Intracellular microinjection of alkaline buffers reversibly inhibits the initial phase of hormone action in meiosis reinitiation of starfish oocytes

New pH-buffering system for media utilized during gamete and embryo manipulations for assisted reproduction

Maintenance of stable pH is important for optimizing gamete and embryo culture. One method to stabilize pH entails using zwitterionic buffers in IVF handling media used outside the laboratory incubator. Current handling media utilize single buffers, such as MOPS or HEPES. However, the use of a single buffer limits the ability to adjust the range of buffering capacity. Furthermore, changes in temperature alter buffering of these compounds. Therefore, traditional IVF handling media utilizing a single buffer may not provide ideal pH buffering. This study reports that combining multiple buffers, such as HEPES, MOPS and DIPSO, into a single medium in various ratios gives the ability to shift the effective buffering range to cover a specific pH. Additionally, by combining various buffers, it is possible to expand pH buffering over a range of temperatures, while simultaneously reducing the absolute concentration of individual buffers, thereby reducing or alleviating toxicity concerns. This report verifies that DIPSO, MOPS and HEPES, and their combinations, support embryo development. Therefore, utilization of bi- and tri-buffered media, containing a mixture of HEPES, MOPS or DIPSO, offers advantages compared with media containing HEPES or MOPS alone, and may be used for procedures such as oocyte retrieval, intracytoplasmic sperm injection, embryo transfer and cryopreservation.

Use of a medium buffered with N-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-ethanesulfonate (HEPES) in intracytoplasmic sperm injection procedures is detrimental to the outcome of in vitro fertilization

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to determine whether N-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N-ethanesulfonate (HEPES)-buffered medium used for the microinjection of sperm into oocytes may be detrimental for the embryo.

DESIGN

Controlled randomized study.

SETTING

Private IVF center.

PATIENT(S)

Women (n = 708) undergoing ICSI.

INTERVENTION(S)

The women were randomized into two study groups: 2,204 oocytes from 357 women were treated using a medium buffered with bicarbonate without HEPES during the ICSI procedure, and 2,168 oocytes from 351 women were treated using a medium buffered with HEPES during the ICSI procedure.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Fertilization rate, degeneration rate, triploid rate, cleavage rate, embryo quality, pregnancy rate, implantation rate, and abortion rate.

RESULT(S)

Oocytes treated with a HEPES-buffered medium showed a statistically significant higher rate of triploid and degenerated oocytes after fertilization with ICSI compared with oocytes treated with a medium without HEPES. The embryos obtained from oocytes microinjected with a HEPES-buffered medium showed a statistically significant higher rate of highly fragmented embryos compared with the controls. Pregnancy rate and implantation rate were statistically significantly lower in the patient group with oocytes treated with the HEPES-buffered medium. The other parameters evaluated did not show any statistically significant differences.

CONCLUSION(S)

Our study showed that the use of media buffered with HEPES, during the microinjection of sperm into the oocytes, is detrimental for IVF outcome and should be avoided.

Phosphorylation of ribosomal proteins during meiotic maturation and following activation in starfish oocytes: its relationship with changes of intracellular pH

An increased phosphorylation of ribosomal protein S6 has been shown to be correlated with an increase of intracellular pH (pHi) and with stimulation of protein synthesis in many systems. In this research changes in ribosome phosphorylation following hormone-induced meiotic maturation and fertilization or activation by ionophore A23187 were investigated in starfish oocytes. The hormone was found to stimulate, even in the absence of external Na+, the phosphorylation on serine residues of an Mr 31,000 protein identified as S6, as well as that of an acidic Mr 47,000 protein, presumably S1, on threonine residues. Phosphorylation of ribosomes was an early consequence of hormonal stimulation and did not decrease after completion of meiotic maturation. Fertilization or activation by ionophore of prophase-arrested oocytes also stimulated ribosome phosphorylation. Only S6 was labeled in this case, but to a lesser extent than upon hormone-induced meiotic maturation. Changes in pHi were monitored with ion-specific microelectrodes throughout meiotic maturation and following either fertilization or activation. The pHi did not change before germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) following hormone addition, but it increased before first polar body emission. It also increased following fertilization or activation by ionophore or the microinjection of Ca-EGTA. In all cases, alkalinization did not depend on activation of an amiloride-sensitive Na+/H+ exchanger. Microinjection of an alkaline Hepes buffer or external application of ammonia, both of which increased pHi, prevented unfertilized oocytes from arresting after formation of the female pronucleus and induced chromosome cycling. Phosphorylation of S6 was still observed following fertilization or induction of maturation when pHi was decreased by external application of acetate, a treatment which suppressed the emission of polar bodies. Protein synthesis increased in prophase-arrested oocytes after fertilization or activation. It also increased after ammonia addition, although this treatment did not stimulate S6 phosphorylation.

Role of protein synthesis and proteases in production and inactivation of maturation-promoting activity during meiotic maturation of starfish oocytes

In starfish oocytes, activity of the maturation-promoting factor (MPF) and that of a major cAMP-independent protein kinase dropped at the time of meiotic cleavage, and rose again after the first but not the second meiotic cleavage. Protein synthesis was required before the first meiotic cleavage for both MPF and protein kinase activity to rise again after the first meiotic cleavage. Microinjection of either leupeptin or soybean trypsin inhibitor early enough prior to first polar body emission suppressed both the meiotic cleavage and the associated drop of MPF activity. Microinjection of leupeptin or soybean trypsin inhibitor during the 10-min period before the first meiotic cleavage also suppressed cytokinesis but did not prevent a decrease in MPF activity at the normal time of cytokinesis. The lysosomotropic inhibitor ammonia neither suppressed cytokinesis nor the drop of MPF activity at the time of first meiotic cleavage. Activity of neutral proteases sensitive to leupeptin and soybean trypsin inhibitor was demonstrated in oocyte homogenates prepared at the time of first meiotic cleavage. It is proposed that such proteases might be involved in degradation of protein kinase(s) and in the drop of MPF activity at the time of first meiotic cleavage.