Development of in vitro matured and fertilized bovine oocytes co-cultured with Buffalo Rat Liver cells

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of Buffalo Rat Liver cells (BRLC) monolayers in supporting the development of in vitro matured and fertilized (IVM/IVF) bovine oocytes through to the hatched blastocyst stage compared to the commonly used co-culture system of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC). Cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained from 2- to 6-mm ovarian follicles at slaughter were matured for 24 h in TCM-199 supplemented with FBS and hormones (FSH, LH and estradiol 17-beta). In vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed using 1 x 10(6) percoll separated frozen-thawed spermatozoa in 1 ml of IVF-TL medium containing 18 to 20 matured oocytes. After 20 to 22 h of sperm exposure, 584 presumptive zygotes in 2 separate trials were randomly assigned to 3 treatment groups (BRLC co-culture, BOEC co-culture and control, consisting of medium alone). Zygotes were cultured in CZB media, a simple semi-defined medium, without glucose for the first 2 d, transferred to M199/FBS (TCM-199-HEPES supplemented with 20% HTFBS, 1 mM Sodium pyruvate), and cultured for an additional 8 days. Cleavage and development to morula and various blastocyst stages were recorded between d 3 and 11 after the start of IVF. Overall average cleavage rate was 75% (440 584 ) and did not vary across the treatments or trials. The proportion of embryos that reached the morula stage in both co-culture systems did not differ (P > 0.05) and was significantly higher (P > 0.05) compared to the control group. However, the percentage of the number of blastocysts, expanded blastocysts and hatched blastocysts varied across the treatment groups (P < 0.05), with the highest results obtained in the BRLC co-culture system. The production of blastocysts in BOEC co-culture was inconsistent between the 2 trials where a significant difference (40.6 vs 53.0%; P > 0.05) was observed. Rate of development to the blastocyst stage was similar between the 2 co-culture systems, with most of the embryos reaching the blastocyst stage by d 8 post insemination. The results of this study show that BRLC from a commercially available established cell line offer a more reliable alternative to a BOEC co-culture system for in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture of bovine embryos.     

Preincubation of cumulus-oocyte complexes before exposure to gonadotropins improves the developmental competence of porcine embryos matured and fertilized in vitro

The objectives of the present study were to examine whether delayed exposure of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) to gonadotropins affects the diameter of oocytes, the nuclear morphology of the germinal vesicle, the rate of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and the embryonic developmental rate of inseminated oocytes following maturation and fertilization in vitro (IVM/IVF). After preincubation (experimental) or no preincubation (control) in BSA-free NCSU23 medium containing 1096 porcine follicular fluid for 12 h, COCs were cultured for maturation in the same medium supplemented with gonadotropins for 20 h and then without those gonadotropins for 20 h. During the preincubation period, the nuclear morphology of the germinal vesicles became more homogeneous. Incidence of GVBD after 20 h of maturation culture was not different between the control and experimental group. When cultured in NCSU23 medium for 7 d following IVF, the incidence of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage (23.1 +/- 3.1%) was higher in the experimental group than in the control group (8.7 +/- 1.2%). Blastocysts in the experimental group had a larger number of cells than control blastocysts. Following embryo transfer into the oviduct of recipient gilts, IVM/IVF embryos had elongated by Day 12 of gestation. These results indicate that preincubation of porcine COCs, before exposure to gonadotropins to induce the resumption of meiosis, increases the rate of development of IVM/IVF embryos to the blastocyst stage.     

