Efeitos da substituição do soro fetal bovino (SFB) e da albumina sérica bovina (BSA) pela ovalbumina (OVA) na produção in vitro de embriões bovinos

O presente trabalho objetivou avaliar os efeitos da substituição do SFB e do BSA pela OVA na PIV, por estudos nas etapas de maturação, fecundação e cultivo in vitro. Observamos que durante a etapa de maturação, a concentração 4mg/mL de OVA não afetou a maturação nuclear (82,66%) e a migração de grânulos corticais (GC) para a periferia dos oócitos (54,21%), sendo, portanto, utilizada nos experimentos subseqüentes. Foi observado que as fontes protéicas SFB, BSA, OVA, e BSA com OVA (BO) não afetaram (p>0,05) as taxas de maturação nuclear e migração de GC. Para a sigla dos tratamentos, as fontes protéicas foram identificadas pelas iniciais (SFB=S, BSA=B e OVA=O). Cada tratamento foi abreviado com a primeira letra referente à etapa de maturação, a segunda à fecundação, e a terceira ao cultivo. Quanto às taxas de formação de pronúcleo (PN) observamos que o grupo SO (76,67% de 2 PN) foi semelhante (p>0,05) ao grupo controle (82,95% de 2 PN). A etapa de CIV permitiu avaliar que os diferentes tratamentos foram semelhantes (p>0,05) quanto à taxa de clivagem. Entretanto, quanto à taxa de produção de blastocistos, o grupo OOO (26,0%) foi semelhante (p>0.05) aos grupos SOS (33,8%), BBB (35,8%), BOB (32%), e OBO (33%), mas foi inferior (p0.05) the rates of nuclear maturation and CG migration. For evaluation of pronucleus (PN) formation rates, we observed that the SO group (the first letter means the protein source for the maturation stage, the second for the fertilization, and the third for the development), (76.67% of 2 PN) was similar (p>0.05) to the control group (82.95% of 2 PN). However, two pronucleus formation rates in BB (56.98%), BO (39.02%), OB (37.36%) and OO (39.24%) were different (p0.05) in cleavage rates. However, regarding to blastocyst production rates, the OOO group (26.0%) was similar (p>0.05) to the SOS group (33.8%), BBB (35.8%), BOB (32%), and OBO (33%) groups, but it was inferior (p <0.05) compared to the CONT (45%) and SBS (42.8%) groups. In relation to blastocyst hatching rate, the OOO group (20.4%) was inferior (p<0.05) when compared to the CONT (46.2%), SBS (43.4%), SOS (38.4%), BBB (41.6%) groups, and it was to BOB (28.2%) and OBO (25.4%) groups. We concluded that it s possible to produce bovine embryos in the absence of FBS and/or BSA using ovalbumin (OVA) as the protein source, even though decreased quantity and quality rates of bovine blastocysts were observed.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Fontes protéicas alternativas utilizadas nos meios de cultivo durante a produção in vitro de embriões bovinos

Not availableConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Demecolcine Effects on Microtubule Kinetics and on Chemically Assisted Enucleation of Bovine Oocytes

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of demecolcine, a microtubule-depolymerizing agent, on microtubule kinetics; to determine the best concentration of demecolcine as a chemically assisted enucleation agent in metaphase I (MI) and metaphase II (MII) bovine oocytes, and to evaluate the embryonic development after nuclear transfer (NT) using chemically assisted enucleation of recipient oocytes. Oocytes in vitro matured for 12 h (MI) and 21 h (MII) were exposed to several concentrations of demecolcine and evaluated for enucleation or membrane protrusion formation. Demecolcine concentration of 0.05 mu g/mL produced the highest rates of enucleation in group MI (15.2%) and protrusion formation in group MII (55.1%), and was employed in the following experiments. Demecolcine effect was seen as early as 0.5 h after treatment, with a significant increase in the frequency of oocytes with complete microtubule depletion in MI (58.9%) and MII (21.8%) compared to initial averages at 0 h (27.4% and 1.9%, respectively). Microtubule repolymerization was observed when MII-treated oocytes were cultured in demecolcine-free medium for 6 h (42.4% oocytes with two evident sets of microtubules). Chemically assisted enucleated oocytes were used as recipient cytoplasts in NT procedures to assess embryonic development. For NT, 219 of 515 oocytes (42.5%) formed protrusions and were enucleated, and reconstructed, resulting in 58 nuclear-transferred one-cell embryos. Cleavage (84.5%) and blastocyst development (27.6%) rates were assessed. In conclusion, demecolcine can be used at lower concentrations than routinely employed, and the chemically assisted enucleation technique was proven to be highly efficient allowing embryonic development in bovine.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Avaliação andrológica de touros jovens de diferentes raças selecionados para peso pós-desmama

