Exposure to Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Improves the Developmental Competence and Quality of Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer Buffalo () Embryos Produced Using Fibroblast Cells and Alters Their Epigenetic Status and Gene Expression.

We examined the effects of treatment with pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) on cumulus cells and buffalo somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos. PEMF treatment (30 μT for 3 hours) of cumulus cells increased ( < 0.05) the relative cell viability and cell proliferation and the expression level of , , , , , and , but decreased ( < 0.05) that of , , , and , whereas the expression level of , , , , , and was not affected. PEMF treatment of SCNT embryos at the beginning of culture increased ( < 0.05) the blastocyst rate (51.4% ± 1.36% vs. 42.8% ± 1.29%) and decreased ( < 0.01) the apoptotic index to the level in fertilization blastocysts, but did not significantly alter the total cell number and the inner cell mass:trophectoderm cell number ratio of blastocysts compared to the controls. PEMF treatment increased the expression level of , , , , , and and decreased that of , , , and , but not , , , , , and in blastocysts. It increased ( < 0.001) the global level of H3K27me3 but not H3K18ac. These results suggest that PEMF treatment of SCNT embryos improves their developmental competence, reduces the level of apoptosis, and alters the expression level of several important genes related to pluripotency, apoptosis, metabolism, and stress.