Prednisolone at a therapeutic dose is not detrimental to mouse oocyte competence

Objective: To examine the impact of PRDL on mouse oocyte developmental competence. Methods: This study was conducted on 6–8-week-old female Swiss albino mice in which different doses of PRDL were administered for three days during superovulation. Oocytes were assessed for quality, and subsequently, embryos derived from these oocytes were evaluated at the blastocyst stage. Simultaneously, oocytes were also exposed to PRDL during in vitro maturation and examined for their spindle and activation potential. Results: Compared to control group, the total cell number of blastocysts in the PRDL group increased. Nevertheless, the incidence of apoptosis was comparable between the groups. However, direct exposure at 10 µM significantly increased spindle abnormalities compared to those in the control group (p<0.05). Conclusions: Short-term PRDL exposure at a therapeutic dose is not detrimental to oocyte developmental potential in vitro. Although the current study confirmed the safety of PRDL in a mouse model, further studies involving long-term exposure are warranted, as patients receive PRDL treatment for extended periods of time.