Resumo: Foram submetidos a avaliação andrológica 243 touros jovens das raças Caracu (n=62), Gir (n=23), Guzerá (n=59) e Nelore (n=99), com idade entre 20 e 25 meses, participantes do Projeto de Seleção das Raças Zebuínas e Caracu, da Estação Experimental de Zootecnia de Sertãozinho. No dia da avaliação andrológica os animais foram pesados, o perímetro escrotal foi aferido e o sêmen foi coletado por meio de eletroejaculador. Foram avaliados motilidade, vigor e morfologia espermática e, posteriormente, os animais foram classificados segundo o sistema de classificação andrológica por pontos (CAP). Não foram observadas diferenças entre raças para as características seminais avaliadas, embora touros jovens Nelore tenham apresentado menor média de perímetro escrotal que as demais raças. Quando os animais foram classificados por classes de peso corporal, foi observado que os animais mais pesados apresentaram maior perímetro escrotal, melhores características seminais e, consequentemente, maior porcentagem deles foram considerados aptos a reprodução, comparativamente às demais classes de peso. Concluiu-se que os animais da raça taurina adaptada Caracu e das raças zebuínas Gir, Guzerá e Nelore, selecionados para peso pós-desmama e criados em pastagem, apresentaram-se aptos a reprodução aos 23,2, 23,4, 22,7 e 22,8 meses, respectivamente, correspondendo às idades em que atingiram peso médio de 452, 422, 470 e 467 kg, respectivamente

Supplementation with the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A during in vitro culture of bovine embryos

Summary Trichostatin A (TSA) is a histone deacetylase inhibitor that induces histone hyperacetylation and increases gene expression levels. The aim of the present study was to establish a suitable condition for the use of TSA in in vitro cultures of bovine embryos, and to determine whether TSA would increase blastocyst rates by improvement of chromatin remodelling during embryonic genome activation and by increasing the expression of crucial genes during early development. To test this hypothesis, 8-cell embryos were exposed to four concentrations of TSA for different periods of time to establish adequate protocols. In a second experiment, three experimental groups were selected for the evaluation of embryo quality based on the following parameters: apoptosis, total cell number and blastocyst hatching. TSA promoted embryonic arrest and degeneration at concentrations of 15, 25 and 50 nM. All treated groups presented lower blastocyst rates. Exposure of embryos to 5 nM for 144 h and to 15 nM for 48 h decreased blastocyst hatching. However, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling assay (TUNEL) assay revealed similar apoptosis rates and total cell numbers in all groups studied. Although, in the present study, TSA treatment did not improve the parameters studied, the results provided background information on TSA supplementation during in vitro culture of bovine embryos and showed that embryo quality was apparently not affected, despite a decrease in blastocyst rate after exposure to TSA. © Cambridge University Press 2011

Chemically Assisted Enucleation Results in Higher G6PD Expression in Early Bovine Female Embryos Obtained by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer

Despite extensive efforts, low efficiency is still an issue in bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The hypothesis of our study was that the use of cytoplasts produced by chemically assisted enucleation (EN) would improve nuclear reprogramming in nuclear transfer (NT)-derived embryos because it results in lower damage and higher cytoplasm content than conventional EN. For that purpose, we investigated the expression of two X-linked genes: X inactive-specific transcript (XIST) and glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD). In the first experiment, gene expression was assessed in day-7 female blastocysts from embryonic cell NT (ECNT) groups [conventional, ECNT conv; chemically assisted, ECNT deme (demecolcine)]. Whereas in the ECNT conv group, only one embryo (25%; n = 4) expressed XIST transcripts, most embryos showed XIST expression (75%; n = 4) in the ECNT deme group. However, no significant differences in transcript abundance of XIST and G6PD were found when comparing the embryos from all groups. In a second experiment using somatic cells as nuclear donors, we evaluated gene expression profiles in female SCNT-derived embryos. No significant differences in relative abundance (RA) of XIST transcripts were observed among the groups. Nonetheless, higher (p < 0.05) levels of G6PD were observed in SCNT deme and in vitro-derived groups in comparison to SCNT conv. To know whether higher G6PD expression in embryos derived from SCNT chemically assisted EN indicates higher metabolism in embryos considered of superior quality or if the presence of higher reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels generated by the increased oxygen consumption triggers G6PD activation, the expression of genes related to stress response should be investigated in embryos produced by that technique.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP

Karyoplast exchange between strontium- and 6-DMAP-parthenogenetically activated zygotes of cattle

Ooplasmic factors drive nuclear organization after fertilization and are also important for re-programming in nuclear transfer procedures, in which artificial activation is essential for reconstructed embryos to progress in development. The present research evaluated the effect of pronuclear transfer (PT) between zygotes parthenogenetically activated with ionomycin followed by strontium (S) or 6-DMAP (D) on early embryonic development. PT was performed in the same zygote to obtain embryos in control groups (S-PT and D-PT) and between zygotes activated with S and D to achieve embryos with differentially activated cytoplasm (C) and nucleus (N) (SCDN and DCSN). PT procedure did not affect cleavage and blastocyst rates, respectively, in PT control groups compared to non-manipulated control (S-PT: 73.6% and 7.3% compared with S-Control: 77.9% and 7.8%; and D-PT: 73.3% and 31.7% compared with D-Control: 83.1% and 41.5%). Cleavage, eight-cell, and blastocyst rates, respectively, were similar between SCDN (76.5%, 36.4%, and 6.8%) and DCSN (69.5%, 25.0%, and 4.9%) embryos. Developmental rates in SCDN were similar to S-PT, but inferior to D-PT. Developmental arrest up to eight-cell stage was greater in SCDN and DCSN than in S-PT and D-PT. In conclusion, karyoplast exchange between parthenogenetic zygotes activated with strontium and 6-DMAP can lead to nuclear-cytoplasmic incompatibilities and affect embryonic development to the eight-cell and blastocyst stages. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP