Objective: To investigate the mitochondrial function and caspase activity in mouse embryos after human oviductal cell coculture.
Design: Experimental laboratory study.
Setting: University gynecology unit.
Animal(s): MF-1 (female); BALB/c (male) mice.
Intervention(s): Mouse embryos were cocultured with human oviductal cells.
Main outcome measure(s): Mitochondrial transmembrane potential (Delta psi(m)) and caspase activity.
Result(s): Compared to embryos after coculture in Chatot-Ziomek-Bavister (CZB) medium supplemented with 0.5 mg/mL of BSA (CZB), Delta psi m of embryos cultured in CZB was significantly lower at the two-cell (CZB, 2.04 +/- 0.412; coculture, 4.34 +/- 0.563) and morula (CZB, 6.06 +/- 0.548; coculture, 7.12 +/- 0.568) stages. Cocultured embryos and in vivo developed embryos had comparable Delta psi m. Caspase activity was not detected in unfragmented cleavage-stage embryos and morula developed in vivo. In vitro cultured morula possessed caspase activity. The activity was significantly reduced in the cocultured morula.
Conclusion(s): Human oviductal cells maintained the mitochondria function in terms of mitochondrial transmembrane potential and decreased the caspase activity to improve the development of mouse embryo.