The effect of HSP60 on fertilization and cleavage rate of mouse embryo following IVF

Background: Importance of HSP60 in sperm capacitation and facility of sperm-oocyte membrane binding was confirmed, therefore in this study the effect of HSP60 on the fertilization rate of mouse following IVF and the rate of cleavage till 4 days after fertilization (blastocyst stage) has been investigated.Methods: Capacitated sperms and follicles containing oocytes were placed together in T6 medium in three experimental groups in the presence of different concentrations of HSP60 (10, 50 and 100 ng/ml) and in one control group at the absence of HSP60. The fertilization rate was studied in experimental and control groups. Thereafter, zygotes were transformed into the develop medium and the cleavage rate was monitored to blastocyst stage.Result: The rate of 8-cell embryo and blastocyst formation increased significantly (P≤0.05) in HSP60 with concentration of 10 ng/ml compared to control group. Also, the rate of embryo formation in different developmental stage including 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell embryos and blastocyst decreased significantly (P≤0.05) in HSP60 with concentration of 50 and 100 ng/ml compared to HSP60 with concentration of 10 ng/ml and control group.Conclusion: Concentration of 10 ng/ml is the effective dose on improvement of embryo cleavage and it leads to an increase in the rate of embryo formation particularly in the higher developmental stage prior to embryo implantation (in stages of 8-cell and blastocyst).

Keywords:

Cleavage rate , Fertilization rate , Heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) , In vitro fertilization (IVF)