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Angel-Velez D, Meese T, Hedia M, Fernandez-Montoro A, De Coster T, Pascottini OB, Van Nieuwerburgh F, Govaere J, Van Soom A, Pavani K, Smits K. Transcriptomics Reveal Molecular Differences in Equine Oocytes Vitrified before and after In Vitro Maturation. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24086915. [PMID: 37108081 PMCID: PMC10138936 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24086915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, in vitro embryo production in horses has become an established clinical practice, but blastocyst rates from vitrified equine oocytes remain low. Cryopreservation impairs the oocyte developmental potential, which may be reflected in the messenger RNA (mRNA) profile. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the transcriptome profiles of metaphase II equine oocytes vitrified before and after in vitro maturation. To do so, three groups were analyzed with RNA sequencing: (1) fresh in vitro matured oocytes as a control (FR), (2) oocytes vitrified after in vitro maturation (VMAT), and (3) oocytes vitrified immature, warmed, and in vitro matured (VIM). In comparison with fresh oocytes, VIM resulted in 46 differentially expressed (DE) genes (14 upregulated and 32 downregulated), while VMAT showed 36 DE genes (18 in each category). A comparison of VIM vs. VMAT resulted in 44 DE genes (20 upregulated and 24 downregulated). Pathway analyses highlighted cytoskeleton, spindle formation, and calcium and cation ion transport and homeostasis as the main affected pathways in vitrified oocytes. The vitrification of in vitro matured oocytes presented subtle advantages in terms of the mRNA profile over the vitrification of immature oocytes. Therefore, this study provides a new perspective for understanding the impact of vitrification on equine oocytes and can be the basis for further improvements in the efficiency of equine oocyte vitrification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Angel-Velez
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Research Group in Animal Sciences-INCA-CES, Universidad CES, Medellin 050021, Colombia
| | - Tim Meese
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Mohamed Hedia
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Cairo University, Giza 12211, Egypt
| | - Andrea Fernandez-Montoro
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Tine De Coster
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Osvaldo Bogado Pascottini
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Filip Van Nieuwerburgh
- Laboratory for Pharmaceutical Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Jan Govaere
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Ann Van Soom
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Krishna Pavani
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
- Department for Reproductive Medicine, Ghent University Hospital, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000 Gent, Belgium
| | - Katrien Smits
- Department of Internal Medicine, Reproduction and Population Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Salisburylaan 133, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
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Gumus E, Sisko A, Abas BI, Demirkan B, Cevik O. Quercetin protects mouse oocytes against chromium-induced damage in vitro and in vivo. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2023; 75:127087. [PMID: 36209711 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2022.127087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Revised: 09/12/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chromium (Cr) is a naturally-occurring element that is used in various fields of industry. Humans may be exposed to hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)], which is one of the stable valence states of the chromium through contaminated soil, air, and water. Exposure to Cr(VI) through contaminated drinking water, soil and air causes various cancers and also fertility problems in animals and humans. Quercetin (QCT), a common flavonoid compound, has numerous biological effects as an antioxidant and free radical scavenger, but its function and mechanisms in reproductive processes in various species remain unclear. This study aims to determine the chromium effects on mice oocyte quality and the ameliorative effect of QCT in both in vitro and in vivo experimental models. METHODS For the in vitro experiment, oocytes were collected and divided into the control, sham, QCT-treated, Cr(VI) (potassium dichromate), and treatment [Cr(VI)+QCT] groups. Collected oocytes were cultured in maturation medium with or without 10 µM quercetin and 10 µM Cr(VI) for 14 h based on the defined experimental design. For the in vivo experiment, the mice were randomly divided into the control, sham, QCT-treated, Cr(VI), and Cr(VI) + QCT groups. Control and sham mice received regular drinking water and diet. Cr(VI) group received Cr(VI) (50 ppm in drinking water) and Cr(VI) + QCT group received 50 ppm Cr(VI) with QCT (20 mg/kg body wt, through i.p) for a period of 21 days and then oocytes were collected and cultured for 14 h for in vitro maturation. For both experiments, at the end of the culture period, we examined the ameliorative effect of QCT on oocyte maturation, spindle formation, ROS production, mitochondrial function, and apoptosis. RESULTS Our in vitro and in vivo results showed that Cr(VI) disrupt the oocyte maturation and spindle formation (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we found that exposure to Cr(VI) significantly increased ROS levels and decreased mitochondrial membrane potential (P < 0.001). In addition, exposure to Cr(VI) induced early apoptosis and downregulated the Bcl-2 mRNA expression and upregulated the Caspase-3 and Bax mRNAs expression (P < 0.01). Finally, quercetin significantly restored the detrimental effects of Cr(VI). CONCLUSION The results indicated that quercetin protects the oocytes against Cr(VI) toxicity through the suppression of oxidative stress and apoptosis. The conclusions drawn from our study's findings suggest that quercetin might be useful agent for oocyte maturation in case of possible exposure to toxic substances such as chromium.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erkan Gumus
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey.
| | - Asli Sisko
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Burcin Irem Abas
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Busra Demirkan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
| | - Ozge Cevik
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Adnan Menderes University, Aydın, Turkey
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Reference genes selection for real-time quantitative PCR analysis in mouse germinal vesicle oocytes. ZYGOTE 2019; 27:392-397. [PMID: 31544726 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199419000492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Reference gene selection in mouse oocytes is an important task required to perform further adequate analysis of target gene expression levels. In the current work we have analyzed expression stability of the seven most commonly used reference genes (Actb, Eef1e1, Gapdh, H2afz, Ppia, Rpl4 and Ubc) in mouse oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage. We have performed analysis of expression stability of the above-mentioned reference genes with the three most commonly used software tools: geNorm, BestKeeper and NormFinder. Taking into account the results obtained from all of these programmes Gapdh, Rpl4 and H2afz seem to be suitable candidate reference genes in GV oocytes of mouse.
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