TY - JOUR
TI - Effect of recombinant-LH and hCG in the absence of FSH on in vitro
maturation (IVM) fertilization and early embryonic development of mouse
germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes
AU - Dinopoulou, Vasiliki
AU - Drakakis, Peter
AU - Kefala, Stella and
AU - Kiapekou, Erasmia
AU - Bletsa, Ritsa
AU - Anagnostou, Eli
AU - Kallianidis,
AU - Konstantinos
AU - Loutradis, Dimitrios
JO - Reproductive Biology
PY - 2016
VL - 16
TODO - 2
SP - 138-146
PB - Elsevier
SN - 1642-431x
TODO - 10.1016/j.repbio.2016.01.004
TODO - IVM; r-LH; hCG; GV; LH/hCG receptor
TODO - During in vitro maturation (IVM), intrinsic and extrinsic factors must
co-operate properly in order to ensure cytoplasmic and nuclear
maturation. We examined the possible effect of LH/hCG in the process of
oocyte maturation in mice with the addition of recombinant LH (r-LH) and
hCG in our IVM cultures of mouse germinal vesicle (GV)-stage oocytes.
Moreover, the effects of these hormones on fertilization, early
embryonic development and the expression of LH/hCG receptor were
examined. Nuclear maturation of GV-stage oocytes was evaluated after
culture in the presence of r-LH or hCG. Fertilization rates and
embryonic development were assessed after 24 h. Total RNA was isolated
from oocytes of different stages of maturation and from zygotes and
embryos of different stages of development in order to examine the
expression of LH/hCG receptor, using RT-PCR. The in vitro nuclear
maturation rate of GV-stage oocytes that received hCG was significantly
higher compared to the control group. Early embryonic development was
increased in the hCG and LH cultures of GV oocytes when LH was further
added. The LH/hCG receptor was expressed in all stages of in vitro
matured mouse oocytes and in every stage of early embryonic development.
Addition of hCG in IVM cultures of mouse GV oocytes increased maturation
rates significantly. LH, however, was more beneficial to early embryonic
development than hCG. This suggests a promising new technique in basic
science research or in clinical reproductive medicine. (C) 2016 Society
for Biology of Reproduction & the Institute of Animal Reproduction and
Food Research of Polish Academy of Sciences in Olsztyn. Published by
Elsevier Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.
ER -