Adverse effects of retinoic acid on embryo development and the selective expression of retinoic acid receptors in mouse blastocysts

Abstract

This is the first evidence to show the impacts of RA on mouse blastocysts in vitro and any carry-over effects in the uterus. There is a retardation of early postimplantation blastocyst development and then subsequent blastocyst death. Our findings also show that there is some degree of selective induction of retinoic acid receptors when excess RA is administered to the blastocysts.

In vitro maturation of porcine oocytes with retinoids improves embryonic development

“…Too much or too little exposure to retinoids, at the wrong stage or at the wrong time, can adversely affect embryo development (Sporn and Roberts 1991;Huang et al 2006;Rodríguez et al 2007). In the present study, the highest concentrations of both metabolites (500 nm RA and 12 500 nm ROH) were cytotoxic because they prevented oocytes from achieving nuclear maturation.…”

“…There could be species-specific differences in the susceptibility to retinoids, with varied requirements during IVM in order to protect oocytes from detrimental effects on the one hand and from the epigenetic influences of retinol on the other, as has been reported by several authors (e.g. Gomez et al 2003;Huang et al 2006). The different concentrations of retinoids used between studies could also have been responsible for these discrepancies, given that the effects of these compounds are dependent on their concentration Livingston et al 2004;Lima et al 2006).…”

“…data) and embryonic development and quality (Duque et al 2002;Gomez et al 2003;Hidalgo et al 2003;Livingston et al 2004;Lima et al 2006). Despite the beneficial effects of retinol, a suitable dose for the different retinol metabolites has yet to be determined, because both excessive and inadequate exposure to retinol and its metabolites can be detrimental for mouse and bovine embryo development (Sporn and Roberts 1991;Huang et al 2006). However, to the best of our knowledge, there have been no studies on the effects of different doses of retinol during IVM on the yield of porcine embryos.…”

Protective effects of resveratrol on ethanol-induced apoptosis in embryonic stem cells and disruption of embryonic development in mouse blastocysts

“…Furthermore, the fetal weight was lower in the ethanol-treated group than the controls (552 ± 81 mg versus 503 ± 69 mg; P < 0.05), whereas the fetal weight was similar to the controls for the group receiving both dietary resveratrol and ethanol (540 ± 77 mg). We also examined the proportion of fetuses weighing over 600 mg, which is an important indicator for embryo and fetus development (Huang et al, 2006). Compared to controls, the ethanol-pretreated group had 7% fewer fetuses weighing over 600 mg, whereas 35% of the fetuses weighed were treated with or without resveratrol (10 M) for 1 h, followed by 0.5% ethanol for another 4 h. Blastocysts were observed in culture for 72 h post-treatment.…”

Epigallocatechin gallate induces embryonic toxicity in mouse blastocysts through apoptosis

“…Overall, fetal weight was lower in the 25-50 mM EGCG-treated group, compared to the control group ( Figure 4C). Previous investigations, including a recent report by our group, showed that 35-40% of fetuses weigh more than 600 mg, with the average weight of total surviving fetuses being approximately 600 AE 12 mg in the untreated control group at day 18 of pregnancy in a mouse embryo transfer assay (Chan, 2006(Chan, , 2009, 2008Huang et al, 2006). Fetal weight is an important indicator of developmental status.…”