Erythrocytes counteract the negative effects of female ageing on mouse preimplantation embryo development and blastocyst formation.
BACKGROUND
The low developmental competence of embryos from ageing females remains an enigma; it is presumably attributable to oxidative stress. A number of antioxidant mechanisms exist in the erythrocyte and these have been investigated in other cells and tissues. However, very few studies have reported the effects of erythrocyte supplementation on developmental competence in ageing embryos.


METHODS
In Experiment 1, IVF embryos from young (7-10 weeks) mice were cultured in medium supplemented with an oxidizing agent, hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase, in the presence and absence of erythrocytes. In Experiment 2, the development of embryos derived from young and ageing (40-50 weeks) female mice was assessed in the presence and absence of erythrocytes.


RESULTS
In Experiment 1, the presence of hypoxanthine/xanthine oxidase significantly inhibited embryo development (P < 0.0001). Erythrocyte supplementation clearly overcame the detrimental effects in a dose-related manner. In Experiment 2, in the absence of erythrocytes, developmental competence was significantly lower in embryos from ageing females than in those from young females (P < 0.01). However, in ageing females, the supplementation of erythrocytes significantly promoted the development of embryos to the blastocyst stage (51.1% versus 77.3%; P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Supplementation with erythrocytes can counteract the negative effect of maternal ageing on embryo development and blastocyst formation.
Fukuhara
Rie
R
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hirosaki University School of Medicine, 5 Zaifu-cho, Hirosaki, Aomori 036-8562, Japan. fukuhara@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp
Fujii
Shunsaku
S
Nakamura
Rika
R
Yuzawa
Ei
E
Kimura
Hidetaka
H
Fukui
Atsushi
A
Mizunuma
Hideki
H
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008423:Maternal Age; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000494:pharmacology; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase / Q000494:pharmacology
D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014969:Xanthine Oxidase