Enhancement of lipid metabolism with L-carnitine during in vitro maturation improves nuclear maturation and cleavage ability of follicular porcine oocytes
Tamás Somfai A D E , Masahiro Kaneda A , Satoshi Akagi A , Shinya Watanabe A , Seiki Haraguchi A , Eiji Mizutani A , Thanh Quang Dang-Nguyen B , Masaya Geshi A , Kazuhiro Kikuchi C and Takashi Nagai A
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0901, Japan.
B Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577, Japan.
C National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, 2-1-2 Kannondai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8602, Japan.
D Animal Breeding and Reproduction Division, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, National Agriculture and Food Research Organisation, 2 Ikenodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 905-0901, Japan.
E Corresponding author. Email: somfai@affrc.go.jp
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 23(7) 912-920 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD10339
Submitted: 17 December 2010 Accepted: 11 April 2011 Published: 26 August 2011
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the effects of L-carnitine, an enhancer of lipid metabolism and mitochondrial activity, during in vitro maturation (IVM) on nuclear maturation and in vitro fertilisation of porcine follicular oocytes and subsequent embryo development. Mitochondrial functions, intracellular lipid content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in oocytes were also investigated. L-carnitine supplementation in 0.6–5 mg mL–1 concentration during IVM significantly improved (P < 0.05) the rates of metaphase-II (MII) stage oocytes compared with the control; however, fertilisation rates and monospermy were not improved. Although supplementation of IVM medium with L-carnitine significantly increased oocyte cleavage (P < 0.05), further development to the blastocyst stage was not improved. The density of active mitochondria was significantly higher and the density of lipid droplets was significantly lower (P < 0.05) in L-carnitine-treated oocytes compared with the control. Furthermore, the ROS levels in L-carnitine-treated oocytes were significantly lower than those in the control. In conclusion, enhancing mitochondrial functions by L-carnitine improved oocyte maturation and cleavage underlining the importance of lipid metabolism for nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of porcine oocytes.
Additional keyword: mitochondria.
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