The thiol reagent, thimerosal induces intracellular calcium oscillations in mature human oocytes |
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| Authors: | Herbert, M. Murdoch, A.P. Gillespie, J.I. |
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| Affiliation: | Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Royal Victoria Infirmary Queen Victoria Road 1Department of Physiological Sciences, Medical School, University of Newcastle Upon Tyne Newcastle Upon Tyne NE1 4PL, UK |
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| Abstract: | The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of thimerosalon intracellular calcium in human oocytes related to the stageof nuclear maturity. A total of 20 oocytes from superovulatedwomen undergoing gamete intra-Fallopian transfer (GIFT) werestudied. The calcium-sensitive fluorescent dye Fura-2 was usedto monitor intracellular calcium. Regular oscillations in theconcentration of cytosolic calcium were observed in 13 out of20 oocytes following exposure to thimerosal; five oocytes didnot respond to thimerosal treatment, and spontaneous oscillationsof cytosolic free calcium were recorded in two oocytes. Thimerosalinduced oscillations of intracellular calcium in a significantlyhigher proportion of metaphase II oocytes (10/11) compared withmetaphase I oocytes (3/8; P < 0.2). These findings demonstratethat thimerosal is a potentially useful agent for the studyof the calcium signalling processes in human eggs and suggestthat the underlying cellular mechanisms develop at a relativelylate stage of oocyte maturation. |
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| Keywords: | calcium signalling/human oocytes/oscillations/thimerosal |
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