Cleavage, development and competence of sheep embryos fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and in vitro fertilization

More abnormal fertilization has been found in sheep oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) than after in vitro fertilization (IVF). Although the birth of a normal lamb has been reported, the efficiency of blastocyst production is low. We therefore evaluated the cleavage, development and viability of sheep embryos obtained from ICSI, IVF and sham injection. In vitro matured oocytes either injected or inseminated with spermatozoa were assessed for cleavage 1 and 4 d after injection or insemination, and for development to blastocyst after 7 d of culture. A total of 699 oocytes was injected (ICSI); 198 (30.6%) were activated and 55 (8.5%) developed to the blastocyst stage. Of the 17 recipient ewes with 1, 2, 3 or 4 embryos, 15 (88.2%) were pregnant on Day 18; of these 17 recipients, 7 (41.1%) and 6 (35.2%) ewes remained pregnant on Days 45 and 110, respectively. Two normal lambs were born, one ewe died on Day 110 with 2 normal male fetuses, another ewe aborted on Day 90 and 4 pregnancies were maintained. A total of 517 oocytes was inseminated (IVF); 296 (62%) were activated and 90 (18.8%) reached the blastocyst stage. A total of 19 ewes received 1, 2, 3 or 4 embryos; of these, 13 (68.4%) were pregnant on Day 18, 8 (42.1%) ewes remained pregnant on each of Days 45 and 110. Three ewes delivered 5 lambs. Five pregnancies were maintained. A total of 156 oocytes was sham injected, 38 (24.3%) were activated and no blatocysts were obtained after culture. The results of this study showed that blastocysts obtained after ICSI are potentially viable and are not a result of parthenogenesis.     

Oviduct-specific glycoprotein modulates sperm-zona binding and improves efficiency of porcine fertilization in vitro

Oviduct-specific glycoprotein (OGP) displays estrus-associated regional and temporal differences in expression and localizes to the zona pellucida, perivitelline space, and plasma membrane of oviductal oocytes and embryos, suggesting that it may have a role in regulation of fertilization and/or early embryonic development. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of exogenous OGP on in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo development in the pig using a defined serum-free culture system. In vitro-matured porcine oocytes were incubated with homologous OGP (0, 1, 10, 20, and 40 microg/ml) for 3 h and then washed prior to IVF. Exposure of oocytes to 10 or 20 microg/ml porcine OGP (pOGP) significantly reduced the incidence of polyspermy compared with the control (P < 0.01) while maintaining high penetration rates. When oocytes, spermatozoa, or both were preincubated with 10 microg/ml pOGP prior to IVF, the incidence of polyspermy was similarly reduced (P < 0.01) by all three treatments without affecting penetration rates. The ability of spermatozoa to undergo calcium ionophore-induced acrosome reaction was similar with or without exposure to pOGP. However, significantly fewer spermatozoa (P < 0.01) bound to the zona pellucida when oocytes were preincubated with pOGP. To evaluate the effect of pOGP on embryo development, embryos were cultured in pOGP-supplemented medium for 48 h or 144 h. Both transient and continuous exposure to pOGP significantly enhanced cleavage and blastocyst formation rate compared with the control (P < 0.01). These data demonstrate that exposure of either in vitro-matured oocytes or spermatozoa to pOGP decreased polyspermy and spermatozoa binding while maintaining high penetration rates of pig oocytes fertilized in vitro. Furthermore, pOGP exerted an embryotrophic effect independent of effects demonstrated on spermatozoa and oocytes at fertilization.     

In vitro development to blastocysts of early porcine embryos produced in vivo or in vitro

