Tauroursodeoxycholic acid supplementation improves bovine in vitro fertilization rates

Abstract

Bile acids are traditionally known for their role in lipid digestion and absorption but recently have been shown to be endocrine signaling molecules. In an observational study, women with high levels of ursodeoxycholic acid in follicular fluid had oocytes with better developmental potential. Another study showed that supplementation of the taurine conjugated ursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) to bovine embryos during the culture phase improves resistance to endoplasmic reticulum stress and increases development rates. The effects of supplementation during the maturation phase, where the oocytes are in contact with follicular fluid have not been studied; therefore, the aim of our study was to determine the effects of TUDCA supplementation during the maturation phase or culture phase on embryo development rates. We hypothesized that TUDCA supplementation during maturation phase improves embryo development.