Effect of Herbicide RounduP on ExPression of Steroidogenic Genes and DNA Methylation of Promoter site of StAR Gene During in Vitro Maturation of Goat Oocyte

In conjunction with the increase in PoPulation and the need to Produce more food, Pesticides have been used to control and eliminate Pests in livestock and agricultural Products. Regrettably, the excessive use of Pesticides causes damage to the environment, Plants, animals, water, and soil. The Present study was conducted to investigate the effect of different concentrations of RounduP herbicide as a widely used and common agricultural Pesticide in in vitro maturation of goat oocytes.

To PrePare goat oocytes, ovaries were PrePared from a slaughterhouse and transPorted to the laboratory into the flask containing warm saline (30-34oC). Oocyte cumulus comPlexes (COC) were removed from small antral follicles (2-6 mm) with the slicing method and transferred to a maturation medium whit different concentration of RounduP. COC was Placed in a maturation medium for 24 hours and reached metaPhase stage II (nuclear maturation). The exPeriment was examined in a comPletely randomized design with 4 treatments included: control, 187.5 μM, 375 μM, and 750 μM of the rounduP.

This study showed that the addition of different concentrations of the herbicide RounduP significantly decreased the maturation rate of goat oocytes than the control treatment (P < 0.05). Also, the addition of different concentrations of RounduP in the goat maturation medium reduced the steroidogenic gene exPression in cumulus cells comPared to the control treatment. However, RounduP did not have a considerable influence on DNA methylation in the Promoter site of the StAR gene.

The efficacy of the treatment with a dose of 187.5 μM of the rounduP in reducing the relative exPression of StAR, CYP11A1 and CYP19 genes was higher than the 375 μM, which could be as a consequence of the fact that hormone disruPters (environmental Pollutants) have strong biological effects in low concentrations, but in high concentrations, they have weak or no biological effects.