Effect of Acrylamide on Oocyte Nuclear Maturation and Cumulus Cells Apoptosis in Mouse In Vitro.
Acrylamide (ACR) is a chemical compound with severe neurotoxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity and reproductive toxicity. Recent studies showed that ACR impairs the function of reproductive organs, e.g., epididymis and testes. In vitro maturation of mouse oocyte is a sensitive assay to identify potential chemical hazard to female fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the adverse effects of ACR on the nuclear maturation and cumulus cells apoptosis of mouse oocytes in vitro. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were incubated in a maturation medium containing 0, 5, 10 and 20 μM of ACR. Chromosome alignment and spindle morphology of oocytes was determined by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Our results showed that oocytes exposed to different doses of ACR in vitro were associated with a significant decrease of oocyte maturation, significant increase of chromosome misalignment rate, occurrence of abnormal spindle configurations, and the inhibition of oocyte parthenogenetic activation. Furthermore, apoptosis of cumulus cells was determined by TUNEL and CASPASE-3 assay. Results showed that apoptosis in cumulus cells was enhanced and the expression of CASPASE-3 was increased after cumulus-oocyte complexes were exposed to ACR. Therefore, ACR may affect the nuclear maturation of oocytes via the apoptosis of cumulus cells in vitro.
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Shuzhen
S
Liu
Center for Reproductive Medicine, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, China.
Ligang
L
Jiang
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Tao
T
Zhong
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Shuhui
S
Kong
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Rongbin
R
Zheng
Reproductive Medicine Center, the Second Hospital Affiliated to Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Fengyun
F
Kong
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Cong
C
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Lei
L
Zhang
Key Laboratory of Animal Resistance Research, College of Life Science, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China.
Liguo
L
An
D020106:Acrylamide / Q000633:toxicity*; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D033481:Chromosomes, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009865:Oocytes / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
D020106:Acrylamide; C505409:Casp3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3