IITAA
IITAA (Institute for Investigation and Technology of Agronomy and Environment) is very much engaged and has the know how to pursuit studies on insular climate characterization / prediction and effects of global change on communities from the open ocean to the islands tops, modernize agriculture ... Read more »
PROJECTS
Modulation of fatty acids profile of bovine embryos produced in vitro and its effect in the embryonic quality and the metabolic activity after cryopreservation
Agricultural and Animal Production2008 - 2011
Summary
In this project is intended to characterize the fatty acids profile of the bovine embryos produced in vitro and in vivo to evaluate their effect on the capacity of embryonic development after cryopreservation. Having in account that high levels of fatty acids have detrimental effects in the freezing/thawing of animal tissues, it will be used strategies to diminish the lipid deposition in the embryos, through the inclusion of an isomer of the conjugated linoleic acid, CLA (C18: 2 Trans 10, cis-12) in the traditional embryo culture system using serum and granulosa cells. This isomer of CLA blocks the entrance of triglycerides in the adipocytes without increasing lipolysis, being able to in this way hinder the extreme deposition of triglycerides in the embryos.
The second strategy will be the use of defined media (SOF) without serum, diminishing the external source of triglycerides.
In a 3ª phase, we intend to manipulated the lipid composition of embryos fatty acids, namely the membrane phospholipids through the incorporation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, the arachidonic acid (C20: 4 n-6) and the eicosapentaenoic acid (C20: 5 n-3) during oocyte maturation and embryonic development, contributing to improve the development and embryo freezability
In vivo, heifers will be used in which food will be enriched in CLAs for five weeks. Ovaries will be afterwards superovulated with FSH and embryos recovered seven days after artificial insemination in the morula/young blastocyst stage.
As well as purposed for the in vitro produced embryos, these embryos produced in vivo will be frozen thawed and the lipidic profile will be evaluated as well as their developmental competence.
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