The objective of this study was to compare the development of porcine embryos from the 2- and 4-cell stages to the blastocyst stage after in vivo or in vitro fertilization and in vivo or in vitro culture. Early-stage embryos were collected either from superovulated gilts 36 h after the second mating or after in vitro fertilization (IVF) of in vivo-matured oocytes, both followed by in vitro culture to the blastocyst stage. Blastocysts collected from superovulated donors served as controls. In the first experiment, a total of 821 2- and 4-cell embryos derived from in vivo-fertilized oocytes was cultured either in medium NCSU 23, modified Whittens' medium or modified KRB for 5 d. Significantly (P < 0.05 and P < 0.001) more embryos overcame the 4-cell block and developed to the blastocyst stage in medium NCSU 23 than in the 2 other culture media. Hatching was only observed in medium NCSU 23. In the second experiment, embryos derived from in vivo-matured oocytes fertilized in vitro were cultured in medium NCSU 23. Of 1869 mature oocytes 781 (41.8%) cleaved within 48 h after in vitro fertilization. A total of 715 embryos was cultured to the morula and blastocyst stages, and 410 (57.3%) overcame the developmental block stage, with 358 embryos (50.1%) developing to the morula and blastocyst stages. None of the embryos hatched, and the number of nuclei was significantly (P < 0.05) lower compared with that of in vivo-fertilized embryos (18.9 +/- 9.8 vs 31.2 +/- 5.8). In the third experiment, 156 blastocysts derived from in vitro fertilization and 276 blastocysts derived from in vivo fertilization and in vitro culture were transferred into synchronized recipients, while 164 blastocysts were transferred immediately after collection into 6 recipients, resulting in a pregnancy rate of 83.3%, with 35 piglets (on average 7.0) born. From the in vitro-cultured embryos, 58.3% (7/12) of the recipients remained pregnant at Day 35 after transfer, but only 33.3% maintained pregnancy to term, and 14 piglets (on average 3.5) were born. In contrast, the transfer of embryos derived from in vitro-fertilized oocytes did not result in pregnancies. It is concluded that 1) NCSU 23 is superior to modified Whittens' medium and modified KRB and 2) blastocysts derived from in vitro fertilization have reduced viability as indicated by the lower number of nuclei and failure to induce pregnancy upon transfer into recipients.     

Birth of piglets preselected for gender following in vitro fertilization of in vitro matured pig oocytes by X and Y chromosome bearing spermatozoa sorted by high speed flow cytometry

The present study examined the ability to establish pregnancies after transfer of pig embryos derived from in vitro fertilization (IVF) of in vitro matured (IVM) oocytes by X and Y chromosome-bearing spermatozoa sorted by flow cytometry. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) were cultured in BSA-free NCSU-23 medium containing porcine follicular fluid (10%), cysteine (0.1 mg/mL), epidermal growth factor (10 ng/mL), LH (0.5 microgram/mL) and FSH (0.5 microgram/mL) for 22 h, then the oocytes were cultured without hormonal supplements for an additional 22 h. Boar semen was collected and prepared by flow cytometry sorting of X and Y chromosome bearing spermatozoa. After IVM, cumulus-free oocytes were co-incubated with sorted X or Y spermatozoa (2 x 10(4)/mL) for 6 to 7 h in modified Tris-buffered medium containing 2.5 mM caffeine and 0.4% BSA. After IVF, putative embryos were transferred to NCSU-23 medium containing 0.4% BSA for culture. A portion of the oocytes was fixed 12 h after IVF, the remainder were cultured up to 96 h. At 96 h after IVF, 8-cell to morula stage embryos (n = 30 to 35) from each gender were surgically transferred to the uterus of recipient gilts. Insemination of IVM pig oocytes with X- or Y-bearing sperm cells did not influence the rate of penetration (67 vs 80%), polyspermy (40 vs 53%), male pronuclear formation (95 vs 96%), or mean number of spermatozoa per oocyte (1.6 vs 1.6), respectively. Furthermore, no difference was observed between cleavage rates at 48 h after IVF (X, 49 vs Y, 45%). Transfer of embryos derived from X-bearing spermatozoa to 18 recipients resulted in 5 pregnancies and delivery of 23 females and 1 male piglet. Similarly, transfer of embryos derived from Y-bearing sperm cells to 10 recipients resulted in 3 pregnancies, with 9 male piglets delivered. The results show that X- and Y-bearing spermatozoa sorted using USDA sperm sexing technology can be successfully used in an IVM-IVF system to obtain piglets of a predetermined sex.     

