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Akin N, Ates G, von Mengden L, Herta AC, Meriggioli C, Billooye K, Stocker WA, Ghesquiere B, Harrison CA, Cools W, Klamt F, Massie A, Smitz J, Anckaert E. Effects of lactate, super-GDF9, and low oxygen tension during bi-phasic in vitro maturation on the bioenergetic profiles of mouse cumulus-oocyte complex†. Biol Reprod 2023; 109:432-449. [PMID: 37531262 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In vitro maturation (IVM) is an alternative assisted reproductive technology with reduced hormone-related side effects and treatment burden compared to conventional IVF. Capacitation (CAPA)-IVM is a bi-phasic IVM system with improved clinical outcomes compared to standard monophasic IVM. Yet, CAPA-IVM efficiency compared to conventional IVF is still suboptimal in terms of producing utilizable blastocysts. Previously, we have shown that CAPA-IVM leads to a precocious increase in cumulus cell (CC) glycolytic activity during cytoplasmic maturation. In the current study, considering the fundamental importance of CCs for oocyte maturation and cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) microenvironment, we further analyzed the bioenergetic profiles of maturing CAPA-IVM COCs. Through a multi-step approach, we (i) explored mitochondrial function of the in vivo and CAPA-IVM matured COCs through real-time metabolic analysis with Seahorse analyzer, and to improve COC metabolism (ii) supplemented the culture media with lactate and/or super-GDF9 (an engineered form of growth differentiation factor 9) and (iii) reduced culture oxygen tension. Our results indicated that the pre-IVM step is delicate and prone to culture-related disruptions. Lactate and/or super-GDF9 supplementations failed to eliminate pre-IVM-induced stress on COC glucose metabolism and mitochondrial respiration. However, when performing pre-IVM culture under 5% oxygen tension, CAPA-IVM COCs showed similar bioenergetic profiles compared to in vivo matured counterparts. This is the first study providing real-time metabolic analysis of the COCs from a bi-phasic IVM system. The currently used analytical approach provides the quantitative measures and the rational basis to further improve IVM culture requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nazli Akin
- Follicle Biology Laboratory (FOBI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Gamze Ates
- Laboratory of Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lucia von Mengden
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Cecilia Meriggioli
- Follicle Biology Laboratory (FOBI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Katy Billooye
- Follicle Biology Laboratory (FOBI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - William A Stocker
- Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Brecht Ghesquiere
- Research Group Reproduction and Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Craig A Harrison
- Department of Physiology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Wilfried Cools
- Support for Quantitative and Qualitative Research (SQUARE) Core Facility, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Fabio Klamt
- Laboratory of Cellular Biochemistry, Department of Biochemistry, ICBS, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Ann Massie
- Laboratory of Neuro-Aging and Viro-Immunotherapy, Center for Neurosciences (C4N), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Johan Smitz
- Follicle Biology Laboratory (FOBI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
| | - Ellen Anckaert
- Follicle Biology Laboratory (FOBI), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
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