Effect of glutathione on the development of rat embryos following microinsemination.

Purpose: The present study was carried out to evaluate the role of glutathione on rat embryo developmental potential after ICSI. We observed the effects of glutathione on the development of non-treated rat embryos, ICSI embryos and embryos with sham injection treatment. The development of glutathione-microinjected embryos was also observed.

Methods: Oocytes and fertilized embryos were obtained from superovulated Wistar-Imamichi rats and cultured in mR1ECM medium. Oocytes and embryos were then allowed to develop to assess the effect of glutathione on the development rate in intact embryos, micro-injected embryos and ICSI embryos.

Results: (1) In the intact embryo, the proportion of blastocyst stage development increased when 0.01 mM GSH was added to the medium compared to the control. (2) Microinjection of glutathione (GSSG, GSH) into the embryo increased development at each stage, and the addition of 0.2 nM GSSG or GSH significantly increased blastocyst development, in comparison to that of the control ( < 0.05). (3) Compared to the control, all the GSSG and GSH concentrations improved damaged blastocyst development, where 0.01 mM GSH improved significantly ( < 0.05). (4) The addition of glutathione in the medium increased the rate of blastocyst development after ICSI. A significantly higher number of TE and total cells were obtained in the micro-injected embryo with both of the 0.02 mM GSSG and GSH treatments ( < 0.05).

Conclusions: The addition of glutathione into the culture media can improve early embryo development and is capable of repairing the damage of ICSI rat embryos.