Figure 3
Oocyte quality and embryo development potential after ovulation induction following melatonin treatment.
(a) Representative images of normal or abnormal chromosomes and spindle apparatus. A normal spindle apparatus was characterized as having chromosomes located exclusively on the equatorial plate and a barrel-shaped structure. Percentage of oocytes with normal or abnormal spindle apparatus following melatonin treatment for 6 (b) or 12 mo (c). (d) Representative immunofluorescence images for Oct4 (red) and TUNEL (green) staining in embryos cultured for 108 h. Nuclei stained with DAPI (blue). (e) Cell number in each embryo estimated by counting nuclei. (f) Number of Oct4-positive cells, indicative of inner cell mass cell number of each embryo. (g) Number of TUNEL-positive cells of each embryo. n = number of oocytes or embryos counted. The bars show means ± SD. *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01 versus the Young group. #p < 0.05; ##p < 0.01 versus the Vehicle group.
