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The Effect of Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Conditioned Medium on the In Vitro Maturation of Immature Oocytes, Embryo Development, and Genes Expression Involved in Apoptosis

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A Correction to this article was published on 18 September 2023

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Abstract

Oocyte cytoplasmic maturation is a crucial process during in vitro maturation (IVM), and finding an appropriate IVM medium that promotes oocyte competence is very critical in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly (WJ-MSCs)-derived conditioned media on the maturation of immature oocytes and their developmental potential in humans after IVM, as well as apoptotic gene expression. A total of 392 germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes were collected from 207 women aged 25–35 years and divided into two IVM groups: (1) control group, which was cultured in CleavTM medium, and (2) experimental group, which was cultured in supernatants of umbilical cord Wharton’s jelly as a conditioned medium (CM). First, WJ-MSCs were isolated, and their purity was analyzed. The immunophenotypes of WJ-MSCs were analyzed by flow cytometry. The quantitative expression of BCL2, BAX, and BAG1 in matured oocytes and embryos was evaluated through quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Our findings showed that WJ-MSCs have a high proliferating capacity. The purity of the isolated cells was further validated by immunophenotyping, which revealed that their surface antigen expression had phenotypical properties similar to WJ-MSCs. When compared to CD34 and CD45 surface markers, the enlarged cells were positive for CD90, CD105, and CD44. There were significant differences in cytoplasmic maturation of oocytes and embryo quality between the two groups. The mRNA expression levels of BCL-2, BAG1, and BAX in matured oocytes and embryos were also significantly different between the two groups. Therefore, WJ-MSCs medium indicated potential efficacy in terms of ameliorating oocyte maturation and in promoting the development and genes expression of BAX, BCL-2, and BAG1.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the members of the Department of Biology, Arak University. This research was supported by Arak University. Also, we appreciate the members of Department of the Stem Cells of the Academic Center for Education, Culture, and Research (ACER), Qom.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Arak University, Arak, Iran

    Monireh Mahmoodi & Alireza Riahi

  2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Qom, Qom, Iran

    Ebrahim Cheraghi

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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Monireh Mahmoodi, Ebrahim Cheraghi, and Alireza Riahi. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Alireza Riahi, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Monireh Mahmoodi.

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Ethical Approval

This study was approved by the research ethics committee (the University of Qom Ethical Committee [IR.QOM.REC.1400.006]).

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Mahmoodi, M., Cheraghi, E. & Riahi, A. The Effect of Wharton’s Jelly-Derived Conditioned Medium on the In Vitro Maturation of Immature Oocytes, Embryo Development, and Genes Expression Involved in Apoptosis. Reprod. Sci. 31, 190–198 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43032-023-01345-2

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