Effect of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin treatment of pig spermatozoa on in vitro fertilization and embryo development in the absence or presence of caffeine

Theriogenology. 2005 Dec;64(9):1913-27. doi: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.03.024.

Abstract

A series of experiments were carried out to develop a new method to reduce pig polyspermic fertilization and produce more normal embryos, in vitro. Experiment 1 determined the effect of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD) treatment during cryopreservation on sperm acrosome reaction and sperm fertilization. Compared to the non-MCD-treated control, MCD treatment increased the percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa at thawing and 2h after incubation in fertilization medium (P<0.01). Treatment with MCD also increased (P<0.05) sperm-penetration rate, number of spermatozoa in oocytes, and fertilization efficiency in the caffeine-free fertilization medium. Experiment 2 was designed to examine the effect of withdrawal of caffeine (caffeine-free) from fertilization medium on fertilization parameters and early embryo development. Using MCD-treated spermatozoa, there was no difference in sperm-penetration rate, oocyte cleavage rate, and blastocyst formation rate between the caffeine-free and caffeine-supplemented groups. However, polyspermic fertilization rate was lower, and fertilization efficiency and blastocyst cell number were higher in the caffeine-free group compared to the caffeine-supplemented group (P<0.05). Experiment 3 studied the effect of caffeine and different concentrations of spermatozoa on fertilization parameters. Sperm-penetration rate did not differ between the caffeine-free and the caffeine-supplemented groups at different sperm concentrations. Caffeine and sperm concentration had an effect on the number of spermatozoa in oocytes and on the polyspermic fertilization rate (P<0.002). Caffeine also affected fertilization efficiency (P<0.05). In conclusion, treating spermatozoa with MCD and withdrawing caffeine from fertilization medium may provide a new method to produce a large number of normal embryos, in vitro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acrosome Reaction / drug effects
  • Animals
  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • Blastocyst / physiology
  • Caffeine / administration & dosage*
  • Cleavage Stage, Ovum / drug effects
  • Cryopreservation / methods
  • Cryopreservation / veterinary
  • Embryonic Development*
  • Fertilization / drug effects
  • Fertilization in Vitro / methods
  • Fertilization in Vitro / veterinary*
  • Male
  • Semen Preservation / methods
  • Semen Preservation / veterinary
  • Sperm-Ovum Interactions / drug effects
  • Spermatozoa / drug effects
  • Spermatozoa / physiology*
  • Swine*
  • beta-Cyclodextrins / administration & dosage*

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor
  • beta-Cyclodextrins
  • human epithelial antigen-125
  • methyl-beta-cyclodextrin
  • Caffeine