Effect of nicotine on in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes

The putative effect of nicotine on maturation and the chromosomal complement of bovine oocytes were investigated in the present study. Cumulus-enclosed oocytes were incubated in maturation medium with 0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5.0, and 10.0 mmol concentrations of nicotine. The results indicated that: (1) nicotine affected cumulus cell expansion in a dose-dependent manner and the perivitelline space failed to form when concentrations were equal to or greater than 5.0 mmol; (2) oocytes treated with 0.5 and 1.0 mmol nicotine concentrations resulted in maturation rates (83.3% and 85.9%, respectively) which was similar to the control (86.2%), whereas treatment with 2.5 and 5.0 mmol concentrations significantly decreased maturation rates to 70.2% and 26.7%, respectively; (3) nicotine at or over 2.5 mmol caused extremely irregular meiotic spindles and interrupted microfilament organization; (4) chromosomal analyses of oocytes with PB1 showed that oocytes derived from 0.5 and 1.0 mmol nicotine groups had haploid complements similar to the control (87–90%), but when the concentrations were increased to 2.5 and 5.0 mmol the haploid state was significantly reduced to around 70%; (5) oocytes at GVBD (germinal vesicle breakdown) and metaphase I stages were less affected by nicotine at 5.0 and 10.0 mmol concentrations than GV-stage oocytes; (6) maturation rates of the short-term nicotine-treated oocytes could be improved when subsequently incubated in normal maturation medium. Prolonged culture of nicotine-pretreated oocytes resulted in self-activation and some oocytes formed 1 or 2 pronuclei. In conclusion, nicotine affects bovine oocyte cumulus cell expansion, maturation rate, and chromosomal complement in a dose-dependent and an oocyte-stage-dependent manner.