116 TAUROURSODEOXYCHOLIC ACID PREVENTS ENDOPLASMIC RETICULUM STRESS-INDUCED APOPTOSIS IN PREIMPLANTATION PIG EMBRYOS

Apoptosis is an important determinant for the normal development of preimplantation embryos in vitro. Recently, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-mediated apoptosis has been extensively investigated in a wide variety of diseases. The efficient functioning of the ER is essential for most cellular activities and survival. Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA), an endogenous bile acid, has been reported to attenuate ER stress-mediated cell death by interrupting classic pathways of apoptosis. Therefore, we explored the anti-apoptotic effect of TUDCA on ER stress-induced apoptosis in preimplantation porcine embryos. Also, TM (tunicamycin; an ER stress inducing chemical reagent) was used to investigate the effect of ER-stress on pig embryo development. After in vitro maturation and fertilization, presumptive porcine embryos were cultured in NCSU23 medium supplemented with 200 μ g mL–1 TUDCA or 1 μg mL–1 (TM) for 6 days at 39°C, 5% CO2 in air. All data were analyzed by using Duncan test of ANOVA by Statistical Analysis System (SAS). When treated with TM during culture, only 8.2% (8/97) of the embryos developed to the blastocyst stage compared with 27.4% (28/102) of the embryos in the control group (P < 0.05). We also confirmed that TM stimulates up-regulation of ER stress response genes, such as XBP-1 mRNA, and induces a high rate of apoptosis. Whereas the frequency of blastocyst formation in the TUDCA-treated group was increased compared with that in the control group (32.8%, 49/149 v. 22.2%, 32/144), P < 0.05). Furthermore, the blastocyst cell number was enhanced (30.6 v. 39.5) and apoptosis reduced (TUNEL positive nuclei number, 6.0 v. 3.2) by TUDCA treatment in pig embryos. As the result of real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis, the expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-xl gene was increased in the blastocyst stage by TUDCA treatment, whereas expression of pro-apoptotic Bax was decreased. In addition, we also confirmed that TUDCA decreases the rate of TM-induced apoptosis in preimplantation stage pig embryos. Our results indicate that TUDCA improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos by modulating the ER stress-induced apoptosis during preimplantation stage.