scholarly journals Developmental competence in vivo and in vitro of in vitro-matured equine oocytes fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection with fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa

Reproduction ◽  
2002 ◽  
pp. 455-465 ◽  
Author(s):  
YH Choi ◽  
CC Love ◽  
LB Love ◽  
DD Varner ◽  
S Brinsko ◽  
...  

This study was undertaken to evaluate the development of equine oocytes in vitro and in vivo after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) with either fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa, without the use of additional activation treatments. Oocytes were collected from ovaries obtained from an abattoir and oocytes classified as having expanded cumulus cells were matured in M199 with 10% fetal bovine serum and 5 microU FSH ml(-1). After 24-26 h of in vitro maturation, oocytes with a first polar body were selected for manipulation. Fresh ejaculated stallion spermatozoa were used for the experiment after swim-up for 20 min in sperm-Tyrode's albumen lactate pyruvate. Frozen-thawed spermatozoa from the same stallion were treated in a similar way. Spermatozoa were immobilized and injected into the oocytes using a Piezo drill. Presumptive zygotes were cultured in G1.2 medium for 20 or 96 h after the injection was administered, or were transferred to the oviducts of recipient mares and recovered 96 h later. In addition, bovine oocytes with first polar bodies were injected with the two types of stallion spermatozoa and fixed 20 h after injection to examine pronuclear formation. Fertilization rate (pronucleus formation and cleavage) at 20 h after injection of spermatozoa was not significantly different between fresh and frozen-thawed sperm groups in either equine or bovine oocytes. Pronucleus formation after injection of spermatozoa into bovine oocytes was significantly higher than that for equine oocytes (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in cleavage rate or average number of nuclei at 96 h between equine oocytes injected with fresh or frozen-thawed spermatozoa. However, embryos developed in vivo for 96 h had a significantly higher number of nuclei in both sperm treatments compared with those cultured in vitro. These results indicate that good activation rates may be obtained after injection of either fresh or frozen-thawed equine spermatozoa without additional activation treatment. Injection of frozen-thawed equine spermatozoa results in similar embryo development to that obtained with fresh equine spermatozoa. In vitro culture of equine zygotes in G1.2 medium results in a similar cleavage rate but reduced number of cells compared with in vivo culture within the oviduct. Bovine oocytes may be useful as models for assessing sperm function in horses.

2007 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 301 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Horiuchi ◽  
M. Takenaka ◽  
C. Kani ◽  
C. Emuta ◽  
Y. Ogata ◽  
...  

In cattle, activation treatment after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is required to improve cleavage and blastocyst rates (Horiuchi et al. 2002 Theriogenology 57, 1013–1024). The reason why the exogenous activation treatment in bovine ICSI is needed to promote cleavage and blastocyst development is not clear. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of activation treatment on sperm aster formation, cleavage, and blastocyst development of in vivo- and in vitro-matured bovine oocytes following ICSI. In vivo-matured oocytes were collected using transvaginal devices under ultrasound guide at about 29 h after GnRH injection from Japanese Black cows superstimulated with a total 19 mg FSH (Antrin�; Denka Pharmaceutical Co., Kanagawa, Japan) divided into twice daily over 3 days, and treated with 750 �g cloprostenol (Estramate�; Sumitomo Chemical Co., Tokyo, Japan). In a total of 8 aspiration sessions, 131 oocytes were collected; of 116 oocytes with expanded cumulus cells, 84 (72%) had a first polar body and were used for ICSI. On the other hand, in vitro-matured bovine oocytes were prepared by culturing immature follicular oocytes derived from abattoir ovaries. Bull spermatozoa, immobilized by scoring their tails, were injected into in vivo- or in vitro-matured oocytes. At 4 h after ICSI, the oocytes were treated with or without 7% ethanol for 5 min for activation. The injected oocytes were fixed at 8 h after ICSI, and sperm aster formation was examined by using specific antibodies and immunofluorescence microscopy. Data were analyzed by the chi-square test in all experiments. The rate of sperm aster formation in in vivo-matured oocytes was similar regardless of activation treatment (71% vs. 65%), but the rate in in vitro-matured oocytes was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in the group receiving activation treatment than in the non-activation group (57% vs. 19%). Cleavage (88% vs. 88%) and blastocyst rates (59% vs. 47%) of in vivo-matured oocytes after ICSI were also similar, regardless of activation treatment, but cleavage (72% and 20%) and blastocyst rates (19% and 7%) of in vitro-matured oocytes were significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher in the group receiving activation treatment than in the non-activation group. Moreover, the blastocyst rate of in vivo-matured oocytes was significantly (P &lt; 0.05) higher than the rate in in vitro-matured oocytes. These results show that activation treatment after ICSI of in vivo-matured bovine oocytes is not necessary for cleavage and blastocyst development, and suggest that the necessity of activation treatment in bovine ICSI has relevance to in vitro maturation of bovine oocytes.


