Alpha-lipoic acid improves bovine preimplantation blastocyst quality and cryotolerance

CARRANZA-MARTÍN, ANA CRISTINA; FURNUS, CECILIA CRISTINA; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN PATRICIO; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN MATEO; FABRA, MARIANA CAROLINA; FARNETANO, NICOLÁS; NIKOLOFF, NOELIA

THERIOGENOLOGY

ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC

Año: 2022 vol. 198 p. 61 - 68

0093-691X

In vitro embryo production has grown in recent decades due to its great potential for cattleproduction. However, the quality of in vitro-produced embryos is lower compared with thoseproduced in vivo. The postfertilization culture environment has a major influence on bovineembryo quality. We hypothesize that the inclusion of the inclusion of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA)in the in vitro culture (IVC) medium during the first 24 h would have positive effects on embryodevelopment in vitro and cryotolerance. The aims of this study were to evaluate the antioxidanteffect of ALA in IVC medium for 24h on bovine zygotes (21 h post in vitro fertilization, IVF),day 2 cleaved embryos (46 h post-IVF), and to assess embryo quality, developmentalcompetence, and cryotolerance after vitrification. In all experiments, IVC medium was theControl, and 2.5 μM ALA was the treatment implemented. Viability and reactive oxygenspecies (ROS) levels in zygotes and day 2 embryos did not differ from the Control (P > 0.05).Supplementation with ALA increased total blastocyst and hatching rates (P < 0.05). It alsoimproved embryo quality, evidenced by the increased blastocyst total cell number and thepercentage of excellent-quality embryos observed (P < 0.05). In embryos cultured with ALAand then vitrified, ALA reduced intracellular ROS levels in warmed blastocysts (P < 0.05). Inconclusion, ALA supplementation to IVC medium during 24 h is a new advantage in improvingembryo quality for assisted bovine reproduction