The Joint Annual Scientific Meetings of the Endocrine Society of Australia and the Society for Reproductive Biology 2018

Nicotinamide enhances the developmental competence of porcine oocytes matured in vitro (#328)

Charley Pollard 1 , Zamira Gibb 2 , Christopher Grupen 1
  1. The University of Sydney, Heckenberg, NSW, Australia
  2. Priority Research Centre in Reproductive Science, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308

Sirtuin activity has previously been implicated in cellular aging and oocyte quality. Nicotinamide (NAM) treatments have been shown to elevate the level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a key cellular metabolite that modulates Sirtuin activity in the cell. Resveratrol is a well-recognised activator of Sirtuin proteins, and both NAM and resveratrol treatments have been shown to improve oocyte quality in mice1,2.  The aim of this study was to examine the effects of NAM and resveratrol on the in vitro maturation (IVM) of porcine oocytes. Oocytes were matured over 44 h in a defined IVM system and subjected to treatment with NAM (5 mM) and resveratrol (2 µM) alone and in combination. Mature oocytes were chemically activated with ionomycin and the presumptive zygotes were cultured for 7 d. Cleavage and development to the blastocyst stage were assessed and total blastocyst cell numbers were determined. Nuclear maturation rates did not differ among the groups (P > 0.05). The rate of cleavage for oocytes matured in the presence of NAM alone was greater than that for untreated oocytes (84.7 ± 4.0% vs 42.8 ± 11.0%; P < 0.05). Also, treatment with NAM alone significantly increased the mean blastocyst cell number compared with the other treatment groups (88.4 ± 9.0 cells vs 51.3 ± 5.5 to 65.6 ± 5.6 cells; P < 0.05). In contrast, treatment with resveratrol, either alone or in combination with NAM, did not improve embryo development compared with the untreated control group (P > 0.05). These results indicate that the positive effects of NAM on oocyte maturation were diminished in the presence of resveratrol. Further studies are needed to determine whether this treatment interaction involves the modulation of Sirtuin activity or other biochemical processes that influence oocyte quality.

 

  1. 1. Lee AR, Kishigami S, Amano T, Matsumoto K, Wakayama T, Hosoi Y (2013) Nicotinamide: a Class III HDACi delays in vitro aging of mouse oocytes. J Reprod Dev. 59(3):238-244.
  2. 2. Liu M-J, Sun A-G, Zhao S-G, Liu H, Ma S-Y, Li M, Huai Y-X, Zhao H, Liu H-B (2018) Resveratrol improves in vitro maturation of oocytes in aged mice and humans. Fertil. Steril. 109(5):900-907.