Lycium barbarum polysaccharide enhances development of previously-cryopreserved murine two-cell embryos via restoration of mitochondrial function and down-regulated generation of reactive oxygen species

Abstract

Lycium barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) exhibits multiple pharmacological and biological effects, including displaying antioxidant and cytoprotective properties. The current study investigated the effects of LBP-supplemented culture medium on mitochondrial distribution, mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP), adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, mitochondrial deoxyribonucleic acid (mtDNA) copy number, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and development of previously-cryopreserved murine two-cell embryos. Results indicate that LBP enhances development of such embryos, and that potential mechanisms include: (1) mitochondrial function enhancement via altering mitochondrial distribution and increasing MMP, ATP production, mtDNA copy number, and expression of genes involved in mitochondrial biogenesis and energy metabolism (NAD-dependent deacetyltransferase sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) and phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase (pAMPK)); (2) down-regulation of ROS generation and enhanced expression of the antioxidant genes glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1), thereby increasing embryo oxidative stress tolerance; and (3) increased expression of B-cell lymphoma-2 (BCL2), a critical gene for cell survival and embryo development. These results demonstrate that LBP improves development of previously-cryopreserved murine two-cell embryos via restoration of mitochondrial function and down-regulated generation of ROS.