Growth hormone induces in vitro maturation of follicle- and cumulus-enclosed rat oocytes

Apa, Rosanna; Lanzone, Antonio; Miceli, Fiorella; Mastrandrea, Marialuisa; Caruso, Alessandro; Mancuso, Stefano; Canipari, Rita

doi:10.1016/0303-7207(94)90204-6

Cited by 73 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…The RNA preparations were reverse transcribed and amplified by 40 cycles of PCR using gene-specific oligonucleotides described in Table 1 chemical preparation of the oocyte material was effective, since GH receptor immunoreactivity was observed in cumulus cells associated with the ovulated oocytes. This finding is consistent with an indirect role for GH in oocyte maturation, as suggested by Apa et al (25).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Functional growth hormone (GH) receptors and GH are expressed by preimplantation mouse embryos: A role for GH in early embryogenesis?

Pantaleon

Whiteside

Harvey

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

104

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The results of this study challenge the widely held view that growth hormone (GH) acts only during the postnatal period. RNA phenotyping shows transcripts for the GH receptor and GH-binding protein in mouse preimplantation embryos of all stages from fertilized eggs (day 1) to blastocysts (day 4). An antibody specific to the cytoplasmic region of the GH receptor revealed receptor protein expression, first in two-cell embryos, the stage of activation of the embryonic genome (day 2), and in all subsequent stages. In cleavage-stage embryos this immunoreactivity was localized mainly to the nucleus, but clear evidence of membrane labeling was apparent in blastocysts. GH receptor immunoreactivity was also observed in cumulus cells associated with unfertilized oocytes but not in the unfertilized oocytes. The blastocyst receptor was demonstrated to be functional, exhibiting the classic bell-shaped dose-response curves for GH stimulation of both 3-O-methyl glucose transport and protein synthesis. Maximal stimulation of 40-50% was seen for both responses at less than 1 ng͞ml recombinant GH, suggesting a role for maternal GH. However mRNA transcripts for GH were also detected from the morula stage (day 3) by using reverse transcription-PCR, and GH immunoreactivity was seen in blastocysts. These observations raise the possibility of a paracrine͞autocrine GH loop regulating embryonic development in its earliest stages.Embryonic and fetal growth have long been considered to be independent of pituitary growth hormone (GH). However, this view is challenged by a growing body of evidence which demonstrates a role for GH in the development of the fetus. Newborn Laron dwarfs, lacking a functional GH receptor, are more than 2 SD shorter than normal (1). Exogenous GH has been shown to restore embryonic growth in rats after transplantation of parts of embryos into hypophysectomized hosts (2). A number of fetal tissues has been shown to respond to GH in vitro (3-6). GH receptor transcripts have been demonstrated in day 12 rat embryos and placentae (7), day 51 sheep embryos (8), and mouse placenta (9). Immunoreactive GH receptor was observed in the human fetus from the second trimester (10, 11). Recently GH receptor transcripts and immunoreactivity have been demonstrated in germ-line competent mouse embryonic stem cells, and GH receptor transcripts were also demonstrated in mouse blastocysts (12).Preimplantation stages earlier than the blastocyst, however, were not examined by Ohlsson et al. (12). Furthermore, there was no evidence that these very early embryos were capable of receptor synthesis or of signal transduction after ligand binding to expressed receptor. In this study we demonstrate the presence of GH receptors in the early embryo from fertilization to the blastocyst stage and the ability of GH to influence the metabolism of blastocyst. Moreover, we report the expression of GH by preimplantation blastocysts, raising the possibility of paracrine͞autocrine regulation of embryonic growth by GH. MATERIALS AND METHODSGene Ex...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Functional growth hormone (GH) receptors and GH are expressed by preimplantation mouse embryos: A role for GH in early embryogenesis?

