International comparative field study of N8 evaluating factor VIII assay performance.

Discrepancies between the one-stage clotting assay and the chromogenic method, and also among different variations of each method, have been a significant challenge for one B-domain deleted FVIII product. N8 is a B-domain truncated FVIII product developed by Novo Nordisk. The comparison of N8 and Advate(®) was performed in an international, multicentre, randomized and blinded field study of simulated postinfusion samples. Overall, Advate(®) and N8 performed similarly in the one-stage assay. In the one-stage clotting assay, the measured mean FVIII levels of Advate(®) vs. N8 were 0.046/0.047, 0.24/0.24, 0.58/0.60 and 0.82/0.83 IU mL(-1) for the target values of 0.03, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.9 IU mL(-1) , respectively. In the chromogenic assays, the concentration estimates showed a tendency towards higher N8 values as compared with Advate(®) ; the measured FVIII levels of Advate(®) vs. N8 were 0.030/0.032, 0.22/0.24, 0.65/0.74 and 0.98/1.08 IU mL(-1) for the target values of 0.03, 0.2, 0.6 and 0.9 IU mL(-1) , respectively. In the one-stage assays, the measured values were above 150% of target at the lowest concentration, decreasing to around 90% of target at the highest concentration. In contrast, the chromogenic assays were close to target at the lowest concentration and consistently above target at the three highest concentrations. Therefore, the ratio of chromogenic/one-stage potencies was concentration dependent, ranging from 0.66 to 1.30. The SSC plasma standard was similar in both. Assay variability was similar for both compounds. The results show that N8 can be reliably measured in plasma without the need for a separate N8 standard.

Bioequivalence between two serum-free recombinant factor VIII preparations (N8 and ADVATE®)--an open-label, sequential dosing pharmacokinetic study in patients with severe haemophilia A.

Recombinant coagulation factor VIII (rFVIII) concentrates provide a safe and efficacious replacement therapy for treatment and prevention of bleeding in patients with severe haemophilia A. The aim of this study was to compare the pharmacokinetic (PK) and safety profiles of two serum-free rFVIII products: N8, a new rFVIII manufactured by Novo Nordisk and Advate(®), a marketed product. Patients with severe haemophilia A with >150 exposure days to FVIII, without current or past inhibitors, were enrolled in an open-label, first human dose (FHD), multicentre trial. Twenty-three patients first received a single dose of 50 IU kg(-1) body weight Advate(®) followed by 50 IU kg(-1) body weight N8 at the next visit. A 4-day washout period was required prior to each dosing. Blood samples for PK and safety analyses were drawn prior to dosing and at intervals up until 48 h postdosing. The PK parameters were based on FVIII clotting activity (FVIII:C) measurements. Occurrence of adverse events was closely monitored. The mean profiles of FVIII:C and all primary and secondary parameters for Advate(®) and N8 were comparable. The 90% CI for the treatment ratio (Advate(®)/N8) for all primary endpoints (incremental recovery, t(1/2), AUC and Cl), and the secondary endpoints (AUC(last) and C(max)) were within the bioequivalence interval of 0.8-1.25. There were no safety concerns in the study and no reports of inhibitor formation in the 72-h period following exposure to a single N8 dose. In conclusion, N8 is bioequivalent to Advate(®). Furthermore, N8 is well tolerated in the FHD trial.

Functional characteristics of N8, a new recombinant FVIII.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vitro function of the new recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) compound, N8. The specific activity of N8 as measured in a FVIII:C one-stage clot assay was 9300±400 IU mg(-1) based on the analysis of seven individual batches. The ratio between the FVIII:C activity measured in clot and chromogenic assays was 1.00 (95% confidence interval 0.97-1.03). N8 bound to von Willebrand factor with Kd values of 0.2 nm when measured by ELISA and by surface plasmon resonance. FVIIIa cofactor activity was determined from the kinetic parameters of factor IXa-catalysed factor X (FX) activation. The rate of activation of N8 by thrombin as well as Km and kcat for FX activation was in the same range as those observed for Advate®. The rate of activated protein C (APC)-catalysed inactivation was similar for activated N8 and Advate®. N8 improved thrombin generation in a dose-dependent manner and induced similar rates of thrombin generation as Advate® and the plasma-derived FVIII product Haemate®. Using thromboelastography (TEG®), N8 was shown to improve the clot formation and clot stability in whole blood from haemophilia A patients. Comparable potency and efficacy of N8 and Advate® was found based on TEG® parameters. Finally, similar binding profiles to immobilized lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP) of N8 and Advate® were observed. The study demonstrated that N8 is fully functional in a variety of assays measuring FVIII activity. No functional differences were found between N8 and comparator compounds.

Effect of haemodilution, acidosis, and hypothermia on the activity of recombinant factor VIIa (NovoSeven).

BACKGROUND: A range of plasma volume expanders is used clinically, often in settings where haemostasis may already be impaired. The haemostatic agent, recombinant activated factor VII (rFVIIa, NovoSeven), may be used to improve haemostasis but potential interactions with different volume expanders are poorly understood. METHODS: Clot formation was measured by thromboelastography (TEG) using blood from healthy volunteers. In vitro effects of rFVIIa with haemodilution, acidosis, and hypothermia were examined. Conditions were induced by dilution with NaCl (0.9%), lactated Ringer's solution, albumin 5%, or hydroxyethyl starch (HES) solutions [MW (molecular weight) 130-670 kDa]; by adjusting pH to 6.8 with 1 M HEPES (N-2-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulphonic acid) buffer; or by reducing temperature to 32 degrees C. We also studied the effect of low vs high MW HES (MW 200 vs 600 kDa) and rFVIIa on in vivo bleeding time (BT) in rabbits. RESULTS: Haemodilution progressively altered TEG parameters. rFVIIa improved TEG parameters in the presence of acidosis, hypothermia or 20% haemodilution (P<0.05). At 40% haemodilution, the rFVIIa effect was diminished particularly with high MW HES. In vivo, rFVIIa shortened the BT (P<0.05) with low but not high MW HES. CONCLUSIONS: Efficacy of rFVIIa was affected by the degree of haemodilution and type of volume expander, but not by acidosis or hypothermia.

Expression of insulin-like growth factors in two bovine oviductal cultures employed for embryo co-culture.

We have investigated the patterns of expression and cellular localization of polypeptides and mRNAs encoding IGF-I and IGF-II in intact bovine oviduct and two bovine oviductal primary cultures (monolayers and vesicles) which are utilized for supporting development in vitro. IGF-I and IGF-II polypeptides were localized by immunocytochemistry in intact oviduct and in both primary cultures for an 8-day culture interval, but IGF-II polypeptide displayed a more restricted distribution in day 8 monolayer cultures. IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs were localized in both oviductal cell cultures as assessed by in situ hybridization. We were unable to detect IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs in intact oviduct by in situ hybridization; however, transcripts encoding IGF-I and IGF-II mRNAs were detected in intact oviduct cell preparations and all primary culture samples by reverse transcription-PCR methods. The origin and phenotypic stability of these cultures was assessed by immunostaining with antibodies raised against vimentin (mesenchymal cell marker) and cytokeratin (epithelial cell marker). Over the culture period, the proportion of vimentin-immunoreactive cells increased in the monolayer cultures but remained at a low level in the vesicle cultures which were predominantly composed of cytokeratin-positive cells. The results suggest that oviductal cell co-culture may facilitate early mammalian development, in part, by the establishment of paracrine growth factor circuits.

Activation of ribosomal RNA genes in preimplantation cattle and swine embryos.

Transcription of ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes occurs in the nucleolus resulting in ribosome synthesis. In cattle and swine embryos, functional ribosome-synthesizing nucleoli become structurally recognizable towards the end of the fourth and third post-fertilization cell cycle, respectively. In cattle, a range of important nucleolar proteins become localized to the nucleolar anlage over several cell cycles and this localization is apparently completed towards the end of the fourth cell cycle. In swine, the localization of these proteins to the anlage is more synchronous and occurs towards the end of the third cell cycle and is apparently completed at the onset of the fourth. The rRNA gene activation and the associated nucleolus formation may be used as a marker for the activation of the embryonic genome in mammalian embryos and, thus, serve to evaluate the developmental potential of embryos originating from different embryo technological procedures. By this approach, we have demonstrated that in vitro produced porcine embryos display a lack of localization of nucleolar proteins to the nucleolar anlage as compared with in vivo developed counterparts. Similarly, bovine embryos produced by nuclear transfer from morulae display such deviations as compared with in vitro produced counterparts. Collectively, this information may help to explain the appearance of abnormalities seen in a certain proportion of offspring derived from in vitro produced embryos and after cloning.

Transcriptional activity in in vivo developed early cleavage stage bovine embryos.

Bovine embryos developed in vivo from the first to the fourth post-fertilization cell cycles were processed for ultrastructural autoradiography after incubation with 3H-uridine for 10 h. We wished to detect and localize transcriptional activity. During the first (1-cell stage) and second (2-cell stage) cell cycles we observed electron-dense fibrillar spheres (nucleolus precursor bodies) and fibrillo-granular complexes in the nuclei. During these cell cycles, autoradiographic labeling was observed in heterochromatic areas and at the periphery of the fibrillo-granular complexes. During the third cell cycle (4-cell stage) the electron dense fibrillar spheres exhibited vacuolization. Autoradiographic labeling was found in heterochromatic areas and in the vacuoles of the fibrillar spheres. During the fourth cell cycle (8-cell stage), the electron dense fibrillar spheres exhibited both a large eccentric vacuole and peripheral smaller vacuoles. Autoradiographic labeling was found in heterochromatic areas throughout the nucleus and over the substance of the vacuolated fibrillar spheres, especially where chromatin penetrated into them and where presumptive fibrillar centers were formed. In conclusion, a low level of transcription can be detected in in vivo developed bovine embryos as early as the one-cell stage. Moreover, nuclear entities that probably prepare for nucleolus formation during the fourth cell cycle, display a progressive autoradiographic labeling that signals a possible initiation of transcription of the ribosomal RNA genes during the third cell cycle.

Effects of in vivo prematuration and in vivo final maturation on developmental capacity and quality of pre-implantation embryos.

In current in vitro production (IVP) systems, oocytes lack in vivo dominant and preovulatory follicular development, which may compromise pregnancy and viability of calves born. When an oocyte sets off in vivo on the road toward fertilization, it contains numerous transcripts and proteins necessary to survive the first few cell cycles of embryonic development. It is not yet known during which period of development the oocyte builds up the store, possibly primarily during the major growth phase of the oocyte, which is completed at the time a follicle reaches the size of 3 mm. Here, we investigated to what extent the later phases of follicular development, such as prematuration in the dominant follicle before the LH surge and ensuing final maturation in the preovulatory follicle, contribute to oocyte competence and development into viable biastocysts. Recent studies on in vivo vs in vitro oocyte maturation employed oocytes from an identical preovulatory development by applying ovum pick-up (OPU) twice (before and 24 h after the LH surge) in each cow treated for superovulation with a controlled LH surge. The embryo recovery rates at Day 7 of IVC after IVF were similar: 44% (97/219) for in vivo- vs 41% (87/213) for in vitro-matured oocytes, which shows that the natural environment during final maturation is not essential for the mere in vitro development of the prematured oocyte beyond the 8- to 16-cell stage. However, in vivo maturation appeared to contribute to the oocyte's quality in a more subtle way, as indicated by a significant increase in the proportion of expanded blastocysts and a more physiological degree of chromosome aberrations of the embryos. In blastocysts derived from in vivo-matured oocytes, 21% of the embryos were mixoploid vs 50% from in vitro-matured oocytes, concomitant with a higher number of cells (96 vs 54 per normal blastocyst). The expression pattern of a set of six developmentally important genes was, however, not significantly altered in blastocysts derived from in vivo-matured oocytes. Certain deviations were observed compared with the levels of entirely in vivo-developed control blastocysts, which suggests that the beneficial effects of in vivo maturation are possibly exerted at initial stages of embryonic development. Prematuration in vivo, occurring in a dominant follicle developing from about 8 mm into the preovulatory follicle, is accompanied by changes in protein synthesis of the cumulus oocyte complex (COC). Presumably, the differentially expressed proteins are involved in equipping the oocyte with further developmental competence. Although we have unraveled some important biochemical and cellular biological features of the oocyte, further research on in vivo processes is essential to improve in vitro embryo production in practice.

Enhancing the pharmacokinetic properties of recombinant factor VIII: first-in-human trial of glycoPEGylated recombinant factor VIII in patients with hemophilia A.

BACKGROUND: N8-GP is a recombinant factor VIII (FVIII) with a site-directed glycoPEGylation for the purpose of half-life prolongation. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the safety and pharmacokinetic profiles of N8-GP in comparison with those of the patients' previous FVIII products. PATIENTS/METHODS: This dose-escalation trial included previously treated patients with severe hemophilia A who received one of three dose levels (25, 50 or 75 U kg(-1) ) of N8-GP and FVIII product. Each dose escalation was preceded by safety and pharmacokinetic assessment. The trial was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01205724). RESULTS: Twenty-six patients each received one dose of their previous FVIII product followed by the same, single dose of N8-GP. N8-GP, at any tested dose, was well tolerated, with a low frequency of adverse events. No new inhibitors against FVIII or N8-GP and no binding antibodies against N8-GP developed during the trial. The pharmacokinetics of N8-GP were dose-linear. The incremental recovery of N8-GP was 0.025 [(U mL(-1) )/(U kg(-1) )]. The clearance was 1.79 mL(-1)  h(-1)  kg(-1) . The estimated time from dosing of 50 U kg(-1) N8-GP to a plasma activity of 1% was 6.5 days (range: 3.6-7.9 days). The mean terminal half-life of N8-GP was 19.0 h (range: 11.6-27.3 h), 1.6-fold longer than that of the patients' previous products. CONCLUSIONS: A single dose of up to 75 U kg(-1) N8-GP was well tolerated in patients with hemophilia A, with no safety concerns. N8-GP had a prolonged half-life, and FVIII:C activity remained at > 1% for longer than the patient's previous product. These results indicate that N8-GP has the potential to reduce dosing frequency during prophylaxis.

Ploidy of bovine nuclear transfer blastocysts reconstructed using in vitro produced blastomere donors.

The higher rate of embryonic loss in nuclear transfer compared to in vitro produced embryos may be due to chromosome abnormalities that occur during preimplantation in vitro development. Because little is known about ploidy errors in nuclear transfer embryos, this was examined using embryos reconstructed from in vitro produced embryo donors. In vitro matured oocytes were enucleated and then activated using calcium ionophore A23187 followed by 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP). Subsequently, embryos were reconstructed using blastomeres from day 4-5 in vitro produced donors. The embryos were cultured until day 7 at which time blastocyst nuclei were extracted and chromosome abnormalities were evaluated by fluorescent in situ hybridization using two probes that bind to the subcentromeric regions on chromosomes 6 and 7. In 16 nuclear transfer blastocysts generated from 5 donor embryos, 53.8 +/- 20.2 (mean % +/- SD) nuclei/embryo were examined. Of these 16, 7 embryos (43.8%) were potentially abnormal because in these, 1.1%, 1.4%, 5.3%, 7.5%, 26.3%, 30.4%, and 66.2% % of the nuclei had a chromosome composition deviating from the diploid condition, indicating a wide degree of variation between embryos. These errors comprised mainly triploid (8.2 +/- 10.3 [0-26.3]: % +/- SD [range]) and tetraploid (10.6 +/- 19.9 [0-54.9]) nuclei with other ploidy combinations accounting for only 0.9 +/- 2.1 [0-2.1]% of deviant nuclei. The proportion of completely normal nuclear transfer embryos was no less than those produced by in vitro fertilization but the distribution of chromosome abnormalities was different (p = 0.0002). In conclusion, nuclear transfer embryos reconstructed using blastomere cells can produce over 50% blastocysts with a diploid chromosome complement. However, the contribution of chromosome abnormalities to embryonic loss in the remaining embryos deserves further investigation.

Chromosome aberrations in in vitro-produced bovine embryos at days 2-5 post-insemination.

Availability of embryos of high quality is required to obtain satisfactory embryonic developmental rates and normal calves following transfer of in vitro-produced (IVP) bovine embryos. One relevant quality parameter is the frequency of chromosome aberrations, which can be evaluated using multicolor fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome 6- and chromosome 7-specific probes in cattle. In this study, interphase nuclei (n = 3805) were analyzed from 426 bovine IVP embryos. We found that 73%, 72%, 81%, and 58% of the embryos from Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 post-insemination (pi), respectively, displayed a normal diploid chromosome number in all cells. When looking at the types of chromosome aberrations, the percentages of mixoploidy at Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 pi were 22%, 15%, 16%, and 42%, respectively, whereas the percentages of polyploidy (i.e., all nuclei in an embryo were analyzed and were polyploid) were 5%, 13%, 3%, and 0%, respectively. In conclusion, numerical chromosome aberrations were detected as early as Day 2 pi. The development of polyploid embryos is slow and is apparently arrested during the third cell cycle, whereas the mixoploid embryos seem to continue development.

Transcriptional activity in in vitro produced bovine two- and four-cell embryos.

The objectives of this study on in vitro produced bovine two- and four-cell embryos were (1) to investigate the uptake of 3H-uridine through the plasma membrane, (2) to characterize the pattern of RNA synthesis during the second cell cycle, and (3) to measure the incorporation of 3H-uridine into de novo synthesized RNA. A total of 200 embryos were incubated with 3H-uridine for 15, 30, 60 (two- and four-cell embryos), 120 (four-cell embryos), 180 (two-cell embryos), and 240 min (two- and four-cell embryos), respectively. 3H-uridine uptake reached a maximum by 30 min in two-cell embryos, whereas four-cell embryos reached a maximum at 120 min. A total of 440 two-cell embryos were isolated 27-33 hr postinsemination (hpi), and 90 of these were incubated for 10 hr with 3H-uridine (200 microCi/ml). The remainder were incubated with 3H-uridine for 3 hr starting at 0-3 (n = 54), 3-6 (n = 75), 6-9 (n = 77), or 9-12 (n = 77) hr after cleavage to the two-cell stage. Control two-cell embryos (n = 67) were incubated with 3H-uridine supplemented with 5 mg/ml of unlabelled uridine for 10 hr (inhibition control), or they were incubated with 3H-uridine for 10 hr and RNase treated (100 micrograms/ml) post fixation (RNase control). Subsequently, the embryos were processed for autoradiography. The long-term incubation revealed transcription (autoradiographically labelled nuclei) in a total of 77% of the two- and four-cell embryos. No transcription was observed in any of the 3 hr incubation groups. The RNase control embryos lacked labelling of the nuclei, whereas the inhibition control embryos only showed markedly reduced labelling. Finally, total RNA extraction was performed on a total of 336 two-cell embryos that were incubated with 3H-uridine or 3H-uridine supplemented with unlabelled uridine for 2, 5, or 10 hr. It was possible to detect an increasing amount of labelled RNA after the 2, 5, and 10 hr incubation periods, and it was possible to inhibit this incorporation competitively. Together the data demonstrate a low level of transcription during the second cell cycle without a well-defined transcriptional peak.

Time course of pronuclear deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis in parthenogenetically activated bovine oocytes.

The progress of pronuclear DNA synthesis was monitored by the radioactive precursor 3H-thymidine during the first cell cycle of parthenogenetically activated bovine oocytes. Bovine oocytes were exposed to Ca2+ ionophore A23187 at 24, 30, or 36 h after the onset of in vitro maturation. Young 24-h oocytes were subsequently cultured for 6 h in the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide (CHX), to ensure similar rates of activation (96-100%) and pronuclear formation (93-97%) among all groups of oocytes. Subsequent autoradiographic experiments revealed a slightly, but not significantly, accelerated start of DNA synthesis in aged (36 h) oocytes. Maximum levels of DNA labeling were reached within 4 h regardless of oocyte maturation age and persisted for 4 h in 30-h oocytes compared to 2 h in 36-h and 24-h oocytes. The period of DNA synthesis lasted for a total of 12-14 h in all groups of oocytes, and the duration of S-phase was less than 6 h. Since rates of pronuclear formation (58%) and labeling (58%) corresponded to each other, it is argued that only a fully developed pronucleus can synthesize DNA. Oocyte labeling performed in the presence of CHX revealed the capability of CHX to inhibit DNA synthesis up to 8 h postactivation. Removal of CHX by washing when the majority (94%) of oocytes had formed a fully developed pronucleus (at 8 h postactivation) led to the synchronous start of DNA synthesis within 1.5-2 h post-CHX culture. This concomitantly defined the time required for synthesis of vital proteins needed for the entry into S-phase and/or DNA replication. The prolonged exposure of activated oocytes to CHX (10-12 h) negatively affected the pattern of DNA synthesis. The start of DNA synthesis was postponed and reduced pronuclear labeling was observed. In addition, CHX-treated oocytes often exhibited a characteristic punctate pattern of pronuclear labeling in which silver grains were accumulated into clusters. In conclusion, the present results provide knowledge about timing and a possible synchronization of DNA synthesis in parthenogenetically activated bovine oocytes.

Transcription and cell cycle-dependent development of intranuclear bodies and granules in two-cell bovine embryos.

Bovine two-cell embryos were produced by maturation and fertilization in vitro and isolated at 27, 30 or 33 h after insemination. Embryos were incubated with [3H]uridine for 10 h. Other embryos were incubated with [3H]uridine for 1 h starting at 0-3 h, 3-6 h, 6-9 h or 9-12 h after cleavage (hpc) to the two-cell stage. Subsequently, all embryos were washed, fixed, dehydrated, embedded in Epon and sectioned for light microscope autoradiography and transmission electron microscopy. Thus, at the time of fixation the embryos incubated in [3H]uridine for 1 h represented the periods 1-4, 4-7, 7-10 and 10-13 hpc. Among embryos subjected to [3H]-uridine incubation for 10 h, a majority of those in interphase displayed auto-radiographic labelling over the nuclei, whereas none of the embryos incubated for 1 h did so. At 1-4 hpc, two-cell embryos presented electron-dense nucleolus precursor bodies and large clusters of electron-dense granules of various sizes in their nuclei. At 4-7 hpc, ring-shaped or horseshoe-shaped bodies of the same electron density as the nucleolus precursor bodies were found in the periphery of the granule clusters. At 7-10 hpc, several incomplete ring-like bodies of the same electron density as the nucleus precursor bodies were found deeply embedded in the granule clusters. The interior of these bodies contained granules lining a central vacuole. At 10-13 hpc, all two-cell embryos were in mitosis. It is concluded that bovine embryos produced in vitro display a certain rate of transcription during the second cell cycle without the presence of a well-defined transcriptional peak, and that this activity is paralleled by cell cycle-dependent interaction of intranuclear bodies and granules.

Transcription and localization of growth factor mRNA in the bovine oviduct.

It has become evident that certain growth factors are involved in the regulation of the initial bovine embryogenesis. In the present study, we examined by means of Northern blot and in situ hybridization, the expression and localization in the bovine oviduct of mRNAs encoding for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF-B), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-I). Northern blot analysis on oviduct tissue demonstrated transcripts for PDGF-B and bFGF, but not IGF-I mRNAs. Two bands with estimated sizes of 5.0 and 1.5 kb were detected for PDGF-B and two bands with sizes of 7.5 and 4.9 kb for bFGF. In situ hybridization analysis demonstrated localization of PDGF-B mRNA in the lamina epithelialis and tunica muscularis of the oviduct whereas bFGF mRNA was detected in the lamina propria. It is concluded that the lamina epithelialis and lamina propria of the oviduct represent sites of synthesis of PDGF-B and bFGF mRNA, respectively.

mRNAs encoding aquaporins are present during murine preimplantation development.

