Background: Nicotinic acid (niacin) is a broad-spectrum lipid-modifying agent that has potent antioxidant properties and reduces the production of lipid peroxidation. Objective: The purpose of the present study was to investigate the maturation, embryo development and cryo-tolerance merit, and levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status, and total antioxidant capacity following the supplementation of bovine oocytes maturation medium with different concentrations of niacin. Materials and Methods: Immature cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in tissue culture medium-199 maturation media supplemented with 0, 100, 200, and 400 µM niacin under a standard in vitro culture condition. After 24 hr of culture, the nuclear maturation rate was assessed. Then, two groups of immature cumulus-oocyte complexes were cultured in TCM-199 either with or without 400 µM niacin and evaluated for embryo development. Also, matured cumulus-oocyte complexes in both groups were frozen using a standard vitrification procedure. After vitrification, oocytes were warmed in two steps and evaluated for embryo development. In addition, the level of total antioxidant capacity, total oxidant status, and MDA were measured. Results: The results indicated that although the treatment with 400µM niacin increased in vitro nuclear maturation (87.6 ± 5.3), it did not improved the embryo development to the blastocyst stage. Higher cleavage and blastocyst rates were observed in vitrified oocytes that were cultured with supplemented 400 µM niacin compared to the control group (without niacin) (53.6 ± 2.7 and 10.6 ± 1.6 vs. 46.2 ± 4.1 and 6.3 ± 2.4, respectively). Also, the addition of 400 µM niacin to the maturation media could decrease MDA levels after maturation. Conclusion: Niacin could improve the quality of in vitro embryo production (IVP) embryos and tolerance of bovine oocytes to vitrification. Key words: Bovine, Embryonic development, Niacin, Oocytes, Vitrification.

Background: Hesperetin is a bioflavonoid compound, largely used in Chinese traditional medicine and found plenty in citrus fruits. Hesperetin has beneficial effects against different diseases. The sperm cryopreservation process is a common method that is used in infertility laboratories. It has been reported that during the cryopreservation process, the quality of sperm is significantly reduced. Objective: To investigate the effect of hesperetin on the quality of human spermatozoa during the cryopreservation process. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 22 sperm sample of normozoospermia men who referred to the infertility department of the Shariati Hospital (Tehran, Iran) Between October and November 2019 were collect and divided into three groups as: 1) fresh, 2) control (frozen-thawed group without treatment), and 3) treatment group as frozen-thawed samples supplemented with 20 μM hesperetin. Motility, Viability, morphology, Apoptotic-like changes, intracellular H2O2, intracellular O2−, and lipid peroxidation (LPO) was measured. Results: Hesperetin treatment during the cryopreservation process of human sperm significantly improved the viability, motility, and morphology rates of the spermatozoa after frozen-thawed process in control group (p < 0.01). In addition, it significantly reduced the reactive oxygen species (ROS) level, LPO level and increased the percentage of viable sperm cells with intact plasma membrane (p < 0.01) after frozen-thawed process. Conclusion: Hesperetin can improve the quality of human sperm and also protect human sperm against reactive oxygen species, LPO, and apoptosis during the cryopreservation-thawing process. Key words: Cryopreservation, Hesperetin, Spermatozoa, Reactive oxygen species.

Background:Oocyte developmental competence is one of the key factors for determining the success rate of assisted reproductive technique.Objective:The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of L-carnitine (LC) supplementation during in vitro maturation (IVM), on preimplantation embryo development and expression of genes involved in embryo competence derived from oocytes selected with brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) test.Materials and Methods:Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained from NMRI mice ovaries. COCs were stained with BCB and then BCB+ (colored cytoplasm) oocytes cultured in IVM medium supplemented with 0.3 or 0.6 mg/ml LC. COCs untreated with LC were used as control. Fertilization rate and blastocyst development rate were determined after in vitro fertilization. In addition, quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was used to measure relative genes expression related with development (Ccnb1, Mos, Ces5, and Dppa2) and apoptosis (Bax and Bcl-xL) in oocytes and embryos.Results: Oocytes treated with both LC concentrations showed higher blastocyst development rate compared with untreated oocytes (p<0.01). Moreover, fertilization rate was increased in oocytes treated with 0.6 mg/ml LC (p<0.01). Treatment of oocytes with both LC concentrations increased (p<0.01) the level of Ccnb1 mRNA in MII oocytes. The two-cell stage embryos and blastocysts derived from LC-treated oocytes (0.6 mg/ml) showed increased the expression levels of Dppa2 and Bcl-xl mRNA, respectively (p<0.01).Conclusion: The results of the present study show that adding of LC to the IVM medium of BCB+ oocytes can ameliorate reproductive success following in vitro fertilization.

ObjectiveSpermatogenesis is a complex process that is regulated by a number of genes, some of which are involved in folate-dependent 1-carbon metabolism. Methionine synthase (encoded by MTR) is a key enzyme participating in this pathway. This study aimed to investigate the relationship of the MTR 2756A > G polymorphism with idiopathic male fertility in the Iranian population.MethodsThe participants of this study included 100 men with idiopathic infertility and 100 healthy men as the control group. Genotyping of MTR 2756A > G was performed using the polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. The obtained data were analyzed using SPSS ver. 20.0 with a level of confidence of p< 0.05.ResultsThe frequencies of the A and G alleles at this locus were 77% and 23% in infertile patients and 84% and 16% in the control group, respectively. The frequencies of the GG, GA, and AA genotypes were 5%, 36%, and 59% in the infertile patients versus 3%, 27%, and 70% in the control group, respectively. No significant difference was observed in any genetic models.ConclusionIn general, the findings of this study suggest that the MTR 2756A > G single-nucleotide polymorphism is not a predisposing factor for idiopathic infertility in men.

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