Eicosapentaenoic acid supplemented to in vitro maturation medium results in lesser lipid content and intracellular reactive oxygen species in blastocysts of cattle

NIKOLOFF, NOELIA; CARRANZA, ANA C.; FABRA, MARIANA C.; CAMPAGNA, ANABELLA; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN P.; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN M.; FARNETANO, NICOLÁS; FURNUS, CECILIA C.

ANIMAL REPRODUCTION SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2021

0378-4320

Sub-optimal cattle embryo development to the blastocyst stage still is a problem when conducting in vitro production (IVP) procedures. Supplementation of in vitro maturation (IVM) medium with omega 3-polyunsaturated eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an approach that might have positive effects on lipid metabolism of cattle oocytes, potentially improving subsequent embryo devel-opment. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of EPA addition to serum-free IVM medium on pronuclear formation after in vitro fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst rates. Effects of EPA on lipid accumulation and intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation with IVP of cattle embryos was also investigated. In all experiments, cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in IVM medium supplemented with 0 nM, 1 nM, or 1μM EPA for 24 h. Pronuclear formation, cleavage, and blastocyst rates were similar for embryos when there was supplemen-tation of EPA at all concentrations to those of the control group (P >0.05). The inclusion of 1 nM EPA in medium resulted in a greater lipid content and less intracellular ROS in day 8-embryos compared with those of the Control group (P 0.05). In conclusion, supplementation with IVM medium with the 1 nM EPA concentration resulted in a lesser blastocyst lipid and intracellular ROS concentration, without modifying embryo development, therefore, EPA could be a desirable supplement to improve embryo quality in cattle.