Effect of alpha-lipoic acid during preimplantation development of cattle embryos when there were different in vitro culture conditions

FABRA, MARIANA C.; IZQUIERDO, ISABEL; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN M.; ANCHORDOQUY, JUAN P.; CARRANZA-MARTÍN, ANA C.; NIKOLOFF, NOELIA; FURNUS, CECILIA C.

ANIMAL REPRODUCTION SCIENCE

ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV

Año: 2020 vol. 221

0378-4320

In many species, alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is essential for embryo development. There,therefore, was investigation of effects of ALA supplementation to culture media for in vitrodevelopment of cattle embryos. In Experiment I, there were assessments of embryoJournal Pre-proof2production and oxidative status of cattle embryos derived by in vitro maturation andfertilization (IVM/IVF)that were cultured until the blastocyst stage of development usingdifferent ALA concentrations (5, 25 and 100 μM), fetal bovine serum (FBS) and amino acids(aa) as well as 20% oxygen (O2) in the culture atmosphere. In Experiment II, embryos werecultured without FBS, at different ALA concentrations (2.5, 5 and 7.5 μM) and in thepresence or absence of aa when there was a 7% O2 atmosphere. Embryo development ratesand blastocyst quality were evaluated. With 20% O2 concentration, treatment with 100 μMALA resulted in lesser hatching rates and development to the blastocyst stage (P < 0.01),while with supplementation with 5 μM ALA there were lesser (P = 0.04) glutathioneconcentrations and greater protein contents of embryos (P < 0.01). Culturing in the 7% O2atmosphere, combined with supplementation with 2.5 μM ALA with FBS and aa resulted ina greater blastocyst cell number (P = 0.03) and lesser hatching rates (P = 0.04). Takentogether, results indicate supplementation with the greater ALA concentrations resulted inimpairment of embryo development, regardless of the O2 concentration imposed during theculture period, while the relatively lesser supplementation-concentrations with ALA led