Baicalin improves the in vitro developmental capacity of pig embryos by inhibiting apoptosis, regulating mitochondrial activity and activating sonic hedgehog signaling

Baicalin, a traditional Chinese medicinal monomer whose chemical structure is known, can be used to treat female infertility. However, the effect of baicalin on embryonic development is unknown. This study investigated the effects of baicalin on in vitro development of parthenogenetically activated (PA) and in vitro fertilized (IVF) pig embryos and the underlying mechanisms involved. Treatment with 0.1 mu g/ml baicalin significantly improved (P < 0.05) the in vitro developmental capacity of PA pig embryos by reducing the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and apoptosis and increasing the mitochondrial membrane potential (Delta Psi m) and ATP level. mRNA and protein expression of sonic hedgehog (SHH) and GLI1, which are related to the SHH signaling pathway, in PA pig embryos at the 2-cell stage, were significantly higher in the baicalin-treated group than in the control group. To confirm that the SHH signaling pathway is involved in the mechanism by which baicalin improves embryonic development, we treated embryos with baicalin in the absence or presence of cyclopamine (Cy), an inhibitor of this pathway. Cy abolished the effects of baicalin on in vitro embryonic development. In conclusion, baicalin improves the in vitro developmental capacity of PA and IVF pig embryos by inhibiting ROS production and apoptosis, regulating mitochondrial activity and activating SHH signaling.