Anti-hyaluronidase oligosaccharide derived from chondroitin sulfate a effectively reduces polyspermy during in vitro fertilization of porcine oocytes

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of chondroitin sulfate A-derived oligosaccharide (ChSAO) on hyaluronidase activity and in vitro fertilization (IVF) parameters. The activity of hyaluronidase extracted from preincubated boar sperm was completely blocked by ChSAO at concentrations of 10 microg/ml or higher. After in vitro maturation of porcine cumulus-oocyte complexes, some oocytes were freed from their cumulus cells, and cumulus-intact or cumulus-free oocytes were inseminated with sperm in IVF medium containing various concentrations of ChSAO (0.1-100 microg/ml). In cumulus-intact oocytes, the penetration and the polyspermy rates (39% and 28%, respectively) were significantly decreased by treatment with 100 microg/ml ChSAO compared with those of oocytes treated without ChSAO (63% and 52%, respectively). On the contrary, in cumulus-free oocytes, the addition of 10-100 microg/ml ChSAO significantly reduced the polyspermy rate compared with the control (25-30% versus 53%, respectively), whereas ChSAO had no effect on sperm penetration. Interestingly, ChSAO added to IVF medium significantly decreased the number of sperm bound to the zona pellucida (ZP) of cumulus-free oocytes in a concentration-dependent manner between 0.1 and 100 microg/ml. However, ChSAO had no effect on the time course change in ZP modification after oocyte activation by electrostimulation and the incidence of the acrosome-reacted sperm. Treatment with 100 microg/ml ChSAO during IVF of cumulus-free oocytes significantly increased the proportion of development to the blastocyst stage after in vitro insemination. Therefore, the present findings indicate that hyaluronidase-inhibitory ChSAO is an efficient probe for promoting normal fertilization process in terms of an effective decrease in the incidence of polyspermy during IVF of porcine oocytes.     

Activation, pronuclear formation, and development in vitro of pig oocytes following intracytoplasmic injection of freeze-dried spermatozoa

The fertilization of pig oocytes following intracytoplasmic injection of freeze-dried spermatozoa was evaluated. Activation and male pronuclear (MPN) formation were better in oocytes injected with isolated freeze-dried sperm heads than whole freeze-dried spermatozoa, but cleaved embryos were generally difficult to develop to the morula or blastocyst stage. When spermatozoa were freeze-dried for 24 h, oocyte activation and MPN formation in activated oocytes after sperm head injection were inhibited. Embryo development to the blastocyst stage was only obtained after injecting sperm heads isolated from spermatozoa freeze-dried for 4 h and stored at 4 degrees C. The proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage was not increased by the treatment of injected oocytes with Ca ionophore (5-10 microM). Increasing the sperm storage time did not affect oocyte activation or MPN formation, but blastocyst development was observed only after 1 mo of storage. These results demonstrate that pig oocytes can be fertilized with appropriately freeze-dried spermatozoa and that the fertilized oocytes can develop to the blastocyst stage.     

In vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes in protein-free culture system

We studied the possibility of fertilization of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes, matured in vitro in a protein-free medium, in a protein-free culture system without preliminary capacitation of spermatozoa. The development of embryos to the morula-blastocyst and blastocyst stage was considered as a criterion of successful fertilization. It was shown that replacement of bovine serum albumin for polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinylpyrrolidone in Tyrode medium for fertilization did not affect significantly the development to the morula-blastocyst stage and the number of cells in blastocysts. It was also found that replacement bovine serum albumin for polyvinyl alcohol in all used media, Tyrode medium for washing of oocytes, medium for sperm preparation to fertilization, and Tyrode medium for fertilization, did not affect significantly the development to the morula-blastocyst and blastocyst stages, as well as on the number of cells in blastocysts. The results obtained suggest that in vitro fertilization of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes is possible in a protein-free culture system without significant reduction in the capacity for in vitro development of the obtained embryos and number of cells in blastocysts.     

In vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes in in-vitro protein-free culture system

We studied the possibility of fertilization of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes, matured in vitro in a protein-free medium, in a protein-free culture system without preliminary capacitation of spermatozoa. The development of embryos to the morula-blastocyst and blastocyst stage was considered as a criterion of successful fertilization. It was shown that replacement of bovine serum albumin for polyvinyl alcohol or polyvinylpyrrolidone in Tyrode medium for fertilization did not affect significantly the development to the morula-blastocyst stage and the number of cells in blastocysts. It was also found that replacement bovine serum albumin for polyvinyl alcohol in all used media, Tyrode medium for washing of oocytes, medium for sperm preparation to fertilization, and Tyrode medium for fertilization, did not affect significantly the development to the morula-blastocyst and blastocyst stages, as well as on the number of cells in blastocysts. The results obtained suggest that in vitro fertilization of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes is possible in a protein-free culture system without significant reduction in the capacity for in vitro development of the obtained embryos and number of cells in blastocysts.     

Effect of exogenous glutathione on the in vitro fertilization of bovine oocytes

Increased amounts of reactive oxygen species (ROS) during in vitro culture may cause cytotoxic damage to gametes and embryos. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of glutathione (GSH), a ROS scavenger, supplemented during IVF of bovine oocytes on embryo development using spermatozoa from different bulls. The following experiments were performed: 1) matured COCs were fertilized in the absence or presence of 1 mM GSH using semen from 4 bulls (Bulls A, B, C and D); 2) matured COCs were fertilized in the absence or presence of 1 mM GSH using semen from Bull C to examine sperm penetration, pronuclear formation and apposition; 3) COCs were fertilized with in the presence of either 0, 0.1, 1.0 or 10 mM GSH to examine the effect of GSH concentration using sperm from Bull C; 4) concentrations of GSH were measured both in the medium and in the oocytes during IVF. Glutathione at 1 mM in IVF medium affected the blastocyst formation, but not the cleavage rate. The effect on blastocyst formation was bull dependent: semen from Bull B and D had a negative, that from Bull C a positive and the one from Bull A no effect. The positive effect of Bull C semen increased the rate of blastocyst formation from 20.1 to 27.3% in control and GSH-treated samples, respectively. The increased rate was due to more zygotes reaching the 8-cell or greater stage by Day 4 after IVF. There was no change in the fertilization or cleavage rates. The GSH was still stable after 18 h incubation in IVF medium, and there was a dose-dependent increase in the GSH concentration in the oocytes. It is concluded that the effect of GSH during IVF on the proportion of blastocysts is dependent on both bull and GSH concentration.     

An environmentally relevant organochlorine mixture impairs sperm function and embryo development in the porcine model

We evaluated the effects of an environmentally relevant mixture of more than 15 organochlorines on the development of pig oocytes and sperm during in vitro fertilization (IVF). Oocytes were cocultured with sperm in IVF medium containing increasing concentrations of an organochlorine mixture, similar to that found in women of highly exposed populations. Exposure to the organochlorine mixture diminished oocyte penetration rates and polyspermy in a linear manner. The mixture did not affect rates of cleavage nor development to multicell embryos. However, rates of development to the blastocyst stage were lower at the highest concentration at which oocyte penetration was observed. The same experiment was performed using oocytes that were preexposed during in vitro maturation. This greater exposure to the mixture also reduced penetration in a dose-response manner and affected polyspermy. Frozen-thawed pig sperm were also cultured in IVF medium containing the same organochlorine concentrations. Sperm motility parameters were immediately reduced in a dose-dependent manner by the organochlorines, followed by diminished viability 2 h later. From these results, it appears that reduced sperm quality would account for decreases in fertilization, polyspermy, and blastocyst formation. These results suggest that exposing porcine oocytes and sperm to an environmentally pertinent organochlorine mixture in vitro disrupts the oocyte block to polyspermy, sperm fertility, and further embryonic development, and supports recent concerns that such pollutants harm reproductive health in humans and other species.     