Zygote ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yue-Liang Zheng ◽  
Man-Xi Jiang ◽  
Yan-Ling Zhang ◽  
Qing-Yuan Sun ◽  
Da-Yuan Chen

This study assessed the effects of oocyte age, cumulus cells and injection methods on in vitro development of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) rabbit embryos. Oocytes were recovered from female rabbits superovulated with PMSG and hCG, and epididymal sperm were collected from a fertile male rabbit. The oocyte was positioned with the first polar body at 12 o'clock position, and a microinjection needle containing a sperm was inserted into the oocyte at 3 o'clock. Oolemma breakage was achieved by aspirating ooplasm, and the aspirated ooplasm and sperm were re-injected into the oocyte. The injected oocytes were cultured in M199 medium containing 10% fetal calf serum at 38 °C with 5% CO2 in air. The results showed that oocytes injected at 1 h post-collection produced a higher (p<0.05) fertilization rate than those injected at 4 or 7 h post-collection. Blastocyst rate in the 1 h group was higher (p<0.05) than in the 7 h group. Denuded oocytes (group A) and oocytes with cumulus cells (group B) were injected, respectively. Rates of fertilization and development of ICSI embryos were not significantly different (p<0.05) between the two groups. Four ICSI methods were applied in this experiment. In methods 1 and 2, the needle tip was pushed across half the diameter of the oocyte, and oolemma breakage was achieved by either a single aspiration (method 1) or repeated aspiration and expulsion (method 2) of ooplasm. In methods 3 and 4, the needle tip was pushed to the oocyte periphery opposite the puncture site, and oolemma breakage was achieved by either a single aspiration (method 3) or repeated aspiration and expulsion (method 4) of ooplasm. Fertilization rate in method 2 was significantly higher (p<0.05) than in methods 1 and 3. Blastocyst rates were not significantly different (p<0.05) among methods 1, 3 and 4, but method 2 produced a higher (p<0.05) blastocyst rate than method 3.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 118 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Gómez ◽  
N. Kagawa ◽  
C. E. Pope ◽  
M. Kuwayama ◽  
S. P. Leibo ◽  
...  

