A Moghimi Khorasgani - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Bio-medicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology,ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
R Moradi - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Bio-medicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology,ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
F Jafarpour - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Bio-medicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology,ACECR, Isfahan, Iran
S Otadhosseini - Department of Reproductive Biotechnology, Reproductive Bio-medicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Biotechnology,ACECR, Isfahan, Iran

Background: Alpha-Lipoic acid (α-LA), a naturally occur-ring disulfide molecule, is a powerful antioxidant for clinical therapy of some metabolic diseases and advanced cancers by reducing the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and in-creasing glutathione peroxidase activity (GSH). α-LA acts as an important coenzyme for enzymes inside the mitochondria, such as pyruvate dehydrogenase and a-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase; therefore, it has been used as a vitamin-like substance but there are few reports about the effect of α-LA on in vitro maturation (IVM) in ruminants.Materials and Methods: In this experimental study cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were matured in control and α-LA (25 µM) groups. After oocyte maturation we assessed cumu-lus expansion index (CEI), ROS and GSH level. After in vitro fertilization (IVF), non-treated treated matured oocytes were assessed for developmental rate, hatching rate and DNA frag-mentation in derived blastocysts.Results: The results revealed that 25 µM α-LA during IVM have increased CEI, decreased ROS level and elevated GSH content in matured oocytes. Furthermore, supplementation of maturation medium with 25 µM α-LA increased the blastocyst formation and hatching rates in compared to control. In addition DNA fragmentation have decreased in blastocysts derived from α-LA treated group in compared to control group.Conclusion: Oocyte IVM is a complex physiological process in which oocyte undergoes nuclear maturation and cytoplasmic maturation. During oocyte IVM, oocyte is much more suscep-tible to oxidative stress, which disrupts oocyte and subsequent embryo development. In this study we have showed that α-LA could efficiently promote oocyte IVM and improve oocyte quality in terms of blastocyst and hatching rate and decrease DNA fragmentation in resultant embryos.

α-LA, CEI, ROS, GSH, DNA Fragmentation