The role of melatonin in modulating mammalian reproduction is of particular interest; however, its effects on ovarian follicles and their oocytes still remain to be characterized. This study determined the influence of melatonin treatment on follicular growth patterns and on in vitro oocyte developmental competence. In a first experiment, the effects of melatonin supplementation on follicular dynamics were evaluated using daily transrectal ultrasonographies for 21 days, in 7 multiparous Sarda goats receiving a subcutaneous implant of 18 mg of melatonin and in 5 control untreated does. Melatonin caused more follicular waves (5.2 +/- 0.2 versus 4 +/- 0.3; P < 0.05) as the waves were shortened at around 2 days when compared with the non-melatonin treated control goats (P < 0.001). Oocyte developmental competence was evaluated in a second experiment by applying procedures for in vitro embryo production. There were no significant differences in the total number of oocytes obtained from 6 control (n = 192) and 7 melatonin-treated (n = 265) goats given follicle stimulating hormone to induce follicular development. Differences in oocyte developmental competence between the two groups became evident after in vitro fertilization and culture; melatonin increased the rate of cleaved oocytes in comparison with control animals (82.5 versus 63.4%; P < 0.001), advanced timing of embryo development and enhanced blastocyst output (31.5 versus 16.3%; P < 0.01). However, blastocyst quality, as evaluated by cryotolerance and gene expression analysis, was not found to be different between the groups. In conclusion, in vivo melatonin treatment is beneficial for increasing ovarian follicle turnover and improving oocyte developmental competence and kinetics of the blastocyst.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2009.00674.x | DOI Listing |
Mol Hum Reprod
January 2025
Follicle Biology Laboratory, Research Group Genetics, Reproduction and Development, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium.
Biphasic in vitro oocyte maturation (IVM) can be offered as a patient-friendly alternative to conventional ovarian stimulation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients predicted to be hyper-responsive to ovarian stimulation. However, cumulative live birth rates after IVM per cycle are lower than after conventional ovarian stimulation for IVF. In different animal species, supplementation of IVM media with oocyte-secreted factors (OSFs) improves oocyte developmental competence through the expression of pro-ovulatory genes in cumulus cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAnimals (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, SS, Italy.
Suboptimal culture conditions during in vitro maturation (IVM) affect oocyte developmental competence and the viability of the resulting embryo. Three-dimensional (3D) culture systems provide a more biologically appropriate environment compared to traditional two-dimensional (2D) cultures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of liquid marble (LM) microbioreactors as a 3D culture system on IVM and the subsequent embryo development of prepubertal goat oocytes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Assist Reprod Genet
January 2025
Department of Reproductive Genetics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, No. 295, Xichang Road, Wuhua District, Kunming, China.
Purpose: This study aimed to monitor the expression of B-cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) in granulosa cells of patients undergoing IVF/ICSI with respect blastocyst quality outcomes.
Methods: We recruited 181 women undergoing IVF/ICSI cycles for infertility. Granulosa cells were extracted from follicular fluid.
Theriogenology
January 2025
Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction in the Plateau Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China; Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Guizhou Province, Guiyang, 550025, China; College of Animal Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China. Electronic address:
Oocyte quality can affect mammal fertilization rate, early embryonic development, pregnancy maintenance, and fetal development. Oxidative stress induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one of the most important causes of poor oocyte maturation in vitro. To reduce the degree of cellular damage caused by ROS, supplementation with the antioxidant N-Acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) serves as an effective pathway to alleviate glutathione (GSH) depletion during oxidative stress.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTheriogenology
January 2025
College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an City, 271018, PR China. Electronic address:
Post-maturation oocyte aging (PMOA) is known to significantly impair the developmental potential of oocytes; however, comprehensive studies on ovine PMOA remain limited. In mice, cumulus cells (CCs) accelerate oocyte aging by releasing cytokines, but the roles of CCs and cytokines in PMOA of domestic animals are poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the involvement of CCs and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α in the PMOA of ovine oocytes.
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