title: Effect of dexamethasone on development of in vitro-produced bovine embryos.
abstract: Studies in somatic cells have shown that glucocorticoids such as dexamethasone (DEX) may trigger or prevent apoptosis depending on the cell type in culture. Because the dysregulation of apoptosis may lower in vitro embryo production efficiency, we sought to investigate the effects of supplementing IVC medium with DEX (0.1 μg/mL) on embryo morphology, development kinetics, and apoptosis rates of in vitro-produced bovine preimplantation embryos. Embryo morphology was graded on Day 7, and development rates were assessed on Days 4 and 7 of IVC. Apoptosis was evaluated via annexin/propidium iodide staining under fluorescence microscopy where a cell labeled with annexin, propidium iodide, or both would be considered apoptotic. An embryo was counted in the apoptosis rates, if it displayed at least one such labeled cell. Although DEX supplementation did not reduce apoptosis rates, it had a positive impact on developmental kinetics and cell number both on Days 4 and 7 of embryo culture. Presumably, such effect resulted from increased cell proliferation rather than a direct inhibition of apoptosis. Further studies may evaluate the mechanisms by which glucocorticoids may affect embryo development, as DEX supplementation could become a tool to improve in vitro embryo yield in mammalian species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil. Electronic address: ppbsantana@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Priscila P B
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Carla M F
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Carvalho
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Nathália N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: da Costa
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Thiago V G
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Priscilla C A
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.affiliation: Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará, Abaetetuba, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcela S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cordeiro
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Simone S D
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: André S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Khayat
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Otávio M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Ohashi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pará, Belém, Para, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moysés S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Miranda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects*; D002417:Cattle; D002452:Cell Count; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D003907:Dexamethasone
keywords: Apoptosis; Bovine; Dexamethasone; In vitro embryo production