Abstract
In vitro produced embryos are still sensitive to the freezing process which can be explained, in part, by the high-lipid accumulation that characterizes these embryos. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effect of delipidating agents, L-carnitine and the trans-10 cis-12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) isomer, on blastocyst development, lipid content, gene expression and cryotolerance when added to embryo culture media. Embryos were cultured in four different media: T1: control (n=616), synthetic oviduct fluid (SOF) media with 5% foetal bovine serum (FBS); T2: L-carnitine (n=648), SOF medium with 5% FBS and 0.6mg/ml of L-carnitine; T3: CLA (n=627), SOF medium with 5% FBS and 100μM trans-10 cis-12 CLA; and T4: L-carnitine+CLA: (n=597), SOF medium with 5% FBS plus 0.6mg/ml L-carnitine and 100μM trans-10 cis-12 CLA. Supplementation of culture medium with either or both delipidating agents reduced (p<.05) blastocyst rate on D7 (T1=49±3.5; T2=39±3.0; T3=42±3.9 and T4=39±3.9), but did not affected gene expression (p>.05). Although embryos cultured in the presence of L-carnitine contained fewer (p<.05) lipid droplets than the control embryos, they showed a lower re-expansion rate 24hr post-thaw than those (p<.05). In conclusion, although L-carnitine reduced the amount of lipids in cultured embryos, the use of L-carnitine and CLA during in vitro culture was not able to improve the embryo production and the response to cryopreservation.
Published Version (
Free)
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call