The ability to cryopreserve female gametes efficiently holds immense economic and genetic implications. The purpose of the present project was to determine if domestic cat oocytes could be cryopreserved successfully by use of the Cryotop method. We evaluated (a) cleavage frequency after in vitro fertilization (IVF) v. intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes after vitrification, and (b) fetal development after transfer of resultant embryos into recipients. In vivo-matured cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from gonadotropin-treated donors at 24 h after LH treatment, denuded of cumulus cells, and examined for the presence of the first polar body (PB). In vitro-matured COCs were obtained from ovaries donated by local clinics and placed into maturation medium for 24 h before cumulus cells were removed and PB status was determined. Oocytes were cryopreserved by the Cryotop method (Kuwayama et al. 2005 Reprod. Biomed. Online 11, 608–614) in a vitrification solution consisting of 15% DMSO, 15% ethylene glycol, and 18% sucrose. For IVF, oocytes were co-incubated with 1 � 106 motile spermatozoa mL–1 in droplets of modified Tyrode's medium in 5% CO2/air at 38�C (Pope et al. 2006 Theriogenology 66, 59–71). For ICSI, an immobilized spermatozoon was loaded into the injection pipette, which was then pushed through the zona pellucida into the ooplasm. After a minimal amount of ooplasm was aspirated into the pipette, the spermatozoon was carefully expelled, along with the aspirated ooplasm. After ICSI, or at 5 or 18 h post-insemination, in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes, respectively, were rinsed and placed in IVC-1 medium (Pope et al. 2006). As assessed by normal morphological appearance after liquefaction, the survival rate of both in vivo- and in vitro-matured oocytes was >90% (93–97%). For in vitro-matured oocytes, cleavage frequencies after IVF of control and vitrified oocytes were 73% (16/22) and 53% (30/57), respectively, as compared to 68% (19/28) after ICSI of vitrified oocytes (P > 0.05). For in vivo-matured oocytes, cleavage frequencies after IVF of control and vitrified oocytes were 55% (18/33) and 35% (6/17), respectively, compared to 50% (10/20) after ICSI of vitrified oocytes (P > 0.05). At 18–20 h after ICSI, 18 presumptive zygotes and four 2-cell embryos derived from vitrified in vitro-matured oocytes and 19 presumptive zygotes produced from seven in vivo-matured and 12 in vitro-matured vitrified oocytes were transferred by laparoscopy into the oviducts of two recipients at 24–26 h after oocyte retrieval. The two recipients were 9-month-old IVF/ET-derived females produced with X-sperm sorted by flow cytometry. At ultrasonography on Day 22, both recipients were pregnant, with three live fetuses observed in one recipient and one live fetus seen in the second recipient. On Day 63 and Day 66 of gestation, four live kittens were born, without assistance, to the two recipients. The one male and three female kittens weighed an average of 131 g. In summary, in vivo viability of zygotes/embryos produced by ICSI of cat oocytes vitrified by the Cryotop method was demonstrated by the birth of live kittens following transfer to recipients.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 128
Author(s):  
J. Lee ◽  
J. Park ◽  
Y. Chun ◽  
W. Lee ◽  
K. Song

Study for equine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is an attractive field for research, but it has not been a major field of study because it is hard to obtain a sufficient number of ovaries and it takes a lot of time and effort for the recovery of oocytes matured in vivo by ovum pickup. It was reported that the bovine cytoplast could support the remodelling of equine donor cells (Zhou et al. 2007 Reprod. Domest. Anim. 42, 243–247). The objectives of this study are 1) to monitor the early events of equine SCNT by interspecies SCNT (isSCNT) between bovine cytoplast and equine donor cell, and 2) to investigate the developmental competence of isSCNT embryos. Bovine oocytes were recovered from the follicles of slaughtered ovaries, and matured in TCM-199 supplemented with 10 mU mL–1 FSH, 50 ng mL–1 EGF, and 10% FBS at 39°C under 5% CO2 in air for 22 h. Fibroblasts derived from bovine or equine skin tissues were synchronized at G0/G1 stage by contact inhibition for 72 h. After IVM, oocytes with polar body were enucleated and electrically fused with equine or bovine skin fibroblasts (1.0 kV cm–1, 20 μs, 2 pulses). Fused couplets were activated with 5 μM ionomycin for 4 min followed by 5 h culture in 10 μg mL–1 cycloheximide (CHX) and/or 2 mM 6-DMAP, and cultured in modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF) at 39°C under 5% CO2, 5% O2, and 90% N2 for 7 days. All analyses were performed using SAS (version 9.1; SAS Institute, Cary, NC, USA). The cleavage rate of isSCNT embryos derived from equine cell was not different (252/323, 78.7%; P = 0.94) from that of SCNT embryos derived from bovine cell (230/297, 79.2%). However, the rate of isSCNT embryos developed to over 8-cell stage was lower (3.3%; P < 0.0001) than that of bovine SCNT embryos (39.4%), and total cell number of isSCNT embryos developed to over 8-cell stage was lower (17.5, n = 12; P < 0.0001) than that (80.8, n = 110) of bovine SCNT embryos. Also, the rate of blastocyst formation of isSCNT embryos (0/323; 0.0%) was lower (P < 0.0001) than that of bovine SCNT embryos (83/297; 29.3%). Meanwhile, reconstructed oocytes for isSCNT were fixed at 8 h after activation to investigate the formation of pseudo-pronucleus (PPN) after post-activation treatment with CHX or CHX+6-DMAP. The ratio of oocytes with single PPN after treatment with CHX+6-DMAP (26/35; 74.3%) was not different (P = 0.63) from that of oocytes treated with CHX (24/36; 68.1%). Although isSCNT embryos derived from bovine cytoplast and equine donor cell could not develop to more than the 16-cell stage, it is believed that the results of this isSCNT study could be used for the preliminary data regarding the reprogramming of donor cell in equine SCNT.


