Figure 5.

Involvement of the mitogen-activated kinase (MAP3/1) and AMP-activated kinase (PRKAA1) in the effect of vaspin on in vitro oocyte maturation. COCs (50/group/experiment) were selected after morphological examination of material collected from the ovaries taken from 100 pigs (15 follicles/ovary). Porcine cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured for 44 h in maturation medium with PD98059 (100 μM), MAP3/1 kinase inhibitor or Compound C (1 μM), PRKAA1 kinase inhibitor alone or with vaspin (1 ng/mL). The COCs were separated mechanically into oocyte and cumulus cells and nuclear maturation stages analysed by DAPI staining (A,C), while the medium was collected and progesterone (P4) level measured by ELISA (B,D). Experiments were performed independently and repeated three times (n = 3). Data are plotted as the mean ± SEM of three independent experiments. Statistical analysis was carried out at p < 0.05; metaphase-II of meiosis (meta-II), no significant (ns).