Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence

Pytel, Aleksandra Teresa; Tobolski, Dawid; Skup, Piotr; Strączyńska, Patrycja; Domrazek, Kinga; Gajewski, Zdzisław; Gorodkiewicz, Ewa; Papis, Krzysztof

doi:10.3390/ijms262311364

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Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence

by

Aleksandra Teresa Pytel

^1,2

,

Dawid Tobolski

^1,*

,

Piotr Skup

²,

Patrycja Strączyńska

³,

Kinga Domrazek

⁴

,

Zdzisław Gajewski

⁵,

Ewa Gorodkiewicz

⁶ and

Krzysztof Papis

^5,7,*

¹

Department of Large Animal Diseases and Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

²

Bovisvet Veterinary Practice of Reproduction and Cattle Diseases, 08-300 Kosierady Wielkie, Poland

³

Gyncentrum Fertility Clinic, 31-332 Krakow, Poland

⁴

Small Animal Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Small Animal Diseases with Clinic, Institute of Veterinary Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Science, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland

⁵

Center of Translational Medicine, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, 02-797 Warsaw, Poland

⁶

Bioanalysis Laboratory, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Bialystok, 15-245 Bialystok, Poland

⁷

nOvum Fertility Clinic, 02-807 Warsaw, Poland

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26(23), 11364; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311364 (registering DOI)

Submission received: 18 October 2025 / Revised: 20 November 2025 / Accepted: 21 November 2025 / Published: 24 November 2025

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Aspects of the Quality and Biological Diversity of Oocytes of Different Species—A Challenge for Reproductive Applications)

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Abstract

The developmental competence of oocytes is a critical limiting factor in bovine in vitro embryo production (IVEP). Our study aimed to investigate the relationship between the intrafollicular concentrations of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and progesterone (P4), follicle characteristics, and the subsequent developmental success of bovine oocytes. Follicular fluid (FF) and corresponding cumulus–oocyte complexes (n = 314) were collected from FSH-stimulated heifers. A novel, high-sensitivity Surface Plasmon Resonance Imaging biosensor was used to quantify IL-10, while P4 was measured by an enzyme-linked fluorescent assay. Oocytes were individually cultured to assess cleavage (Day 3) and blastocyst formation (Day 7). Statistical analysis revealed that intrafollicular IL-10 concentration was a significant positive predictor of developmental success, significantly correlating with blastocyst rate (ρ = 0.29, p = 0.016). Oocytes from follicles with IL-10 concentrations above an optimized cutoff of 142.16 pg/mL had a 16.33-fold greater chance of developing into a blastocyst (p = 0.006). A predictive model combining IL-10 and oocyte morphology demonstrated the highest accuracy for predicting blastocyst success (AUC = 0.724). Conversely, poor oocyte morphology (Grade 4) and large follicular volume (>1200 µL) were significantly associated with developmental failure. Intrafollicular P4 concentration was not directly correlated with embryo development but rather with follicle size. Our findings identify intrafollicular IL-10 as a potent biomarker for predicting bovine oocyte competence and suggest that its quantification using sensitive biosensor technology could enhance the efficiency of IVEP programs.

Keywords: bovine; oocyte competence; follicular fluid; interleukin-10; progesterone; SPRi biosensor; embryo development; IVP

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MDPI and ACS Style

Pytel, A.T.; Tobolski, D.; Skup, P.; Strączyńska, P.; Domrazek, K.; Gajewski, Z.; Gorodkiewicz, E.; Papis, K. Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2025, 26, 11364. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311364

AMA Style

Pytel AT, Tobolski D, Skup P, Strączyńska P, Domrazek K, Gajewski Z, Gorodkiewicz E, Papis K. Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2025; 26(23):11364. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311364

Chicago/Turabian Style

Pytel, Aleksandra Teresa, Dawid Tobolski, Piotr Skup, Patrycja Strączyńska, Kinga Domrazek, Zdzisław Gajewski, Ewa Gorodkiewicz, and Krzysztof Papis. 2025. "Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 26, no. 23: 11364. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311364

APA Style

Pytel, A. T., Tobolski, D., Skup, P., Strączyńska, P., Domrazek, K., Gajewski, Z., Gorodkiewicz, E., & Papis, K. (2025). Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(23), 11364. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms262311364

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Correlation Between Intrafollicular IL-10, Progesterone, and Bovine Oocyte Developmental Competence

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