2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 286 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Suh ◽  
S. Purcell ◽  
G. Seidel Jr

Ovarian follicular development in mares during the transitional period before the breeding season leads to an accumulation of antral follicles of various sizes. The quality of oocytes at this stage may be compromized until the first seasonal ovulation. In this study, we evaluated the developmental competence of oocytes recovered from transitional and cyclic mares, and the effect of zygote activation after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A 2 × 2 × 2 factorial experiment consisting of oocytes from transitional and cyclic mares, two follicle sizes (10 to 20 and 20+ mm), and two treatments (control and activated) was conducted. Follicular oocytes of 14 mares were aspirated in March and April (transitional) and May to July (cyclic) five times per each period at 10-day intervals, without use of hCG. Oocytes aspirated from mares were matured in vitro in a defined medium similar to SOF plus FSH, LH, epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), estradiol (E2), prostaglandin (P4) and 10% FCS, for 30 ± 1 h under 5% CO2 in air at 38.5°C; oocytes with a first polar body were used for ICSI. Motile sperm from frozen-thawed semen were used for sperm injection with a piezo-driven pipet. For activation after ICSI, presumptive zygotes were cultured in G1.3 containing 0.02 µM phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) for 2 h, and then in 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) for 3 h under 6% CO2 in air at 38.5°C. Zygotes were cultured in 50 µL drops of DMEM/F12 containing 10% FCS for 9 days at 38.5°C in 5% CO2/5% O2/90% N2. Medium was replaced every 3 days. Cleavage and blastocyst rates were calculated based on non-degenerating injected oocytes. Data were analyzed by Fisher's exact test. A total of 115 and 78 oocytes were recovered from cyclic and transitional mares. Average maturation rates to MII in the respective groups were 76.5 and 65.4%, respectively (P < 0.07), and those of 10 to 20 and 20+ mm follicle groups were 70.6 and 80.0%, respectively (P > 0.05). The average cleavage rate in cyclic mares was higher than in transitional mares, and that of the activated group averaged over follicle sizes was higher than that of controls (P < 0.05; Table 1); those of 10 to 20 and 20+ mm follicle groups were not different (P < 0.05; Table 1). Blastocyst rates per oocyte within main effects were not different (P < 0.05; Table 1). Oocytes from transitional mares had lower cleavage rates than those of cyclic mares, but blastocyst development was similar. Activation of zygotes clearly improved cleavage rates of in vivo-derived immature equine oocytes after ICSI. Table 1. Main effect means of responses after ICSI


2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 272
Author(s):  
J. P. Barfield ◽  
G. J. Bouma ◽  
G. E. Seidel Jr

