Effect of maturation media with hormonal supplement on in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes with different qualities

Abstract EN

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of maturation medium (TCM-199 and DMEM) supplemented with FSH or FSH+hCG on in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes with different qualities.

Buffaloes’ ovaries were collected from slaughterhouse and oocytes were recovered by aspiration method.

Oocytes quality was ranked based on the number of cumulus cell layers into excellent, good, fair and poor oocytes.

Oocytes were in vitro matured in TCM-199 or DMEM media containing hormones.

Both maturation media were supplemented with FSH (10 μg/ml) or HCG (10 IU/ml).

Cytoplasmic or nuclear maturation was measured.

Results show significant (P<0.05) effect of medium type on cytoplasmic maturation only in fair oocytes.

The effect of medium type on nuclear maturation was significant only on fair and poor oocytes, being higher with DMEM than TCM-199 (51.5 vs.

26.8% and 32.8 vs.

16.1%).

The differences in nuclear maturation of excellent and good oocytes between TCM and DMEM were not significant.

Excellent and good oocytes showed higher (P<0.05) maturation rate (76.7 and 70.9%) than fair and poor oocytes (40.2 and 24.6%), respectively.

In general, the highest maturation rate was obtained from excellent oocytes matured by DMEM (81.3%).

The highest percentage of oocytes showing full expansion was for excellent, good and fair by DMEM supplemented with FSH (79.3, 67.6 and 50%, respectively.

These findings may suggest the beneficial effects of hormonal addition on cumulus cells expansion for all oocyte qualities, except poor oocytes.

Maturation rate was the highest (P<0.05) for excellent, good and fair oocytes matured by DMEM supplemented with FSH plus hCG.

However, the poor oocytes showed the highest (P<0.05) maturation rate with DMEM supplemented with FSH alone.

Maturation medium (DMEM) supplemented with FSH plus hCG showed the highest in vitro nuclear maturation of buffalo oocytes with different qualities, in particular excellent, good and fair oocytes.

Further studies are needed for evaluation the effect of hormonal addition with FSH and/or hCG to DMEM medium on in vitro fertilization and embryo development of buffalo oocytes.