title: Caffeine and dithiothreitol delay ovine oocyte ageing.
abstract: The intracellular glutathione levels and developmental competence of aged oocytes after parthenogenetic activation, somatic cell nuclear transfer and intracytoplasmic sperm injection in the presence or absence of caffeine or dithiothreitol (DTT) were examined. The following results were found: (1) ovine oocytes were fully aged 30 h post-onset of maturation culture; (2) the appropriate concentrations of caffeine and DTT for oocyte culture were 5 mM and 1 mM, respectively; (3) when nuclear transfer-reconstructed embryos were treated with caffeine or DTT following fusion, no increase in the frequency of development to blastocyst was observed (P > 0.05), but the cell numbers of blastocysts increased (P < 0.05); (4) both caffeine and DTT increased the blastocyst formation rates of intracytoplasmic sperm-injected embryos (P < 0.05); (5) caffeine increased the glutathione content of aged oocytes (P < 0.05). The glutathione content of DTT-treated aged oocytes was higher than that of oocytes matured for 36 h (P < 0.05). In conclusion, caffeine and dithiothreitol delay oocyte ageing but only to a limited extent.
authors.affiliation: Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology, Xinjiang Academy of Animal Sciences, Urumqi 830000, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Shi-Bin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Li-Qin
authors.initials: LQ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yun-Cheng
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xue-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: Ming-Jun
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jun-Cheng
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000187:drug effects*; D004229:Dithiothreitol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005978:Glutathione / Q000378:metabolism; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D010312:Parthenogenesis; D012756:Sheep; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002110:Caffeine; D005978:Glutathione; D004229:Dithiothreitol