Astaxanthin improves the developmental competence of in vitro-grown oocytes and modifies the steroidogenesis of granulosa cells derived from bovine early antral follicles
M. A. Abdel-Ghani A B * , Y. Yanagawa A * , A. Z. Balboula C , K. Sakaguchi D , C. Kanno D , S. Katagiri A , M. Takahashi C and M. Nagano
A E
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Laboratory of Theriogenology, Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
B Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assuit University, Assuit, 71515, Egypt.
C Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Reproduction, Research Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido University, Kita 9, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-8589, Japan.
D Laboratory of Theriogenology, Graduate School of Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido University, Kita 18, Nishi 9, Kita-ku, Sapporo 060-0818, Japan.
E Corresponding author. Email: mnaga@vetmed.hokudai.ac.jp
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 31(2) 272-281 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD17527
Submitted: 12 December 2017 Accepted: 29 June 2018 Published: 3 August 2018
Abstract
In this study we investigated the effect of astaxanthin (Ax), which exhibits strong antioxidant activity, during in vitro growth (IVG) on the developmental competence of oocytes and steroidogenesis of granulosa cells derived from early antral follicles. Bovine oocyte–cumulus–granulosa complexes collected from early antral follicles were cultured for 12 days in the presence or absence (control) of 500 µM Ax. The viability of oocytes and antrum formation in the granulosa cell layer during IVG culture were greater in the presence than absence of Ax (P < 0.05). Regardless of Ax treatment, 17β-oestradiol production increased during IVG culture; however, progesterone production was significantly lower in the presence than absence of Ax (P < 0.05). Reactive oxygen species levels were lower in Ax-treated oocytes than in controls after IVG (P < 0.05). Although nuclear maturation and cleavage rates did not differ between the Ax-treated and control groups, Ax treatment led to weaker cathepsin B activity in oocytes and better blastocyst rates than in controls (P < 0.05). Accordingly, Ax treatment during IVG increased the total number of cells in blastocysts (P < 0.05). These results indicate that Ax supplementation of IVG medium improves the quality of bovine oocytes due to its antioxidative effects on growing oocytes and its suppression of the luteinisation of granulosa cells.
Additional keywords: cathepsin B, in vitro growth, reactive oxygen species generation.
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