Supplementation with CTGF, SDF1, NGF, and HGF promotes ovine in vitro oocyte maturation and early embryo development

Domest Anim Endocrinol. 2018 Oct:65:38-48. doi: 10.1016/j.domaniend.2018.05.003. Epub 2018 May 17.

Abstract

The strategies for improving the in vitro maturation (IVM) of domestic animal oocytes focus on promoting nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. The identification of paracrine factors and their supplementation in the culture medium represent effective approaches for oocyte maturation and embryo development. This study investigated the effects of paracrine factor supplementation including connective tissue growth factor (CTGF), nerve growth factor (NGF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), and stromal derived factor 1 (SDF1) on ovine oocytes and early parthenogenetic embryos using an in vitro culture system. First, we identified the optimal concentrations of CTGF (30 ng/mL), SDF1 (10 ng/mL), NGF (3 ng/mL), and HGF (100 ng/mL) for promoting oocyte maturation, which combined, induced nuclear maturation in 94.19% of oocytes. This combination also promoted cumulus cell expansion and inhibited oocyte/cumulus apoptosis, while enabling a larger proportion (33.04%) of embryos to develop into blastocysts than in the controls and prevented embryo apoptosis. These novel findings demonstrate that the paracrine factors CTGF, SDF1, NGF, and HGF facilitate ovine oocyte and early parthenogenetic embryo development in vitro. Thus, supplementation with these factors may help optimize the IVM of ovine oocytes and early parthenogenetic embryo development strategies.

Keywords: CTGF; Early parthenogenetic embryo development; HGF; NGF; Ovine oocyte maturation; SDF1.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Blastocyst / drug effects
  • Blastocyst / physiology
  • Chemokine CXCL12 / pharmacology*
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor / pharmacology*
  • Cumulus Cells / drug effects
  • Cumulus Cells / physiology
  • Embryo Culture Techniques / veterinary
  • Embryonic Development / drug effects
  • Female
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor / pharmacology*
  • In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques / methods
  • In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques / veterinary*
  • Nerve Growth Factor / pharmacology*
  • Oocytes / drug effects
  • Oocytes / physiology
  • Parthenogenesis
  • Sheep*

Substances

  • Chemokine CXCL12
  • Connective Tissue Growth Factor
  • Hepatocyte Growth Factor
  • Nerve Growth Factor