Pantaleon

Whiteside

Harvey

et al. 1997

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

104

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“…Culture of bovine oocytes in the presence of GH accelerated meiosis and increased the percentage of oocytes at the M-II stage after 22 h of culture, but the difference between GH-treated and untreat- ed oocytes had disappeared after 24 h of culture [17]. This ability of GH to accelerate oocyte maturation is dose-dependent and exerted through cumulus cells [14,18]. The present results obtained using recombinant bGH are essentially in agreement with those obtained by Izadyar et al [17].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 91%

“…The precise mechanism by which GH stimulates oocyte maturation through cumulus cells is still unclear. Although it has been reported that the stimulatory effect of GH on maturation of cumulus-enclosed rat oocytes is mediated by IGF-I, probably produced by the cumulus cells [14], recent data clearly show that the positive effect of GH on maturation of cumulus-enclosed bovine oocytes is not mediated by IGF-I [18]. Furthermore, the identification of GH receptors in bovine COCs suggests that the positive effect of GH on oocyte maturation could be direct, rather than an indirect one [18].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…It has been reported that the process of nuclear maturation of porcine [16] and rat [14] oocytes can be accelerated by adding GH to the culture medium. Culture of bovine oocytes in the presence of GH accelerated meiosis and increased the percentage of oocytes at the M-II stage after 22 h of culture, but the difference between GH-treated and untreat- ed oocytes had disappeared after 24 h of culture [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recently it was reported that GH stimulates meiotic maturation of follicle-enclosed and cumulus-enclosed rat oocytes [14], and also follicle-enclosed rabbit oocytes [15]. The effects of GH on maturation of porcine oocytes were examined by Hagen and Graboski [16] who showed that low levels of GH accelerate cytoplasmic maturation as determined by activation by an electroporation stimulus.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone Stimulates Nuclear Maturation of Bovine Oocytes In Vitro and Promotes Subsequent Embryonic Development.

1998

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Abstract. The present study was undertaken to examine the effects of recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH) on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of bovine oocytes in vitro and subsequent embryonic development after in vitro fertilization. When cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) and cumulus-free oocytes were cultured in modified Medium 199 supplemented with 0, 0.1, 1, 10, 100 or 1000 ng/ml rbGH for 24 h, no cumulus expansion was observed in most COCs in the presence of any of the tested concentrations of rbGH. The efficacy of nuclear maturation of oocytes to metaphase II was promoted by rbGH only in COCs showing higher proportions at 10-1000 ng/ml (77-78%) than at 0-1 ng/ml (57-64%). When COCs were cultured in the presence or absence of 10 ng/ml rbGH for 0-9 h, the proportions of oocytes that reached prometaphase I and metaphase I after 6 and 9 h of culture, respectively, were higher in the presence (53% and 51%, respectively) than in the absence (34% and 30%, respectively) of rbGH. After in vitro maturation and fertilization, no differences were observed in the penetration rate (82-91%), pronuclear formation (27-45%) and polyspermy (23-29%) at 8 h post-insemination among cumulus-enclosed oocytes cultured in the presence of different concentrations (0-1000 ng/ml) of rbGH. When starting 8 h after insemination, the oocytes were cultured for 136 h in a chemically defined medium, 21-25% of oocytes developed to the morula stage or beyond without difference among different concentrations of rbGH during oocyte maturation. However, at 192 h post-insemination higher proportions of oocytes developed to the blastocyst stage when COCs were matured in the presence (13-15%) than in the absence (6%) of 10-1000 ng/ml rbGH. These results indicate that a stimulatory effect of rbGH on bovine oocyte maturation is dependent on the cumulus cells. Presence of rbGH in the media improved maturation rate and subsequent embryonic development to the blastocyst stage.

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In vitro maturation of bovine oocytes in the presence of growth hormone accelerates nuclear maturation and promotes subsequent embryonic development

1996

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Growth hormone induces in vitro maturation of follicle- and cumulus-enclosed rat oocytes

Cited by 73 publications

References 41 publications

Functional growth hormone (GH) receptors and GH are expressed by preimplantation mouse embryos: A role for GH in early embryogenesis?

Functional growth hormone (GH) receptors and GH are expressed by preimplantation mouse embryos: A role for GH in early embryogenesis?

Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone Stimulates Nuclear Maturation of Bovine Oocytes In Vitro and Promotes Subsequent Embryonic Development.

In vitro maturation of bovine oocytes in the presence of growth hormone accelerates nuclear maturation and promotes subsequent embryonic development

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