Effects of the porcine oviduct-specific glycoprotein on fertilization, polyspermy, and embryonic development in vitro

This study evaluated the effects of porcine oviduct-specific glycoprotein (pOSP) on in vitro fertilization (IVF), polyspermy, and development to blastocyst. Experiment 1 evaluated the effects of various concentrations (0-100 microgram/ml) of purified pOSP on fertilization parameters, including penetration, polyspermy, male pronuclear formation, and mean number of sperm penetrated per oocyte. Experiment 2 examined the ability of an anti-pOSP immunoglobulin G to inhibit the observed effects of pOSP on fertilization parameters. Experiments 3 and 4 examined various concentrations of pOSP (0-100 microgram/ml) on zona pellucida solubility and sperm binding, respectively. Lastly, experiment 5 assessed the effects of various concentrations of pOSP (0-100 microgram/ml) on the in vitro embryo cleavage rate and development to blastocyst. Pig oocytes matured and fertilized in vitro were used for all experiments. An effect of treatment (P < 0.05) was detected for pOSP on penetration, polyspermy, and mean number of sperm per oocyte. Concentrations for pOSP of 0-50 microgram/ml had no effect on sperm penetration rates; however, compared with the control, 100 microgram/ml significantly decreased the penetration rate (74% vs. 41%). Addition of 10-100 microgram/ml significantly reduced the polyspermy rate compared with the control (61% vs. 24-29%). The decrease in polyspermy achieved by addition of pOSP during preincubation and IVF was blocked with a specific antibody to pOSP. No effect of treatment was observed on zona digestion time relative to the control; however, the number of sperm bound to the zona pellucida was significantly decreased by treatment (P < 0.05). Compared with the control, all concentrations of pOSP examined reduced the number of sperm bound per oocyte (45 vs. 19-34). A treatment effect (P < 0.05) was observed for pOSP on embryo development to blastocyst but not on cleavage rates. Addition of pOSP during preincubation and fertilization significantly increased postcleavage development to blastocyst, but a synergistic stimulation on development was not detected when pOSP was included during in vitro culture. These results indicate that exposure to pOSP before and during fertilization reduces the incidence of polyspermy in pig oocytes, reduces the number of bound sperm, and increases postcleavage development to blastocyst.     

Developmental capacity of in vitro matured and fertilized oocytes from prepubertal and adult goats

The developmental competence of oocytes from prepubertal and adult goats was studied through in vitro maturation, fertilization and embryo culture up to the blastocyst stage. Oocytes were recovered from antral follicles of prepubertal and adult goat ovaries, with or without ovarian stimulation with exogenous FSH. The effect of different sources of granulosa cells during IVM on the developmental competence of prepubertal goat oocytes was also noted. Oocytes were matured for 27 h at 38.5 degrees C in 5% CO(2) in air in 50-microl microdrops in TCM199 supplemented with 20% estrus goat serum, FSH, LH and estradiol-17beta or in 2 ml of the same medium supplemented with granulosa cells. Matured oocytes were inseminated with freshly ejaculated spermatozoa following capacitation At 24 h post-insemination, the oocytes were transferred to a granulosa cell monolayer, and early embryo development was evaluated until Day 10. Results show that the developmental ability of embryos from prepubertal goats after IVM and IVF is similar to those from adult goats. Treatment of the prepubertal and adult goats with FSH did not improve the developmental capacity of the resulting embryos. On studying the addition of different sources of granulosa cells to a maturation system of 2 ml of medium, a significantly positive effect of the cells from primed females was observed on the percentage of maturation, on embryo cleavage and on the percentage of embryos that overcame the in vitro developmental block from 8 to 16 cells.     

Development of in vitro-matured oocytes from porcine preantral follicles following intracytoplasmic sperm injection.

The objective of this study was to assess fertilization and embryonic development following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) of oocytes from porcine preantral follicles matured in vitro. Also, another aim was to describe actin filament distribution during fertilization and embryonic development of those oocytes after ICSI as one of the factors assessed. Preantral follicles isolated from prepubertal porcine ovaries were cultured in a system that supports follicular development. After in vitro maturation, the oocytes were fertilized by ICSI or conventional fertilization in vitro (IVF). Actin filaments of the fertilized oocytes and embryos produced by ICSI or IVF were stained by rhodamine-phalloidin and visualized by fluorescence microscopy. ICSI resulted in 64% fertilization of porcine preantral follicle oocytes matured in vitro. Of those, 51% of the fertilized oocytes cleaved and 21% developed to the blastocyst stage. No significant differences in percentages of oocyte fertilization, cleavage, and blastocyst formation were observed between ICSI and IVF (53%, 45% and 16%, respectively). Actin filament distribution during fertilization and embryonic development of ICSI- or IVF-fertilized oocytes from porcine preantral follicles was similar to that of oocytes derived from antral follicles and fertilized by standard IVF. These results indicate that oocytes from porcine preantral follicles matured in vitro following ICSI can undergo fertilization and subsequent embryonic development.     

