Effects of age and equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH) on collection and viability of equine oocytes assessed by morphology and developmental competency after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Abstract: Young (4 to 9 yr) and old (>or=20 yr) mares were treated with equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH), and oocytes were collected for intracytoplasmic sperm injections (ICSI). Objectives were to compare: (1) number, morphology and developmental potential of oocytes collected from young v. old mares from cycles with or without exogenous eFSH and (2) oocyte morphology parameters with developmental competence. Oocytes were collected from preovulatory follicles 20 to 24 h after administration of recombinant equine LH and imaged before ICSI for morphological measurements. After ICSI, embryo development was assessed, and late morulae or blastocysts were transferred into recipients' uteri. Cycles with eFSH treatment resulted in more follicles (1.8 v. 1.2) and more recovered oocytes (1.1 v. 0.8) than those without eFSH. Age and eFSH treatment did not effect cleavage, blastocyst and pregnancy rates. Treatment with eFSH had no effect on oocyte morphology, but age-associated changes were observed. In old mares, zona pellucidae (ZP) were thinner than in young mares, and perivitelline space and inner ZP volume (central cavity within the ZP) were larger and associated with oocytes that failed to develop. These results suggest that administration of eFSH can increase the number of oocytes collected per cycle. Oocyte morphology differed with age and was associated with developmental competence.
Publication Date: 2009-04-23 PubMed ID: 19383268DOI: 10.1071/RD08210Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Comparative Study
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
Summary
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The research investigates the impact of equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH) and age on the collection and viability of horse oocytes (egg cells), evaluated in terms of morphology and developmental capacity after sperm is injected into them (ICSI). The findings suggest that eFSH improves the number of oocytes gathered in a cycle, while the age has an influence on the morphology and subsequent development of oocytes.
Comparison of Oocytes Collected from Young and Old Mares
- The study examined differences in the number, morphology, and developmental potential of oocytes collected from young (4-9 years old) and old (20 or older) mares. These mares were treated with equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH), a hormone that stimulates the maturation of egg cells.
- Researchers also investigated activity in cycles with and without additional eFSH to determine the influence of the hormone on egg retrieval and quality.
Impact of eFSH Treatment on Oocyte Collection
- The study indicated that eFSH treatment results in a higher number of follicles (1.8 vs 1.2) and oocytes retrieved (1.1 vs 0.8) compared to cycles without eFSH.
- However, there were no observable effects of age and eFSH treatment on the rates of cleavage (early phase of fertilization), blastocyst formation (formation of a hollow structure in early embryonic development), and pregnancy.
Age-Related Differences in Oocyte Morphology
- Treatment with eFSH did not impact oocyte morphology, indicating the hormone does not alter the physical structure of an egg cell.
- In contrast, differences were observed in the morphology of oocytes from young versus old mares, with the study finding age-related changes in the zona pellucida (the outer membrane of an oocyte) and the perivitelline space (the space between the zona pellucida and the egg cell).
- Specifically, zona pellucida of the old mares’ oocytes were observed to be thinner compared to those of younger mares. Also, the perivitelline space and the zona pellucida’s inner volume was found to be larger in older mares.
- The study’s findings link these age-associated morphological attributes to the failure of oocytes to develop, suggesting that age influences the potential for successful development of the egg cells.
Cite This Article
APA
Altermatt JL, Suh TK, Stokes JE, Carnevale EM.
(2009).
Effects of age and equine follicle-stimulating hormone (eFSH) on collection and viability of equine oocytes assessed by morphology and developmental competency after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Reprod Fertil Dev, 21(4), 615-623.
https://doi.org/10.1071/RD08210 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, 80523-1683, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Age Factors
- Animals
- Blastomeres / drug effects
- Cell Culture Techniques / veterinary
- Cell Survival
- Cleavage Stage, Ovum / drug effects
- Embryo Culture Techniques / veterinary
- Embryo Transfer / veterinary
- Female
- Fertility Agents, Female / pharmacology
- Follicle Stimulating Hormone / pharmacology
- Horses
- Luteinizing Hormone / pharmacology
- Male
- Morula / drug effects
- Oocyte Retrieval / veterinary
- Oocytes / drug effects
- Oocytes / pathology
- Ovulation / drug effects
- Ovulation Induction / veterinary
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy Rate
- Recombinant Proteins / pharmacology
- Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 12 times.- Derisoud E, Jouneau L, Dubois C, Archilla C, Jaszczyszyn Y, Legendre R, Daniel N, Peynot N, Dahirel M, Auclair-Ronzaud J, Wimel L, Duranthon V, Chavatte-Palmer P. Maternal age affects equine day 8 embryo gene expression both in trophoblast and inner cell mass. BMC Genomics 2022 Jun 15;23(1):443.
- Catandi GD, Obeidat YM, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM. Equine maternal aging affects oocyte lipid content, metabolic function and developmental potential. Reproduction 2021 Apr;161(4):399-409.
- Salgado RM, Brom-de-Luna JG, Resende HL, Canesin HS, Hinrichs K. Lower blastocyst quality after conventional vs. Piezo ICSI in the horse reflects delayed sperm component remodeling and oocyte activation. J Assist Reprod Genet 2018 May;35(5):825-840.
- Ruggeri E, DeLuca KF, Galli C, Lazzari G, DeLuca JG, Stokes JE, Carnevale EM. Use of Confocal Microscopy to Evaluate Equine Zygote Development After Sperm Injection of Oocytes Matured In Vivo or In Vitro. Microsc Microanal 2017 Dec;23(6):1197-1206.
- Roberts MA, London K, Campos-Chillón LF, Altermatt JL. Presumed monozygotic twins develop following transfer of an in vitro-produced equine embryo. J Equine Sci 2015;26(3):89-94.
- Lee W, Song K, Lee I, Shin H, Lee BC, Yeon S, Jang G. Cloned foal derived from in vivo matured horse oocytes aspirated by the short disposable needle system. J Vet Sci 2015;16(4):509-16.
- Ruggeri E, DeLuca KF, Galli C, Lazzari G, DeLuca JG, Carnevale EM. Cytoskeletal alterations associated with donor age and culture interval for equine oocytes and potential zygotes that failed to cleave after intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Reprod Fertil Dev 2015 Jul;27(6):944-56.
- Zhang K, Smith GW. Maternal control of early embryogenesis in mammals. Reprod Fertil Dev 2015 Jul;27(6):880-96.
- Fakhar-I-Adil M, Angel-Velez D, Araftpoor E, Amin QA, Hedia M, Bühler M, Gevaert K, Menten B, Van Soom A, Chuva de Sousa Lopes SM, Stoop D, De Roo C, Smits K, Heindryckx B. Biphasic CAPA-IVM Improves Equine Oocyte Quality and Subsequent Embryo Development Without Inducing Genetic Aberrations. Int J Mol Sci 2025 Jun 8;26(12).
- Catandi GD, Fresa KJ, Cheng MH, Whitcomb LA, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM. Follicular metabolic alterations are associated with obesity in mares and can be mitigated by dietary supplementation. Sci Rep 2024 Mar 30;14(1):7571.
- Bresnahan DR, Catandi GD, Peters SO, Maclellan LJ, Broeckling CD, Carnevale EM. Maturation and culture affect the metabolomic profile of oocytes and follicular cells in young and old mares. Front Cell Dev Biol 2023;11:1280998.
- Maclellan LJ, Albertini DF, Stokes JE, Carnevale EM. Use of confocal microscopy and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to assess viability of equine oocytes from young and old mares after vitrification. J Assist Reprod Genet 2023 Nov;40(11):2565-2576.
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