantly altered ultrastructure, indicating extensive subcellular damages. These findings are discussed from the physiological and functional point of view.
Institute for Genetics and Reproduction, Research Institute of Animal Production, Nitra, Slovakia. pivko@vuzv.sk
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J
Pivko
V
V
Landa
E
E
Kubovicová
A
A
Supová
P
P
Grafenau
A V
AV
Makarevich
M
M
Zibrín
D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D048429:Cell Size / Q000528:radiation effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D009865:Oocytes / Q000528:radiation effects* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D010312:Parthenogenesis / Q000528:radiation effects