Effects of Nrf2 signaling pathway modulation during oocyte in vitro maturation in cattle

Abstract

During in vitro production (IVP) of bovine embryos the artificial environment induces changes in cellular metabolism caused, among other factors, by the imbalance between the reactive oxygen species (ROS) and antioxidant molecules. This imbalance, called oxidative stress, is considered one of the main disturbances observed during IVP and triggers the endoplasmic reticulum stress. The embryo must be able to initiate protective mechanisms against stress to develop. Some studies have reported that oxidative stress in embryos is mainly modulated by NRF2 pathway. Thus, the present work aims to study the tert-butilhidroxiquinone effects, a NRF2 pathway agonist, during in vitro maturation (IVM) of bovine oocytes, in order to evaluate its potential as an oxidative and endoplasmic reticulum stress modulator in oocytes and embryos. The results of this study will contribute to advance the current knowledge on bovine embryo production, as well as will bring the perspective of using this agent in other in vitro culture conditions.