title: The effects of glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine on in vitro fertilisation of porcine oocytes.
abstract: High incidences of polyspermic penetration continue to challenge researchers during porcine in vitro fertilisation (IVF). The aim of this study was to reduce the incidence of polyspermy by increasing the perivitelline space thickness with glucuronic acid and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) supplementation during oocyte maturation. After maturation, zona pellucida and perivitelline space thicknesses, intracellular glutathione concentrations and fertilisation kinetics were measured, in addition to embryonic cleavage and blastocyst formation at 48 h and 144 h after IVF, respectively. There were no significant differences between the treatments for zona pellucida thickness, penetration rates, male pronuclear formation or cortical granule exocytosis. Glucuronic acid supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) the perivitelline space thickness and significantly lowered the incidence (P < 0.05) of polyspermy. GlcNAc supplementation significantly increased (P < 0.05) intracellular glutathione concentrations. Supplementation with 0.005 mM glucuronic acid plus 0.005 mM GlcNAc during oocyte maturation produced significantly higher rates (P < 0.05) of cleavage and blastocyst formation by 48 and 144 h after IVF compared with all other groups. These results indicate that supplementing with 0.005 mM glucuronic acid and 0.005 mM GlcNAc during oocyte maturation decreases the incidence of polyspermic penetration by increasing perivitelline space thickness and improving embryo development in pigs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schmidt
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Durfey
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Buck
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boyd
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Pre-veterinary Studies, The University of Findlay, 1000 North Main Street, Findlay, OH 45840, USA.|Corresponding author. Email: whitaker@findlay.edu.
authors.forename: B D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Whitaker
keywords: cortical granules; perivitelline space; polyspermy