The Effect of Vitamin C on in Vitro Fertilization Process in Polycystic Mouse Oocytes

Abstract

Background and Objectives: In this research, the effect of vitamin C as an antioxidant was investigated on in vitro fertilization and fetal growth in oocytes obtained from small laboratory mice with experimentally-induced polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) using estradiol valerate. Methods: A number of 8-week-old Swiss-type adult mice were randomly selected and categorized into control (fed only with water and food) and PCOS (using estradiol valerate by intraperitoneal injection) groups. After a 2-month treatment period, hCG and Folligan drugs were injected intraperitoneally to stimulate ovulation. The oocytes were dissected, washed, and cultured in an HTF medium containing BSA (4 mg/mL). Oocytes obtained from mice were divided into different groups using culture media containing different doses of vitamin C. Then, the quality of the developed embryos, the percentage of cleavage, the number of arrested embryos, and the percentage of blastocysts created during 120 hours in each group were evaluated using an inverse microscope. Results: The results of examining the percentage of fertilization, blastocyst, and other stages of fetal development showed that the induction of polycystic ovary syndrome caused a significant reduction in the stages of development and growth of the fetus compared to the control group. It has also caused an increase in type I and type II embryos. Conclusion: Overall, using antioxidant vitamin C with the proper dose can positively affect fertility and fetal growth in the culture medium of in vitro fertilization.

Keywords

• ovarian cysts
• in vitro fertilization
• fetal development
• ascorbic acid