C-Phycocyanin protects against mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in parthenogenetic porcine embryos

Ying-Jie Niu,Zheng-Wen Nie,Wenjun Zhou,Xiang-Shun Cui,Kyung-Tae Shin,Wen-Fa Lv,Jing Guo,Nam-Hyung Kim

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-17287-0

Ying-Jie Niu, Zheng-Wen Nie + Show 6 more

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-17287-0

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Abstract

C-Phycocyanin (CP) is a biliprotein enriched in blue-green algae that is known to possess antioxidant, anti-apoptosis, anti-inflammatory, and radical-scavenging properties in somatic cells. However, the protective effect of CP on porcine embryo developmental competence in vitro remains unclear. In the present study, we investigated the effect of CP on the development of early porcine embryos as well as its underlying mechanisms. Different concentrations of CP (2, 5, 8, 10 μg/mL) were added to porcine zygote medium 5 during in vitro culture. The results showed that 5 μg/mL CP significantly increased blastocyst formation and hatching rate. Blastocyst formation and quality were significantly increased in the 50 μM H2O2 treatment group following 5 μg/mL CP addition. CP prevented the H2O2-induced compromise of mitochondrial membrane potential, release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria, and reactive oxygen species generation. Furthermore, apoptosis, DNA damage level, and autophagy in the blastocysts were attenuated by supplementation of CP in the H2O2-induced oxidative injury group compared to in controls. These results suggest that CP has beneficial effects on the development of porcine parthenotes by attenuating mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress.

Highlights

Pigs are important for both agricultural production and biomedical research[1]
The present study showed that CP promoted the porcine embryo development from one-cell stage parthenotes to the blastocyst stage pre-treated with or without H2O2 and decrease apoptosis in blastocysts in present of H2O2, suggesting CP had a protective effect against oxidative stress on porcine preimplantation embryos
Previous studies showed that CP has antioxidative capacity in several other cell types, including 2D and 3D astrocytes[19], Madin-Darby canine kidney cells[8], and chondrocytes cells[12]; the present study firstly evaluates the effect of CP on the development of early porcine embryos under oxidative stress

Summary

Introduction

Pigs are important for both agricultural production and biomedical research[1]. In vitro-produced porcine embryos are extensively used for studying the mechanism of embryonic development and animal reproductive technologies, including cryopreservation, cloning, and transgenesis[2]. ROS can pass through cell membrane and induce impairment of nucleic acids and lipids proteins. These alterations have numerous effects, including mitochondrial dysfunction, ATP depletion, apoptosis and embryo arrest[3]. Previous studies have shown that CP inhibits ROS production, reverses caspase-3 activity, reduces apoptosis cell population, and prevent mitochondrial dysfunction[12]. The effect of CP on embryo development during in vitro culture has not been examined. We first detected the dose-effect of CP on early porcine embryos cultured in vitro. The antioxidative effect of CP on porcine embryo development was examined after pre-treatment with H2O2

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