Damaging effect of cumulus denudation on rabbit oocytes

Melatonin improves the maturation and developmental ability of bovine oocytes by up-regulating GJA4 to enhance gap junction intercellular communication

Melatonin (MT) increases oocyte maturation by reducing reactive oxygen species level and enhancing oocyte antioxidant capacity. However, the mechanisms via which MT works are still poorly understood. In the present study, the effects of MT on the maturation rate and development ability of bovine oocytes were investigated. Then, the transcriptome of oocytes treated by MT was sequenced. Finally, the expression of gap junction protein alpha 4 (GJA4) protein and cAMP level were detected in bovine oocytes, and isoprenaline (enhancer of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC)) and heptanol (inhibitor of GJIC) were used to investigate the effect of MT on GJIC activity in bovine oocytes. Our results showed that MT significantly improved the maturation, developmental ability and mRNA expression of GJA4 of bovine oocytes. Meanwhile, MT significantly increased GJA4 protein level and cAMP level in bovine oocytes. In contrast to heptanol, both isoproterenol and MT significantly increased GJIC activity, nuclear maturation and the development ability of bovine oocytes. However, MT significantly restored the nuclear maturation and developmental ability of oocytes treated by heptanol. In conclusion, our results showed that MT improves the maturation and developmental ability of bovine oocytes by enhancing GJIC activity via up-regulating GJA4 protein expression in IVM progress.

Effect of removing cumulus cells from porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes derived from small and medium follicles during IVM on the apoptotic status and meiotic progression of the oocytes

The present study was undertaken to examine the apoptotic status and meiotic progression of oocytes from small follicle (SF; 0.5-2 mm in diameter) and medium follicle (MF; 3-6 mm in diameter) when the oocytes were denuded before, during, and after IVM. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected from SF or MF of prepubertal gilt ovaries. Before or 20 hours after the start of IVM culture, some oocytes were denuded and cultured for IVM. At the end of IVM, apoptotic status and meiotic progression of the oocytes were compared with oocytes matured in the presence of cumulus cells (CCs) by Annexin-V/PI assay and 4',6-Diamidino-2-phenylindole staining. Apoptotic status of the oocytes was only affected by time when the oocytes were denuded. In both oocytes from SF and MF, although the incidence of early and late apoptotic oocytes was significantly higher when the CCs were removed before IVM, the rate was significantly lower when CCs were removed 20 and 44 hours after the start of IVM. The incidence of mature oocytes was significantly affected by both the origin of COCs and time when oocytes were denuded from the COCs. Although the percentage of mature oocytes was higher in MF than SF, maturation rates were significantly higher when oocytes were denuded 20 hours, as compared with 0 and 44 hours after the start of IVM. However, the percentage of mature oocytes with a morphologically normal spindle was significantly higher when oocytes were denuded 44 hours, rather than 22 hours of IVM. In conclusion, removing CCs 20 hours after the start of IVM seems to promote meiotic progression of the oocytes to the metaphase-II stage even when the COCs were collected from SF, although factor(s) from or communication with CCs during IVM may need to obtain a morphologically normal spindle in mature oocytes.