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.