Effect of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin treatment of pig spermatozoa on in vitro fertilization and embryo development in the absence or presence of caffeine

A series of experiments were carried out to develop a new method to reduce pig polyspermic fertilization and produce more normal embryos, in vitro. Experiment 1 determined the effect of methyl-beta-cyclodextrin (MCD) treatment during cryopreservation on sperm acrosome reaction and sperm fertilization. Compared to the non-MCD-treated control, MCD treatment increased the percentage of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa at thawing and 2h after incubation in fertilization medium (P<0.01). Treatment with MCD also increased (P<0.05) sperm-penetration rate, number of spermatozoa in oocytes, and fertilization efficiency in the caffeine-free fertilization medium. Experiment 2 was designed to examine the effect of withdrawal of caffeine (caffeine-free) from fertilization medium on fertilization parameters and early embryo development. Using MCD-treated spermatozoa, there was no difference in sperm-penetration rate, oocyte cleavage rate, and blastocyst formation rate between the caffeine-free and caffeine-supplemented groups. However, polyspermic fertilization rate was lower, and fertilization efficiency and blastocyst cell number were higher in the caffeine-free group compared to the caffeine-supplemented group (P<0.05). Experiment 3 studied the effect of caffeine and different concentrations of spermatozoa on fertilization parameters. Sperm-penetration rate did not differ between the caffeine-free and the caffeine-supplemented groups at different sperm concentrations. Caffeine and sperm concentration had an effect on the number of spermatozoa in oocytes and on the polyspermic fertilization rate (P<0.002). Caffeine also affected fertilization efficiency (P<0.05). In conclusion, treating spermatozoa with MCD and withdrawing caffeine from fertilization medium may provide a new method to produce a large number of normal embryos, in vitro.     

Observations on the fertilization and development of preimplantation bovine embryos in vitro in the presence of Tritrichomonas foetus

Tritrichomonas foetus, a world-wide distributed parasitic protozoan is a cause of infertility and abortion. There is no documented information on the susceptibility of bovine embryos to the parasite. To determine the effect of T. foetus on fertilization and embryonic development of preimplantation bovine embryos, we added approximately 10(4)/ml or 10(6)/ml T. foetus (Belfast strain) to sperm cells and oocytes prior to in vitro fertilization (IVF) or to presumptive zygotes 24 h post-fertilization. Light and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed that exposure of oocytes or embryos at any stage of development to T. foetus caused rapid adhesion of the trichomonads to the embryonic intact zona pellucida (ZP) and to trophoblastic cells of hatched blastocysts. Treatment of contaminated embryos with 0.25% trypsin for 3 min did not render them free from T. foetus. Motile parasites were not observed after 18 h incubation in IVF medium, or after 72 h in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) embryo culture medium. The percentages of cleaved zygotes, blastocysts and hatched embryos resulting from culture of experimental and uninfected control groups of embryos were not different (P > 0.05). Tritrichomonas foetus was not detected in embryonic cells of ZP-intact or hatched embryos when examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In conclusion, T. foetus has no detrimental effect on the fertilization and development of IVF embryos and the potential risk of transmission of trichomonosis is unlikely, due to the limited survival of the parasite in IVF culture conditions.     