The present study was conducted to investigate the mechanisms underlying fluid movement across the trophectoderm during blastocyst formation by determining whether aquaporins (AQPs) are expressed during early mammalian development. AQPs belong to a family of major intrinsic membrane proteins and function as molecular water channels that allow water to flow rapidly across plasma membranes in the direction of osmotic gradients. Ten different AQPs have been identified to date. Murine preimplantation stage embryos were flushed from the oviducts and uteri of superovulated CD1 mice. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) methods employing primer sets designed to amplify conserved sequences of AQPs (1-9) were applied to murine embryo cDNA samples. PCR reactions were conducted for up to 40 cycles involving denaturation of DNA hybrids at 95 degrees C, primer annealing at 52-60 degrees C and extension at 72 degrees C. PCR products were separated on 2% agarose gels and were stained with ethidium bromide. AQP PCR product identity was confirmed by sequence analysis. mRNAs encoding AQPs 1, 3, 5, 6, 7, and 9 were detected in murine embryos from the one-cell stage up to the blastocyst stage. AQP 8 mRNAs were not detected in early cleavage stages but were present in morula and blastocyst stage embryos. The results were confirmed in experimental replicates applied to separate embryo pools of each embryo stage. These results demonstrate that transcripts encoding seven AQP gene products are detectable during murine preimplantation development. These findings predict that AQPs may function as conduits for trophectoderm fluid transport during blastocyst formation.

Ribosomal ribonucleic acid is transcribed at the 4-cell stage in in vitro-produced bovine embryos.

Ribosomal RNA, rRNA genes, and silver-staining nucleolar proteins were visualized in in vitro-produced bovine embryos from the 2-cell stage to the blastocyst using a sequential fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) and a silver-staining procedure. At FISH, the rRNA was differentiated from the signal of the rRNA genes through comparison of RNase- and non-RNase-treated embryos. Both RNase- and non-RNase-treated 2-cell embryos revealed up to 10 small clusters of fluorescein isothiocynate (FITC) labeling in interphase nuclei. The RNase-treated 4-cell embryos displayed the same FITC pattern as the 2-cell embryos. In the non-RNase-treated 4-cell embryos, in contrast, the clusters were larger and included numerous small spots. In 2-cell as well as 4-cell embryos, almost all FITC-labeled clusters colocalized with silver-stained spots. In the RNase-treated 8- to 16-cell embryos, up to 10 clusters of FITC labeling were organized as one or more large spots surrounding a central faint but homogeneously labeled area. The non-RNase-treated 8- to 16-cell embryos displayed similar complexes, but the central areas consisted of small labeled spots. In 8- to 16-cell embryos, all FITC-labeled clusters were again colocalized with silver-stained areas. In the blastocysts, 1-6 big clusters of FITC labeling colocalized with silver staining. In the RNase-treated blastocysts, the FITC labeling was typically located at the edges of the silver-stained areas, whereas in the non-RNase-treated blastocysts, the FITC labeling totally covered the silver-stained areas. In conclusion, there is a close association between the rRNA genes and silver-staining nucleolar proteins in in vitro-produced bovine embryos from the second cell cycle, i.e., the 2-cell stage; the first rRNA is apparently transcribed during the third cell cycle, and during the fourth cell cycle the molecular composition of functional nucleoli is established.

Chromosomal abnormalities and developmental kinetics in in vivo-developed cattle embryos at days 2 to 5 after ovulation.

