Inhibitory effect of dibutyryl cAMP on mouse oocyte maturation in vitro

TLDR

The study examined how dibutyryl cAMP affects in vitro maturation of mouse oocytes. High concentrations of dibutyryl cAMP (≥100 µg/ml) reversibly block germinal vesicle breakdown in over 95 % of mouse oocytes, affecting only the initial meiotic stages, and similar inhibition by theophylline implicates elevated cAMP as the causal factor.

Abstract

Abstract The effects of dibutyryl cyclic AMP on the maturation of the mouse oocyte in vitro were studied. It was found that concentrations of 100 μg/ml or greater prevented germinal vesicle breakdown in more than 95% of the treated oocytes. The inhibition of maturation was found to be a reversible phenomenon. When oocytes were exposed to the drug after the completion of germinal vesicle breakdown, no effect of the drug was noted. Thus, dibutyryl cyclic AMP appears to effect only the initial stages of meiotic maturation in the mouse oocyte. Theophylline was also found to inhibit maturation, suggesting that increased levels of cyclic AMP in the oocyte may be the causative agent of the inhibition of maturation.