Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs
Abstract Background When prepubertal lambs are superovulated, the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation has great individual difference and the collected oocytes have lower developmental ability than that of adult ewes. Over the years, growth hormone (GH) has been used in assisted reproductio...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ovarian Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-023-01209-y |
| _version_ | 1797784496502734848 |
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| author | Kexiong Liu Luyao Zhang Qi Qi Junjin Li Fengxiang Yan Jian Hou |
| author_facet | Kexiong Liu Luyao Zhang Qi Qi Junjin Li Fengxiang Yan Jian Hou |
| author_sort | Kexiong Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background When prepubertal lambs are superovulated, the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation has great individual difference and the collected oocytes have lower developmental ability than that of adult ewes. Over the years, growth hormone (GH) has been used in assisted reproduction because it can improve the reproductive performance in humans and animals. However, the effect of GH on ovaries and oocytes of prepubertal lambs remains unclear. Methods Before and during follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) superovulation of prepubertal lambs (4‒6-week-old), the lambs were treated with high (50 mg) or low dose (25 mg) of ovine GH in a long (5 days) or short (2 days) period. The recovered oocytes were used for in vitro maturation and fertilization, and several parameters of oocyte quality and development capacity were evaluated. The possible underlying mechanisms of GH action were explored by analysis of granulosa cell (GC) transcriptome, ovarian proteome and follicular fluid metabolome. Results Treatment of lambs with 50 mg GH over 5 days (long treatment) potentially promoted the response of lambs to superovulation and improved the development capacity of retrieved oocytes, consequently increasing the high quality embryo yield from lambs. A number of differently expressed genes or proteins were found in ovaries between GH-treated and untreated lambs. Cellular experiments revealed that GH reduced the oxidative stress of GCs and promoted the GC proliferation probably through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Finally, analysis of follicular fluid metabolome indicated that GH treatment altered the abundance of many metabolites in follicular fluid, such as antioxidants and fatty acids. Conclusions GH treatment has a beneficial role on function of lamb ovaries, which supports the development of follicles and oocytes and improves the efficiency of embryo production from prepubertal lambs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:40:44Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-83a3947e07564f1ba2d820c2fbcb3049 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1757-2215 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:40:44Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Ovarian Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-83a3947e07564f1ba2d820c2fbcb30492023-07-09T11:21:33ZengBMCJournal of Ovarian Research1757-22152023-07-0116112010.1186/s13048-023-01209-yGrowth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambsKexiong Liu0Luyao Zhang1Qi Qi2Junjin Li3Fengxiang Yan4Jian Hou5State Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityState Key Laboratory of Animal Biotech Breeding, College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural UniversityAbstract Background When prepubertal lambs are superovulated, the ovarian response to gonadotropin stimulation has great individual difference and the collected oocytes have lower developmental ability than that of adult ewes. Over the years, growth hormone (GH) has been used in assisted reproduction because it can improve the reproductive performance in humans and animals. However, the effect of GH on ovaries and oocytes of prepubertal lambs remains unclear. Methods Before and during follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) superovulation of prepubertal lambs (4‒6-week-old), the lambs were treated with high (50 mg) or low dose (25 mg) of ovine GH in a long (5 days) or short (2 days) period. The recovered oocytes were used for in vitro maturation and fertilization, and several parameters of oocyte quality and development capacity were evaluated. The possible underlying mechanisms of GH action were explored by analysis of granulosa cell (GC) transcriptome, ovarian proteome and follicular fluid metabolome. Results Treatment of lambs with 50 mg GH over 5 days (long treatment) potentially promoted the response of lambs to superovulation and improved the development capacity of retrieved oocytes, consequently increasing the high quality embryo yield from lambs. A number of differently expressed genes or proteins were found in ovaries between GH-treated and untreated lambs. Cellular experiments revealed that GH reduced the oxidative stress of GCs and promoted the GC proliferation probably through activation of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. Finally, analysis of follicular fluid metabolome indicated that GH treatment altered the abundance of many metabolites in follicular fluid, such as antioxidants and fatty acids. Conclusions GH treatment has a beneficial role on function of lamb ovaries, which supports the development of follicles and oocytes and improves the efficiency of embryo production from prepubertal lambs.https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-023-01209-yGrowth hormonePrepubertal lambOocytesOvaryGranulosa cellsFollicular fluid |
| spellingShingle | Kexiong Liu Luyao Zhang Qi Qi Junjin Li Fengxiang Yan Jian Hou Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs Journal of Ovarian Research Growth hormone Prepubertal lamb Oocytes Ovary Granulosa cells Follicular fluid |
| title | Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| title_full | Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| title_fullStr | Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| title_short | Growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| title_sort | growth hormone treatment improves the development of follicles and oocytes in prepubertal lambs |
| topic | Growth hormone Prepubertal lamb Oocytes Ovary Granulosa cells Follicular fluid |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s13048-023-01209-y |
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