Improvements in in vitro spermatogenesis: oxygen concentration, antioxidants, tissue-form design, and space control

Incorporation of bovine serum-derived albumin formulation (AlbuMAX) into a basic culture medium, MEMα, enables the completion of in vitro spermatogenesis through testicular tissue culture in mice. However, this medium was not effective in other animals. Therefore, we sought an alternative approach f...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Reproduction and Development 2024, Vol.70(1), pp.1-9
Main Authors: OGAWA, Takehiko, MATSUMURA, Takafumi, YAO, Tatsuma, KIMURA, Hiroshi, HASHIMOTO, Kiyoshi, ISHIKAWA-YAMAUCHI, Yu, SATO, Takuya
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antioxidants
Ascorbic acid
Glutathione
In vitro spermatogenesis
Microfluidics
Organ culture
Oxygen
Oxygen concentration
Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)
Retinoic acid
Review
Silicones
Spermatogenesis
Tissue culture
Vitamin E
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Summary:Incorporation of bovine serum-derived albumin formulation (AlbuMAX) into a basic culture medium, MEMα, enables the completion of in vitro spermatogenesis through testicular tissue culture in mice. However, this medium was not effective in other animals. Therefore, we sought an alternative approach for in vitro spermatogenesis using a synthetic medium without AlbuMAX and aimed to identify its essential components. In addition to factors known to be important for spermatogenesis, such as retinoic acid and reproductive hormones, we found that antioxidants (vitamin E, vitamin C, and glutathione) and lysophospholipids are vital for in vitro spermatogenesis. Moreover, based on our experience with microfluidic devices (MFD), we developed an alternative approach, the PDMS-ceiling method (PC method), which involves simply covering the tissue with a flat chip made of PDMS, a silicone resin material used in MFD. The PC method, while straightforward, integrates the advantages of MFD, enabling improved and uniform oxygen and nutrient supply via tissue flattening. Furthermore, our studies underscored the significance of lowering the oxygen concentration to 10–15%. Using an integrated cultivation method based on these findings, we successfully achieved in vitro spermatogenesis in rats, which has been a long-standing challenge. Further improvements in culture conditions would pave the way for spermatogenesis completion in diverse animal species.
ISSN:0916-8818
1348-4400
DOI:10.1262/jrd.2023-093