Intraoviductal concentrations of steroid hormones during in vitro culture changed phospholipid profiles and cryotolerance of bovine embryos

• Published in: Molecular reproduction and development 2019-06, Vol.86 (6), p.661-672
• Main Authors: Banliat, Charles, Dubuisson, Florine, Corbin, Emilie, Beurois, Julie, Tomas, Daniel, Le Bourhis, Daniel, Salvetti, Pascal, Labas, Valérie, Mermillod, Pascal, Saint‐Dizier, Marie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 17β-Estradiol; Animal biology; Animals; Blastocyst - metabolism; Blastocysts; Cattle; Cell culture; Cold tolerance; Cortisol; Cryopreservation; embryo; Embryo Culture Techniques; Embryonic Development; Embryos; Ethanol; Exposure; Female; Fertilization; Fertilization in Vitro; Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism; ICM‐MS; In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; Life Sciences; lipidomics; Mass spectrometry; Mass spectroscopy; membrane phospholipids; Oocytes; Organ Culture Techniques; Oviducts - metabolism; Phospholipids; Progesterone; Reproductive Biology; Steroid hormones; Steroids; Vitrification; Zygotes
• ISSN: 1040-452X; 1098-2795
• DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23144

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of progesterone (P4), estradiol (E2), and cortisol (CO) at intraoviductal concentrations on bovine embryo development and quality in vitro. After fertilization of in vitro matured oocytes, zygotes were cultured for 8 days in synthetic oviductal fluid, supplemented with 55 ng/ml P4, 120 pg/ml E2, 40 ng/ml CO, or their combination (ALL). Control embryos were cultured with vehicle (0.1% ethanol). Exposure to steroids did not affect the embryo developmental rate nor the mean number of cells per blastocyst. However, at 24 hr after vitrification‐warming, exposure to P4 improved the proportion of embryos that re‐expanded and were viable while exposure to CO decreased the proportion of viable embryos. By intact cell MALDI‐TOF mass spectrometry, a total of 242 phospholipid masses of 400–1000 m/z were detected from individual fresh blastocysts. Exposure to ALL induced the highest and most specific changes in embryo phospholipids, followed by P4, E2, and CO. In particular, the m/z 546.3 and 546.4 attributed to lysophosphatidylcholines were found less abundant after exposure to P4. In conclusion, exposure of bovine embryos to intraoviductal concentrations of steroid hormones did not affect in vitro development but changed blastocyst quality in terms of cryotolerance and phospholipid profiles. Exposure of bovine embryos to intraoviductal concentrations of steroid hormones did not affect in vitro developmental rates but changed blastocyst quality in terms of cryotolerance and phospholipid profiles.