Abstract

Valuable female cattle are continuously subject to follicular puncture (ovum pick-up - OPU). This technique is commonly used for in-vitro embryo production, but may result in ovarian lesion. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) ameliorate the function of injured tissues, but their use to treat ovarian lesions in cattle has not been established. We investigated whether a local injection of MSC would reduce the negative effects of repeated OPU under acute and chronic scenarios in bovines. First, we performed four OPU sessions and injected 2.5 × 106 MSCs immediately after the 4th OPU procedure (n = 5). The treated organs (right ovary) were compared to their saline-treated counterparts (left), and presented superior production of oocytes and embryos in the three following OPU sessions (P < 0.05). Then, cows with progressive fertility loss went through three OPU sessions. Animals received MSC, saline, or MSC + FSH in both ovaries after the first OPU. In the two following OPU sessions, the MSC and MSC + FSH - treated groups failed to present any significant alteration in the number of oocytes and embryos compared to saline-treated animals. Thus, MSC have beneficial effects on the fertility of OPU-lesioned cows, but not in cows with cystic ovarian disease and chronic ovarian lesions.

Highlights

  • The use of in vitro embryo technologies has grown worldwide over the past decades and, according to the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS), in 2017 more bovine embryos were produced in vitro than generated in vivo[1]

  • The development of transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (a.k.a. ovum pick-up or OPU) and subsequent adaptation for use in cattle[2] was a key step for the development of in vitro embryo production (IVEP) procedures. This technique allowed the repeated recovery of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) from live donors, and genetically superior donors could be used for large-scale embryo production, boosting animal breeding programs[3]

  • The present study was designed to evaluate the effect of intraovarian mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) treatment on oocyte yield and embryo production

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Summary

Introduction

The use of in vitro embryo technologies has grown worldwide over the past decades and, according to the International Embryo Technology Society (IETS), in 2017 more bovine embryos were produced in vitro than generated in vivo[1]. The development of transvaginal ultrasound-guided follicle aspiration (a.k.a. ovum pick-up or OPU) and subsequent adaptation for use in cattle[2] was a key step for the development of in vitro embryo production (IVEP) procedures This technique allowed the repeated recovery of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) from live donors, and genetically superior donors could be used for large-scale embryo production, boosting animal breeding programs[3]. We hypothesized that MSC treatment would reduce the negative effects of repeated OPU on donor performance, by improving oocyte quantity and/or quality In this regard, we designed two experiments, aiming to evaluate the effects of intraovarian treatment with MSC in ovaries under acute and chronic injury processes due to follicular puncture

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