Effect of bovine sperm separation by either swim-up or Percoll method on success of in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development

The objectives of these experiments were to characterize separation of frozen-thawed bovine spermatozoa on a Percoll gradient and then to compare sperm separation by either a swim-up or Percoll gradient procedure for the ability of spermatozoa to fertilize oocytes in vitro. The Percoll gradient was a 45 and 90% discontinuous gradient. Initial experiments found that centrifugation of semen on the Percoll gradient for 15 min at 700 g was sufficient to obtain optimal recovery of motile spermatozoa. Most of the nonmotile spermatozoa were recovered at the interface of the 45 and 90% Percoll layers, while the motile spermatozoa were primarily in the sperm pellet at the bottom of the gradient. When frozen-thawed semen from each of 7 bulls was separated by swimup, a mean +/- SEM of 9% +/- 1 of the motile spermatozoa were recovered after the procedure. In contrast, more spermatozoa were recovered after Percoll gradient separation (P < 0.05), with 40% +/- 4 of the motile spermatozoa recovered. The effect of separation procedure on in vitro fertilization found swim-up separated spermatozoa penetrated a mean +/- SEM of 74% +/- 5 of the oocytes, while fewer oocytes were penetrated by Percoll separated spermatozoa at 52% +/- 8 (P < 0.05). There was no effect of the separation procedure on the rates of polyspermy as measured by sperm/penetrated ova, with a mean +/- SEM of 1.25 +/-.09 for swim-up separated spermatozoa and 1.14 +/-.07 for Percoll separated spermatozoa (P>0.05). A carry over of Percoll into the fertilization medium with the Percoll separated spermatozoa was found not the cause for the decreased penetration of oocytes by these spermatozoa. In 2 of 3 bulls tested, the decreased penetration of oocytes by Percoll separated spermatozoa could be overcome by increasing the sperm concentration during fertilization from 1 x 10(6) to 5 x 10(6)/ml. When development of embryos fertilized by either swim-up or Percoll separated spermatozoa was compared for the semen from 2 bulls, a difference in cleavage rate was found in favor of swim-up separated spermatozoa (P < 0.05), but there was no effect of separation procedure on development (Day 7) to the morula + blastocyst or blastocyst stage (P>0.05). The disadvantages of the Percoll procedure could easily be overcome and the procedure was faster and yielded a six-fold greater recovery of motile spermatozoa than the swim-up method.     

The effects of follicular fluid on in vitro maturation, oocyte fertilization and the development of bovine embryos

We determined the effects of follicular fluid in the maturation medium on bovine oocyte maturation, fertilization and subsequent development, as well as on the number of cells in blastocysts following culture. Fluid and oocytes from bovine follicles less than 5 mm in diameter were collected from the ovaries of slaughtered cows. For the maturation medium, follicular fluid at concentrations of 10, 30 or 60% (v/v) was added to Medium 199 with Earle's salts supplemented with 0.1 microg/ml estradiol-17 beta (E(2), Experiment 1) or 0.1 microg/ml E2 and 100 IU/ml hCG (Experiment 2). The control medium contained polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP; 3 mg/ml) instead of follicular fluid. After maturation for 24 h, oocytes were fertilized in vitro with bull frozen-thawed spermatozoa and cultured on a monolayer of granulosa cells for 9 d. There were no differences in maturation or fertilization rates of oocytes. In Experiment 1, maturation medium containing 10% follicular fluid did not affect the developmental rate of the oocytes to > 2-cell, 8 to 16-cell, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst stage embryos, respectively; whereas 60% decreased embryonic development (P < 0.05) compared with the control. Blastocysts and hatched blastocysts developed from fertilized oocytes which had been matured in medium containing 10 and 30% follicular fluid/E(2) had more cells than the controls (P < 0.01). In Experiment 2, maturation medium containing 10 or 30% follicular fluid did not affect the development fertilized oocytes to the blastocyst stage compared with the control, but decreased at 60% (P < 0.01). There were no differences in the number of cells from Day 9 blastocysts and hatched blastocysts from fertilized oocytes matured in maturation medium containing follicular fluid and E(2) + hCG. The results of these experiments suggest that the addition of bovine follicular fluid to the maturation medium enhances the cell numbers in blastocysts from bovine follicular oocytes matured in vitro.