The Effects of FSH and Glutathione Supplementation to the in Vitro Maturation Media on Mouse Oocyte Maturation

Abstract

Either Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) or glutathione solely has been known to have benefits on oocyte maturation, yet study about combination effects are still limited. This study aimed to observe the effects of FSH and glutathione supplementation to the in vitro maturation (IVM) media on mouse oocyte maturation. Immature oocytes of F1 (C57BL/6xCBA) female mice were matured for 24 hours in Minimum Essential Medium (MEM) Alpha supplemented with 5 μg/mL FSH and 0.15 mM glutathione, in 3 different combinations, i.e. the MEM alpha without any supplementations, supplementation of FSH solely, and combination of FSH with glutathione. A total of 209 immature oocytes were studied to examine the oocyte maturation. Treatment with FSH supplementation alone (p=0.043) and in combination with glutathione (p=0.016) showed significantly higher oocyte maturation. This study indicated that in vitro oocyte maturation can be augmented by supplementation of IVM medium with FSH, either solely or along with glutathione.