Little is known about expression of microRNA (miRNA) in bovine oocytes and pre-implantation embryos. These molecules likely have an important role in regulating development. For example, differences in quality of oocytes matured in vivo v. in vitro might be due, in part, to altered miRNA expression. In Experiment 1, in vivo-matured COC were collected by transvaginal aspiration of 7 superstimulated cows 21 to 23 h after GnRH injection, given 48 h after prostaglandin F2α and the last of 6 FSH injections given b.i.d. Oocytes aspirated from abattoir ovaries were matured in vitro for 23 h in a chemically defined medium. After vortexing, maturation of both groups of oocytes was confirmed by visualization of the first polar body, and oocytes were snap frozen in mirVana lysis buffer (Applied Biosciences, Foster City, CA, USA). In Experiment 2, in vitro-matured oocytes were generated as described. Subsets were fertilized in vitro or activated parthenogenetically by incubation in 5-μM ionomycin for 5 min followed by 10 μg mL-1 cycloheximide plus 5 μg mL-1 cytochalasin B for 5 h. After 18 h and 12 h, respectively, fertilized and activated oocytes were centrifuged at 10 000 × g for 10 min to enable visualization of pronuclei. Zygotes with 2 polar bodies and 2 pronuclei and parthenotes with 2 pronuclei were snap frozen in mirVana lysis buffer. Total RNA was extracted from 30 pooled oocytes for each replicate using the mirVana MiRNA Isolation Kit (Ambion, Inc., Austin, TX, USA). Reverse transcription of RNA was performed using the QuantiMir RT kit (System Biosciences, Mountain View, CA, USA), and miRNA expression was evaluated by real-time PCR using the Mouse miRNome Profiler plate, which contains primers for 384 miRNA (System Biosciences). Three plates were analyzed for each group (30 oocytes per plate). Changes in relative expression levels were analyzed with a t-test of values normalized to miR-181a, which was consistently expressed in all samples. In Experiment 1, compared with in vitro-matured oocytes, in vivo-matured oocytes had 11-fold higher (P = 0.02) expression of miR-375, which targets numerous genes involved in electron transport chain and oxidative phosphorylation pathways according to the bioinformatic database mirGator. MiR-291a-5p, miR-494, miR-539, and miR-547 were expressed in in vivo-matured oocytes only; the converse was found for miR-575-5p. Results from Experiment 2 are in the table. Major pathways associated with potential targets of the detected miRNA include TGF-beta signaling, Wnt signaling, tight junction formation, DNA replication reactome, steroid biosynthesis, mRNA processing binding reactome, and glutamate metabolism. Several of these candidate miRNA might be important for regulation of bovine oocyte maturation and embryo development. Table 1.Experiment 2: Fold change expression of miRNA


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 249
Author(s):  
M. E. Arias ◽  
R. Sanchez ◽  
R. Felmer

Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is an assisted reproductive technique that has been used with considerable success in humans; however, in the bovine species the efficiency of this technique is far from optimal. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of 4 chemical activation treatments, 6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP), cycloheximide (CHX), anisomycin (ANY), and ethanol (EtOH) on the pronuclear formation and embryo development of bovine embryos generated by ICSI. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were aspirated from abattoir ovaries, selected, and matured in 400-µL drops of standard TCM-199 maturation medium for 22 h at 38.5°C and 5% CO2. The ICSI was performed by a standard procedure. Injected oocytes were randomly distributed and activated by 5 µM ionomycin for 5 min (Io) followed by i) 5 µg mL–1 CHX for 5 h (Io/CHX), ii) 3 h window followed by a second Io treatment plus 1.9 mM DMAP for 4 h (2Io/DMAP), iii) 1 µg mL–1 ANY for 5 h (Io/ANY), and iv) 3 h window followed by 7% ethanol (Io/EtoH). Embryos were cultured in 50-µL drops of KSOM medium under mineral oil at 38.5°C and 5% CO2, 5% O2, and 90% N2. Cleavage was recorded at 72 h and blastocyst rate at 192 h. Pronuclear formation analysis was carried out at 18 hpa with Hoechst staining. An oocyte was considered fertilized when 2 polar bodies and 1 female and 1 male pronucleus (or a decondensed sperm head) could be observed. The data were transformed to arcsine, analysed by ANOVA, and means were compared using Tukey's test with Statgraphics Plus 2 Software. Results with a total of 431 injected oocytes (114, 104, 101, and 112 for DMAP, CHX, ANY, and EtOH, respectively) showed differences in cleavage (P < 0.01) in DMAP, CHX, and ANY treatments (86, 72, and 78%, respectively), relative to EtOH (12%). Similarly, the rate of blastocysts/injected oocyte at 192 h was higher with DMAP, CHX, and ANY (41, 20, and 32%, respectively), relative to EtOH (4%). Sham-injected oocytes showed cleavage and blastocyst rates of 67, 43, 68, and 12% and 32, 11, 19, and 5%, for DMAP, CHX, ANY, and EtOH, respectively. Despite the higher developmental rate observed with DMAP, pronuclear formation assessment revealed that fertilization rate was higher in CHX (87%) and ANY (75%) treatments relative to DMAP (35%). In conclusion, the results of the present study show that activation of bovine oocytes after ICSI is more efficient with DMAP and ANY, compared with CHX and EtOH.Provision of ovaries by our local slaughterhouse (Frigorifico Temuco, Chile) and funding support from FONDECYT 1120241 CONICYT, Chile, are gratefully acknowledged.


