Caffeine and dithiothreitol delay ovine oocyte ageing

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Cellular Biology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Oocyte aging negatively impacts developmental competence.
• Intracellular glutathione is crucial for oocyte quality.
• Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) can be affected by oocyte age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of caffeine and dithiothreitol (DTT) on aged ovine oocytes.
• To assess the impact of these compounds on developmental competence after various ART procedures.
• To determine changes in intracellular glutathione levels in aged oocytes.

Main Methods:

• Ovine oocytes were aged for 30 hours.
• Parthenogenetic activation, somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were performed.
• Oocytes were treated with specific concentrations of caffeine (5 mM) or DTT (1 mM).
• Developmental rates to blastocyst and cell numbers were evaluated.

Main Results:

• Caffeine and DTT did not improve blastocyst development rates after SCNT but increased blastocyst cell numbers.
• Both compounds enhanced blastocyst formation rates in ICSI-treated embryos.
• Caffeine increased intracellular glutathione in aged oocytes; DTT also elevated glutathione levels.

Conclusions:

• Caffeine and DTT offer limited delay of oocyte aging.
• These compounds show differential effects depending on the ART method used.
• Glutathione enhancement and improved blastocyst formation in ICSI suggest partial benefits for aged oocytes.