{"title":"Effects of combination of melatonin and L-carnitine on in vitro maturation in mouse oocytes: An experimental study.","authors":"Raziye Chegini, Morteza Sadeghi, Sadegh Shirian, Fatemeh Sabbaghziarani, Ehsan Aali, Pouriya Soleimani, Mohammad Reza Ashtari Majelan, Fariba Zafari, Shahram Darabi","doi":"10.18502/ijrm.v22i7.16961","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Melatonin and L-carnitine are free radical scavengers with antiapoptotic and antioxidant properties that improve oocyte development.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>This study aimed to find the possible effect of combining 2 antioxidant agents of melatonin and L-carnitine on oocyte morphology, maturation, apoptosis, and expression of bone morphogenetic protein 15 (<i>BMP-15</i>) and growth differentiation factor 9 (<i>GDF-9</i>) genes in a mice model.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>To overstimulation, 60 female NMRI mice were injected intraperitoneally using mare serum gonadotropin. On day 2 post-injection, 70 cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected from each mouse. The collected oocytes randomly were then divided into 4 groups including, the control, melatonin, L-carnitine, and melatonin + L-carnitine groups. The morphology and maturation rate of the oocytes was evaluated using a light microscope. Apoptosis was identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay and the expression of <i>BMP-15</i> and growth and differentiation factor <i>GDF-9</i> genes was also evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Oocyte diameter significantly was increased in combination treatment of L-carnitine and melatonin compared to other groups (p <math><mo><</mo></math> 0.05). L-carnitine group showed the highest mean percentage of oocyte cytoplasmic pattern. Results of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling indicated that the lowest apoptosis rate belonged to the melatonin + L-carnitine group. Moreover, the combination groups showed the highest number of oocytes and maturation rate. The <i>BMP-15</i> and <i>GDF-9</i> genes were significantly upregulated in all treatment groups compared to the control group.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Our results suggested a combination of melatonin + L-carnitine administration as a more effective choice for in vitro promotion of oocyte maturation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14386,"journal":{"name":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11441286/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Journal of Reproductive Biomedicine","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.18502/ijrm.v22i7.16961","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2024/7/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"OBSTETRICS & GYNECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Melatonin and L-carnitine are free radical scavengers with antiapoptotic and antioxidant properties that improve oocyte development.
Objective: This study aimed to find the possible effect of combining 2 antioxidant agents of melatonin and L-carnitine on oocyte morphology, maturation, apoptosis, and expression of bone morphogenetic protein 15 (BMP-15) and growth differentiation factor 9 (GDF-9) genes in a mice model.
Materials and methods: To overstimulation, 60 female NMRI mice were injected intraperitoneally using mare serum gonadotropin. On day 2 post-injection, 70 cumulus-oocyte complexes were collected from each mouse. The collected oocytes randomly were then divided into 4 groups including, the control, melatonin, L-carnitine, and melatonin + L-carnitine groups. The morphology and maturation rate of the oocytes was evaluated using a light microscope. Apoptosis was identified by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay and the expression of BMP-15 and growth and differentiation factor GDF-9 genes was also evaluated by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results: Oocyte diameter significantly was increased in combination treatment of L-carnitine and melatonin compared to other groups (p 0.05). L-carnitine group showed the highest mean percentage of oocyte cytoplasmic pattern. Results of the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling indicated that the lowest apoptosis rate belonged to the melatonin + L-carnitine group. Moreover, the combination groups showed the highest number of oocytes and maturation rate. The BMP-15 and GDF-9 genes were significantly upregulated in all treatment groups compared to the control group.
Conclusion: Our results suggested a combination of melatonin + L-carnitine administration as a more effective choice for in vitro promotion of oocyte maturation.
期刊介绍:
The International Journal of Reproductive BioMedicine (IJRM), formerly published as "Iranian Journal of Reproductive Medicine (ISSN: 1680-6433)", is an international monthly scientific journal for who treat and investigate problems of infertility and human reproductive disorders. This journal accepts Original Papers, Review Articles, Short Communications, Case Reports, Photo Clinics, and Letters to the Editor in the fields of fertility and infertility, ethical and social issues of assisted reproductive technologies, cellular and molecular biology of reproduction including the development of gametes and early embryos, assisted reproductive technologies in model system and in a clinical environment, reproductive endocrinology, andrology, epidemiology, pathology, genetics, oncology, surgery, psychology, and physiology. Emerging topics including cloning and stem cells are encouraged.