1995 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Boediono ◽  
S Saha ◽  
C Sumantri ◽  
T Suzuki

Mature bovine oocytes were activated with 7% ethanol followed by cytochalasin B or D treatment. Most oocytes extruded a second polar body and formed one pronucleus when treated with 7% ethanol alone [35/43 (81%)]. With ethanol followed by cytochalasin B or D, overall activation frequency was 70% (309/441), with activated oocytes containing two pronuclei. The cleavage rate was not significantly different between treatment with ethanol alone and ethanol followed by 5 micrograms mL-1 cytochalasin B, but it was significantly lower than in fertilized oocytes (P < 0.01). However, the blastocyst production rate was significantly different (P < 0.01) among the treatments. The incidence of parthenogenetic embryos with normal (diploid) complements and with chromosome anomalies (2N/4N) was 68% (17/25) and 32% (8/25) respectively, and this was not affected by cryopreservation treatment. The longitudinal diameter of aggregated-four embryos cultured in vitro was greater (P < 0.01) than aggregated-two or single embryos. One of the aggregated-four parthenogenetic embryos was further cultured in vitro and developed up to Day 27 after activation, with a diameter of 2980 microns. The aggregated-four parthenogenetic embryos were transferred to five recipients. The oestrus was prolonged in three recipients and they returned to oestrus on Day 57, 62 and 67 after the previous oestrus. These results indicate that aggregating parthenogenetic embryos can prolong their survival in vitro and in vivo.


2008 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 194
Author(s):  
C. B. Fernandes ◽  
L. G. Devito ◽  
L. R. Martins ◽  
T. S. Rascado ◽  
F. C. Landim-Alvarenga

