Abstract
It is generally accepted that cumulus cells (CCs) support the nuclear maturation of immature oocytes in mammals. However, the precise mechanism of interaction between cumulus cells and oocytes has not been clarified. Furthermore, the role of cumulus cells in embryonic development has not been reported. In the present study, the effect of denuding cumulus cells from porcine oocytes on oocyte maturation, ertilization, and their subsequent development to the blastocyst stage was examined in vitro. In vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture were carried out as previously reported (Kikuchi et al. 2002 Biol. Reprod. 66, 1033-1041). Porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were collected; some of them were completely denuded of cumulus cells immediately after the collection (DO-0 group). The remaining intact COCs and the DO-0 oocytes were cultured for 24 h in the presence of dbcAMP and hormones. After the initial culture, some of the intact COCs were denuded either completely (DO-24 group) or partially (H-DO-24 group). Additionally, some of DO-24 oocytes were co-cultured with the cumulus cells removed at 0 h and pre-cultured for 24 h (DO-24 + CCs group). The denuded oocytes in each experimental group and intact COCs (control) were further cultured for total 46 h. The remaining oocytes with a first polar body were either examined for the levels of intracellular glutathione (GSH) or fertilized in vitro with frozen-thawed boar spermatozoa. The inseminated oocytes were cultured and examined for their fertilization status after 10 h and for their developmental competence after 6 days. Data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by the Duncan's multiple range tests. The maturation rates of all denuded groups were significantly lower (P < 0.05; 34.3 to 45.0%) than that of the control group (64.5%). Intracellular GSH concentrations of all denuded groups were also significantly lower (P < 0.05; 4.03 to 7.00 pmol/oocyte) than that of the control group (9.60 pmol/oocyte); however, the GSH level of H-DO-24 oocytes was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than the GSH levels in the other denuded groups. Male pronuclear formation rates of completely denuded oocytes (DO-0, DO-24, and DO-24 + CCs groups) were significantly lower (P < 0.05; 41.4 to 59.3%) than those of the control (89.4%) and the H-DO-24 (80.0%) groups. The blastocyst rate of the control group was significantly higher (P < 0.05; 19.9%) than that of H-DO-24 group (11.6%), and these rates were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those of the completely denuded groups (3.0 to 4.5%). The results suggest that the presence of cumulus cells during maturation culture improves nuclear maturation of oocytes and plays an important role in embryonic development to the blastocyst stage in vitro.
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