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Byers, A.P.; Donoghue, A.M.; Roth, T.L.; Wildt, D.E.
Oocyte nuclear maturation at the time of oocyte aspiration is independent of in vitro fertilization potential in the domestic cat
1994  Journal of Experimental Zoology (270): 399-404

This study determined the temporal kinetics of nuclear maturation at and after follicular oocyte aspiration and the significance of variations in nuclear maturation and sperm-oocyte co-incubation interval on in vitro fertilization (IVF) in the domestic cat. Female cats were treated with pregnant mares' serum gonadotropin followed 84 h later with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). Twenty-five hours after hCG, ovarian follicular oocytes were aspirated laparoscopically and classified according to morphological criteria. Oocytes classified as mature were cultured for 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 h in Ham's F10 medium and then stained for nuclear maturation. The proportion of oocytes at metaphase II was similar (_P_ > 0.05) at 0 ( 38.2 %) and 2 (48.5 %) h of culture, but was higher (_P_ < 0.05) at 4 (76.5 %), 6 (82.8 %), and 8 (92.3 %) h. Oocytes also were collected and cultured as described above and then co-incubated for 2 or 18 h with 5 x 105 motile cat sperm cells/ml. The incidence of IVF (cleavage to 2-cells by 30 h post-insemination) was consistently 2-fold higher (_P_ > 0.05) for the 18 h compared to the 2 h gamete co-incubation groups. However, despite differences in nuclear maturation at the time of oocyte recovery, IVF success was unaffected (_P_ > 0.05) by pre-insemination culture interval (0 h, 72.7 %); 2 h, 73.3 %; 4 h, 70.7 %; 6 h, 57.8 %; 8 h, 62.5 %; 18 h group). Thus, the majority of oocytes recovered from cats treated with this gonadotropin regimen has not achieved metaphase II by follicular aspiration. These oocytes appear grossly mature, but nuclear maturation often is incomplete until 4 - 8 h in culture. Ability of these oocytes to fertilize in vitro is intependent of stage of nuclear maturation at recovery, but IVF success is influenced by sperm-oocyte co-incubation interval.

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