Effect of cysteamine and 13-cis-retinoic acid on bovine in vitro embryo production

Abstract

One of the main factors decreasing the success of an in vitro embryo production is oxidative stress-mediated reactive oxygen species resulting in cellular damages. The present study was carried out to evaluate the effects of addition of different doses of cysteamine and 13-cis-retinoic acid during in vitro maturation on oocyte maturation and blastocyst formation. Five-hundred oocyte complexes were randomly collected from slaughterhouse and assigned to five groups; oocytes matured in vitro maturation (IVM) medium without any supplementation (control), IVM medium supplemented with 50 μM or 100 μM cysteamine, IVM supplemented with 5 nM 13-cis-retinoic acid and IVM supplemented with 10 nM 13-cis-retinoic acid. Matured oocytes were fertilized and cultured. Oocytes and embryos were evaluated for nuclear maturationand blastocyst formation, respectively. The highest numbers of oocytes in the cumulus expansion, cleavage, murola and blastocyst stages were seen in cows treated with 13-cis retinoic (5 nm) (92%), cysteamine (100 μL) (74%), cysteamine (50 and 100 μL) (48%), cysteamine (100 μL) and 13-cis retinoic (24%) and finally cysteamine (100 μL) (22%), respectively.Nuclear maturation of oocytes decreased significantly in the media supplemented with 10 nM 13-cis-retinoic acid (P<0.05). The results of the present study demonstrated that IVM supplementation with cysteamine and a low concentration of 13-cis-retinoic acid improved the efficacy of an in vitro production of bovine embryo.

Keywords

• cysteamine
• 13-cis-retinoic acid
• bovine
• in vitro embryo production