title: Effect of caffeine treatment before vitrification on MPF and MAPK activity and spontaneous parthenogenetic activation of in vitro matured ovine oocytes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Molecules that stabilize protein kinases may be useful in overcoming the deleterious effects of cryopreservation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of caffeine treatment before vitrification of in vitro matured ovine oocytes on the activity of MPF and MAPK as well as the spontaneous parthenogenetic activation after 24 h culture.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oocytes obtained from slaughterhouse sheep ovaries were in vitro matured for 21 h, incubated for 3 h with or without caffeine and then vitrified. After warming, oocytes were processed for the analysis of chromatin configuration and the evaluation of spontaneous parthenogenetic activation (24 h in vitro culture). Fresh in vitro matured oocytes were used as control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Caffeine treatment before vitrification maintained the MPF activity at a level similar to that of fresh oocytes, and reduced the spontaneous parthenogenetic activation in comparison with oocytes that were not-treated with caffeine.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Caffeine treatment prolongs the meiotic arrest of vitrified MII oocytes, likely via its action of stabilizing the MPF level.
authors.affiliation: Obstetric and Gynecological Section, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Sassari, Italy. federica@uniss.it.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ariu
authors.affiliation: Obstetric and Gynecological Section, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bogliolo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Leoni
authors.affiliation: Obstetric and Gynecological Section, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Falchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bebbere
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Nieddu
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Zedda
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pau
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiological, Biochemical and Cellular Science, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ledda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002110:Caffeine / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002843:Chromatin / Q000378:metabolism; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D059471:In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; D016200:Maturation-Promoting Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D012756:Sheep / Q000502:physiology*; D058989:Vitrification
chemical_list: D002843:Chromatin; D002110:Caffeine; D016200:Maturation-Promoting Factor; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases