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. 2016 Feb 29;11(2):e0150400. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150400

Fig 2. Effect of the VHT supplementation of rabbit mothers’ diet on the expression of BMP15 and GDF9 mRNA levels in the oocytes and cumulus cells of two generations.

Fig 2

(A) and (C) mothers’ generation; (B) and (D) F1 female generation. The only experimental group of the mothers’ generation was treated with feed additive VemoHerb-T (dry extract of plant Tribulus terrestris, producer Vemo-Ltd) during 45 days prior to insemination. Total RNA was extracted from the oocytes and cumulus cells and subjected to real-time PCR to determine the mRNA levels of BMP15 and GDF9. The expression of these mRNAs was normalized to the expression of control gene GAPDH. Data are shown as a relative ratio (fold change—FC) of the mRNA level of these genes in the experimental groups to the controls of each generation. These data represent the mean ±SEM of the combined results from the analysis of seven rabbits from each group (*- significance P < 0.05, compared to control). T. terrestris caused a decrease in the BMP15 mRNA level in the oocytes and an increase in the cumulus cells. The GDF9 mRNA level increased significantly in both oocytes and cumulus cells. The downregulated expression of BMP15 in the treated mothers’ oocytes was inherited in the F1 female offspring born to treated mothers.