The frequency of chromosome abnormalities was investigated in cattle embryos (n = 256) derived from superovulated heifers (n = 35) on Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 postovulation (PO). Interphase nuclei (n = 4358) were analyzed for chromosome abnormalities using fluorescent in situ hybridization with chromosome 6- and chromosome 7-specific probes and the developmental rate was described by scoring cell numbers. We found that 93%, 85%, 84%, and 69% of the embryos from Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 PO, respectively, displayed a normal diploid chromosome number in all cells. Of the embryos containing abnormal cells, mixoploidy was significantly more frequent than polyploidy. The percentage of mixoploidy at Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 PO was 5%, 13%, 16%, and 31%, respectively, whereas the percentages of polyploidy were 2%, 2%, 0%, and 0%, respectively. The mean number of cells per embryo was 4.7, 8, 11.5, and 48.3, respectively, at Days 2, 3, 4, and 5 PO. Thus, in vivo-developed embryos were significantly more advanced than the in vitro-produced (IVP) embryos except for Day 2. In conclusion, a significantly lower frequency of chromosomally abnormal embryos, in particular displaying polyploidy early after fertilization, was seen in in vivo versus IVP embryos, and these chromosomal abnormalities may be inherent to the process of IVP in cattle.

A high proportion of bovine blastocysts produced in vitro are mixoploid.

Fluorescence in situ hybridization with chromosome 6- and chromosome 7-specific probes was used to assess the extent of chromosome abnormalities in developing bovine blastocysts at 7-8 days after insemination in vivo or in vitro. Interphase nuclei (N = 10 946) were analyzed from 151 blastocysts produced in vitro and from 28 blastocysts recovered from superovulated animals. This revealed that 72% (109 of 151) of the in vitro-produced blastocysts were mixoploid, i.e., were a mixture of normal, diploid, and polyploid cells. However, only a small fraction of the total number of cells were chromosomally abnormal. Of the mixoploid blastocysts, 83% (91 of 109) contained less than 10% polyploid cells, 13% (14 of 109) contained 11-25% polyploid cells, and only 4% (4 of 109) of the blastocysts had more than 25% polyploid cells per blastocyst. In contrast, a significantly lower proportion (25%) of mixoploidy was found in 28 bovine blastocysts developed in vivo (p < 0.0001). All of the mixoploid blastocysts that had developed in vivo contained less than 10% polyploid cells. No entirely aneuploid blastocysts, i. e., blastocysts in which all cells had the same type of chromosome abnormality, were found in either of the groups. Taken together, the most common chromosome abnormalities observed were diploid-triploid mixoploidies and diploid-tetraploid mixoploidies. Thus, our results confirm earlier reports that morphologically normal bovine blastocysts developed in vivo are often mixoploids. We further show that in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts have a high rate of mixoploidy. Although the difference in mixoploidy rate detected in this study may not be general, it is an interesting phenomenon for further studies.

Morphological assessment of preimplantation embryo quality in cattle.

The extensive use of embryo technologies has emphasized the need for assessing embryo quality by morphological techniques, such as transmission electron microscopy, immunocytochemistry for confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence in situ hybridization. By a combination of these techniques, it has been possible to demonstrate: (i) that rRNA gene activation, as monitored by embryonic nucleolar development, is comparable in bovine embryos developed in vivo and produced in vitro, whereas reconstructed nuclear transfer embryos may be deviant, (ii) that generating embryos by both in vitro production and reconstruction by nuclear transfer is associated with increased occurrence of apoptosis, in particular in the inner cell mass of blastocysts, and (iii) that these two embryo production techniques are associated with increased occurrence of mixoploidy that is, embryos presenting a large population of normal diploid cells and a small population of abnormal haploid or polyploid cells. It is clear that blastocysts that appear healthy at stereomicroscopy may have subcellular defects. Therefore, the possibility of long-term evaluation in vitro of embryos after hatching has been examined. However, whereas embryos developing in vivo after hatching present a number of well defined developmental milestones, such as elongation of the trophoblast, formation of hypoblast and epiblast followed by differentiation of endoderm, mesoderm and ectoderm, in vitro culture systems for development beyond the blastocyst stage currently allow the embryo to complete only a single milestone, namely hypoblast formation.