title: Developmental competence and expression pattern of bubaline (Bubalus bubalis) oocytes subjected to elevated temperatures during meiotic maturation in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the direct effect of physiologically relevant high temperatures (40.5 and 41.5 °C) for two time periods (12 and 24 h) on bubaline oocytes during in vitro maturation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The control group oocytes were cultured at 38.5 °C for 24 h. The treatment 1 (T1) and 3 (T3) group oocytes were cultured at 40.5 and 41.5 °C respectively, for the first 12 h and at 38.5 °C for rest of the 12 h. However, treatment 2 (T2) and 4 (T4) group oocytes were cultured at 40.5 and 41.5 °C for complete 24 h.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Development of oocytes to blastocyst was severely compromised (p < 0.001) when matured at 40.5 and 41.5 °C for both exposure periods (12 h and 24 h). It was found that the cleavage rates, blastocyst yield and mean cell number decreased remarkably (p < 0.001) in the treatment groups compared to control. The relative mRNA expression of heat shock protein (Hsp 70.1, 70.2, 70.8, 60, 10 and HSF1), pro-apoptotic (caspases-3, -7, -8, Bid and Bax) and oxidative stress (iNOS) related genes was significantly higher (p < 0.05) in all the treatment groups compared to control. However, mRNA abundance of anti-apoptotic (Bcl-2, Mcl-1, Bcl-xl), glucose transport (Glut1, Glut3 and IGF1R), developmental competence (ZAR1 and BMP15) and oxidative stress (MnSOD) related genes was significantly decreased (p < 0.05) in the treatment groups compared to control.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study clearly establishes that physiologically relevant elevated temperatures during in vitro meiotic maturation reduce developmental competence of bubaline oocytes.
authors.affiliation: Animal Biotechnology Centre, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, 132001, Haryana, India, symaashraf@yahoo.co.in.
authors.forename: Syma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ashraf
authors.forename: Syed Mohammad
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Shah
authors.forename: Neha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saini
authors.forename: Suman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dhanda
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: T Sridhar
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Goud
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Chauhan
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Upadhyay
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008540:Meiosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger