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Effects of growth hormone on the ultrastructure of bovine preimplantation embryos

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Abstract

Growth hormone (GH) has recently been shown to promote the development of preimplantation embryos. The aim of our study was therefore to analyze the effects of GH on the morphology and ultrastructure of the cells of bovine preimplantation embryos produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF). In order to determine the physiologically optimal morphology of blastocysts, ex vivo embryos obtained by uterine flushing were also included in the study. As shown by transmission electron microscopy, treatment with GH induced the elimination of glycogen storage in cells of the inner cell mass of 7-day-old embryos. GH also stimulated the exocytosis of lipid vesicles in the inner cell mass and trophectoderm cells of these embryos. Quantitative analysis of micrographs demonstrated a higher volume density of embryonic mitochondria in 7-day-old embryos cultured with GH than in control embryos. Treatment with GH regularly resulted in an improvement of the ultrastructural features of embryos produced in vitro, thus resembling the morphology of ex vivo embryos. Scanning electron-microscopy studies demonstrated that GH altered the structure and the pore size of the zona pellucida of blastocysts. Our studies imply that GH can modulate carbohydrate, lipid, and energy metabolism and influence transportation processes in the early IVF embryo.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Mrs. Christine Neumüller, Mrs. Katrin Berger, und Mrs. Gudrun Boie for excellent technical assistance. The help of Mrs. Heidrun School, Department of Parasitology, University of Munich with the scanning electron microscopy is gratefully acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. Miodrag Stojkovic

    Present address: Institute of Human Genetics, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, 80539, Munich, Germany

    Sabine Kölle, Sven Reese & Fred Sinowatz

  2. Department of Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, 81377, Munich, Germany

    Miodrag Stojkovic & Eckhard Wolf

  3. Institute of Animal Breeding, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, 85586, Grub, Germany

    Horst-Dieter Reichenbach

Authors
  1. Sabine Kölle
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  2. Miodrag Stojkovic
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  3. Sven Reese
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  4. Horst-Dieter Reichenbach
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  5. Eckhard Wolf
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  6. Fred Sinowatz
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sabine Kölle.

Additional information

This work was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (FOR 478/1)

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Kölle, S., Stojkovic, M., Reese, S. et al. Effects of growth hormone on the ultrastructure of bovine preimplantation embryos. Cell Tissue Res 317, 101–108 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-0898-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-0898-2

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