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Effect of Linolenic acid during in vitro maturation of ovine oocytes: embryonic developmental potential and mRNA abundances of genes involved in apoptosis

  • Gamete Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To study the effect of α-linolenic acid (ALA) on meiotic maturation, mRNA abundance of apoptosis-related (Bax and Bcl-2) molecules, and blastocyst formation in ovine oocytes.

Methods

A preliminary experiment was conducted to analyze the concentration of ALA in “small” (≤2 mm) and “large” (≥6 mm) follicles using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis. The concentration of ALA in small and large follicles was determined to be in a range of 75.4 to 125.7 μM, respectively. In vitro maturation (IVM) of oocyte was then performed in presence of 0 (control), 10 (ALA-10), 50 (ALA-50), 100 (ALA-100), and 200 (ALA-200) μM of ALA. Meiotic maturation and mRNA abundance of Bax, and Bcl-2 genes was evaluated after 24 h of IVM. The embryonic cleavage and blastocyst formation following parthenogenetic activation were also determined for each group.

Results

The highest concentration of ALA (ALA-200) decreased the oocyte maturation rate compared with the control group. Analysis of apoptosis-related genes in oocytes after IVM revealed lesser transcript abundances for Bax gene, and higher transcript abundances for Bcl-2 gene in ALA-treated oocytes as compared with the control oocytes. In term of cleavage rate (considered as 2-cell progression), we did not observe any differences among the groups. However, ALA-100 group promoted more blastocyst formation as compared with the control group.

Conclusion

Our results suggested that ALA treatment during IVM had a beneficial effect on developmental competence of ovine oocytes by increasing the blastocyst formation and this might be due to the altered abundance of apoptosis-regulatory genes.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the Stem Cell Technology Research Centre, Tehran, Iran. The authors thank the members of their own laboratories for their helpful discussions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal and Poultry Science, College of Aburaihan, University of Tehran, P.O. Box 11365/7117, Pakdasht, Tehran, Iran

    Arash Veshkini, Ali Akbar Khadem & Abdollah Mohammadi-Sangcheshmeh

  2. Department of Transgenic Animal Science, Stem Cell Technology Research Center, Tehran, Iran

    Hooman Asadi

  3. Department of Animal Science, Science and Research branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran

    Sina Khazabi & Mehdi Aminafshar

  4. Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Fisheries, Sari Agricultural Science and Natural Resources University, Sari, Iran

    Hamid Deldar

  5. Department of Hematology, Faculty of Medical Science, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Masoud Soleimani

  6. Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agriculture, Erciyes University, Kayseri, Turkey

    Mehmet Ulas Cinar

Authors
  1. Arash Veshkini
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  2. Hooman Asadi
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  3. Ali Akbar Khadem
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  4. Abdollah Mohammadi-Sangcheshmeh
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  5. Sina Khazabi
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  6. Mehdi Aminafshar
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  7. Hamid Deldar
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  8. Masoud Soleimani
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  9. Mehmet Ulas Cinar
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Akbar Khadem.

Additional information

Capsule α-Linolenic acid in ovine oocyte maturation medium has been found to affect developmental competence, and expression of the Bax, and Bcl-2 genes

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Veshkini, A., Asadi, H., Khadem, A.A. et al. Effect of Linolenic acid during in vitro maturation of ovine oocytes: embryonic developmental potential and mRNA abundances of genes involved in apoptosis. J Assist Reprod Genet 32, 653–659 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0439-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-015-0439-9

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