In all mammalian species studied so far, fertilization induces oocyte activation necessary for pronuclear formation, syngamy, and the beginning of embryonic cleavage. The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effectiveness of a protocol for artificial activation for bovine oocytes using ionomycin and roscovitine either in combination with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or alone. In this study, ionomycin was used to facilitate the increase of intracellular calcium, due to the release of calcium from intracellular stores. This compound was used in conjuction with roscovitine, a specific cdc2 kinase inhibitor. The success of the treatment was compared with that of oocytes fertilized by IVF. Three replicates were carried out using bovine oocytes harvested from slaughterhouse ovaries. In vitro-matured oocytes were cultured in TCM-199 plus 10% FCS, pyruvate, estradiol, hCG, and gentamicin at 39�C in an atmosphere of 5% of CO2 in air for 20 h. After in vitro maturation, oocytes were divided into 3 groups. For parthenogenetic activation, 100 oocytes were stripped of cumulus cells and placed in H-MEM plus 10% FCS and 5 µm ionomycin for 8 min, maintained in H-MEM plus 10% FCS, 66 mm roscovitine and 7.5 mg mL–1 cytochalasin B for 6 h, and placed into culture. In the ICSI group, oocytes were denuded and transferred to 5-µL H-MEM plus 20% FCS drops. Only MII oocytes were microinjected. The sperm drop was prepared with a mixture of 4 µL polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and 1 µL of the sperm suspension produced by Percoll gradient. For injection, a single normal mobile sperm was aspirated with the tail first. A single oocyte was fixed by holding the pipette to position the polar body at the 6 or 12 o'clock position. The injection pipette was pushed through the zona pellucida and the oolema and the spermatozoan was released into the cytoplasm. After ICSI, the oocytes were subjected to the same activation protocol described earlier and cultured. For IVF, sperm was prepared by swim-up and 100 oocytes were fertilized in Fert-Talp for 18 h (sperm concentration: 1 � 106). All oocytes were cultured in HTF:BME plus 0.6% BSA, 10% FCS, 0.01% myoinositol, and gentamycin at 39�C in an atmosphere of 5% of CO2 in air for 72 h. Cleavage was evaluated visually and the embryos were stained with Hoechst 33342 for estimation of nuclei numbers. The data were analyzed by ANOVA, followed by the Tukey test (P < 0.05). The results showed a cleavage rate of 76% for the IVF group, 57% for the ICSI group, and 51% for the parthenogenic group. The artificial activation proposed was efficient in inducing oocyte activation and cleavage; however, the rates obtained were significantly lower then the ones observed after IVF. Injection of a viable sperm into the oocyte through ICSI did not improve the cleavage rate after activation. This result indicates that the membrane fusion and/or sperm interaction with the oocyte during fertilization is important for the physiological modifications that result in oocyte cleavage in bovine.


2017 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
P. Ferré ◽  
K. X. Nguyen ◽  
T. Wakai ◽  
H. Funahashi

This experiment was undertaken to assess the meiotic and developmental competences of oocytes derived from different sized follicles and denuded of cumulus cells 0, 20, and 44 h after the start of culture for in vitro maturation (IVM). Groups of 60 oocyte-cumulus complexes from small- (SF; <3 mm) and medium-sized follicles (MF; 3–6 mm) were cultured for IVM in porcine oocyte medium with 50 μM β-mercaptoethanol supplemented with 1 mM dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate, 10 IU mL−1 of eCG, and 10 IU mL−1 of hCG for 20 h at 39°C and 5% CO2 in air. Then, after washing, they continued culture in fresh β-mercaptoethanol without dibutyryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate and gonadotropins under the same conditions for another 24 h. At 0, 20, and 44 h of IVM, cumulus cells were removed with 0.1% (wt/vol) hyaluronidase and the denuded oocytes continued IVM culture following the protocol. Mature oocytes with the first polar body were selected, parthenogenetically activated with a single electrical pulse (DC: 1.2 kV/cm, 30 µs), incubated with 4% (wt/vol) BSA and 5 μM cytochalasin B for 4 h, and cultured in porcine zygote medium for 5 days. Cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were observed on Day 2 and 5, respectively. Blastocysts were stained with 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole for cell count assessment. The experiment was replicated 5 times and analysed with a 1- or 2-way ANOVA. If P < 0.05 in ANOVA, a Tukey multiple comparisons test was performed. Regardless of the time of cumulus cell removal, oocytes from MF had significantly higher in rates of maturation, cleavage, and blastocyst rates, as compared with those from SF, whereas there were no significant differences in the cell number of blastocysts between SF and MF (32 v. 34 cells, respectively). When oocytes were denuded before IVM culture, rates of oocyte maturation (37.6% in SF and 50.8% in MF), and blastocyst formation (2.7% in SF and 27.3% in MF) were significantly lower than controls (51.2% in SF and 76% in MF; 25.8% in SF and 48.5% in MF, respectively). When oocytes were denuded 20 h after the start of IVM, oocyte maturation rates were significantly increased (64.1% in SF and 82.5% in MF) as compared with controls, whereas no significant differences were observed in cleavage and blastocyst formation rates in comparison with controls. These results conclude that removing cumulus cells from oocyte-cumulus complexes 20 h after the start of IVM improves the meiotic competence of oocytes derived from both SF and MF, without any reduction of developmental competence of the oocytes following parthenogenetical activation.


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