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Effects of oxygen tension and IGF-I on HIF-1α protein expression in mouse blastocysts

  • Embryo Biology
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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs) are key regulators of oxygen homeostasis in response to reduced oxygenation in somatic cells. In addition, HIF-1α protein can be also induced by insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) treatment in various cell lines under normoxic condition. However, the expression and function of HIF-1α in embryogenesis are still unclear. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to examine the expression of HIF-1α in mouse blastocysts cultured under hypoxic and normoxic conditions, and to determine whether oxygen tension and IGF-I influence embryonic development through stimulation of HIF-1α expression.

Methods

Mouse embryos were cultured from the 1-cell to blastocyst stage under 5 % or 20 % O2 in both the absence and presence of IGF-I.

Results

The embryonic development rates to the blastocyst stage were not affected by oxygen tension or IGF-I treatment. HIF-1α protein was localized to the cytoplasm of blastocysts, and its levels were independent of oxygen concentration or IGF-I treatment. Blastocysts cultured under 5 % O2 exhibited significantly higher total cell numbers (83.4 ± 18.1) and lower apoptotic index (3.7 ± 1.5) than those cultured under 20 % O2 (67.4 ± 15.6) (6.9 ± 3.5) (P < 0.05). IGF-I reduced the apoptotic index in both oxygen conditions, but a significant decrease was detected in the 20 % O2 group.

Conclusions

HIF-1α may not be a major mediator that responds to change in oxygen tension within blastocysts, inconsistent with that of somatic cells. Supplementation of culture media with IGF-I has been shown to promote embryo development by an anti-apoptotic effect, instead of increasing HIF-1α protein expression.

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Acknowledgments

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest in this study. This research was supported in part by Korea University Education and Research Foundation (YK).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-713, South Korea

    Jeong Yoon

  2. Maria Research Center, 103-11, Sinseol-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-812, South Korea

    Jeong Yoon, Kyoung-Mi Juhn, Jin-Kyung Ko & San-Hyun Yoon

  3. Korea University, Anam-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-713, South Korea

    Yong Ko

  4. Gyeongnam National University of Science and Technology, 33 Dongjin-ro, Jinju-si, 660-758, South Korea

    Chul-Young Lee

  5. Maria Fertility Hospital, 103-11, Sinseol-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, 130-812, South Korea

    Jin-Ho Lim

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  1. Jeong Yoon
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Correspondence to Yong Ko.

Additional information

Capsule Reduced oxygen tension along with IGF-I supplementation can increase the developmental potential of mouse blastocysts, and this may be attributed to the suppression of apoptosis, but not to an influence of HIF-1α expression.

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Yoon, J., Juhn, KM., Ko, JK. et al. Effects of oxygen tension and IGF-I on HIF-1α protein expression in mouse blastocysts. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 99–105 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9902-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-012-9902-z

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