Effects of the conditioned medium of mesenchymal stem cells on mouse oocyte activation and development

• Main Authors: D.Q. Feng, Y. Zhou, B. Ling, T. Gao, Y.Y. Shi, H.M. Wei, Z.G. Tian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica 2009-06-01
• Series: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research
• Subjects: Mesenchymal stem cells; Oocyte activation; Parthenogenesis; Calcium; Cytochalasin B
• Online Access: http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2009000600006
• ISSN: 0100-879X; 1414-431X

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been reported to secrete a variety of cytokines and growth factors acting as trophic suppliers, but little is known regarding the effects of conditioned medium (CM) of MSCs isolated from femurs and tibias of mouse on the artificial activation of mouse oocytes and on the developmental competence of the parthenotes. In the current study, we investigated the effect of CM on the events of mouse oocyte activation, namely oscillations of cytosolic calcium concentration ([Ca²+]i), meiosis resumption, pronucleus formation, and parthenogenetic development. The surface markers of MSCs were identified with a fluorescence-activated cell sorter. The dynamic changes of the spindle and formation of pronuclei were examined by laser-scanning confocal microscopy. Exposure of cumulus-oocyte complexes to CM for 40 min was optimal for inducing oocyte parthenogenetic activation and evoking [Ca²+]i oscillations similar to those evoked by sperm (95 vs 100%; P > 0.05). Parthenogenetically activated oocytes immediately treated with 7.5 µg/mL cytochalasin B (CB), which inhibited spindle rotation and second polar body extrusion, were mostly diploid (93 vs 6%, P < 0.01) while CB-untreated oocytes were mostly haploid (5 vs 83%, P < 0.01). Consequently, the blastocyst rate was higher in the CB-treated than in the CB-untreated oocytes. There was no significant difference in developmental rate between oocytes activated with CM and 7% ethanol (62 vs 62%, P > 0.05), but the developmental competence of the fertilized oocytes was superior to that of the parthenotes (88 vs 62%, P < 0.05). The present results demonstrate that CM can effectively activate mouse oocytes, as judged by the generation of [Ca²+]i oscillations, completion of meiosis and parthenogenetic development.