172 THE APOPTOTIC EFFECTS OF BISPHENOL A-INDUCED MITOCHONDRIAL-DERIVED REACTIVE OXYGEN SPECIES ON MATURATION OF PORCINE OOCYTES IN VITRO
Authors: Park S.-Y. , Park H.-J. , Kim J.-W. , Park J.-Y. , Yang S.-G. , Jung J.-M. , Kim M.-J. , Koo D.-B. 
Published: December 2016

Bisphenol A (BPA) is well known as oestrogen-like chemical and it is widely used in plastic products. Many studies have reported that BPA exposure has a well-known toxicity effect on reproduction function, such as reducing the number of ovulated oocytes, oocyte quality, and maturation rate. Recently, BPA induced mitochondrial-derived reactive oxygen species (mito-ROS) and disrupted mitochondrial homeostasis by increasing of superoxide anions production. In this study, we investigated how the regulation of mito-ROS production may play a critical role in meiotic maturation and expansion of cumulus cells during the in vitro maturation progression of porcine oocytes. Furthermore, we investigated the toxicity effect of BPA exposure on mitochondrial functions and mito-ROS production during porcine oocyte maturation in vitro. All results were analysed using a 1-way ANOVA followed by Bonferroni’s and Tukey’s Multiple Comparison Test and t-tests. First, porcine oocytes were matured in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with BPA (50, 75, and 100 µM) for 44 h. Our results indicated that the rates of matured oocytes were significantly decreased by BPA exposure in a dose-dependent manner (69.4 ± 5.1, 50.9 ± 6.3, and 29.9 ± 5.8% for BPA treatments of 50, 75, and 100 μM) compared with control group (70.2 ± 7.8%; P < 0.05). Next, we confirmed the secretion functions of oocyte and cumulus cell of cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) and ROS production. Cumulus cell secretion factors (has2, tnfaip6, and cx37) mRNA expression in COC were decreased in the BPA-treated (75 µM) group. In addition, mRNA expressions of mitochondrial-specific antioxidant enzymes (sod2, P < 0.001; prdx3, P < 0.01; prdx5, P < 0.001) and mitochondrial apoptosis genes (bax and caspase-3, P < 0.01) were significantly increased in COC of the BPA-treated (75 µM) group. We measured mitochondrial membrane potential and mito-ROS production using JC-1 analysis and Mito-SOX staining, respectively. The BPA treatment caused a rapid decrease of mitochondrial membrane potential maintenance and increase of mito-ROS production in porcine COC. Moreover, mitochondrial-specific ROS scavenger, Mito-Tempo (0.1 µM) treatment was significantly increased the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes compared with control group (78.5 ± 3.5 v. 65.8 ± 5.0%; P < 0.05). Based on these results, we first confirmed that BPA exposure reduces the meiotic maturation and cumulus cells expansion of COC by increasing mito-ROS production during porcine oocyte maturation in vitro. Therefore, controlling of mito-ROS for mitochondrial function maintenance and apoptosis plays a critical role in improving porcine oocyte maturation in vitro.
This work was supported by grants from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (PJ01117604) and the Bio-industry Technology Development Program (316037–04–1-HD020) through the Rural Development Administration, the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea.