Effect of epidermal growth factor on in vitro production of camel (camelus dromedarius)‎ embryos by using frozen semen

Abstract EN

The present study was conducted on 1640 oocytes of camels to investigate the effect of supplementing culture medium (TCM-199) with epidermal growth factor (EGF) on the competence of oocytes to mature and develop in vitro using frozen semen and to study the effect of season on recovery rate and quality of recovered oocytes.

Oocytes were collected during breeding (n=883) and non-breeding (n=757) seasons from she camels’ ovaries (n=191) delivered in normal saline solution at 37oC from a local slaughterhouse.

Cumulus oocytes complexes (COCs) were recovered from ovaries by slicing technique.

Good-quality oocytes were selected for in vitro maturation (IVM) in TCM-199 medium.

Number of 206 COCs was inseminated with thawed semen (3x106 spermatozoa/ml).

Culture process was conducted at 38.5oC in humidified air containing 5% CO2.

The oocytes’ maturation rate in medium contained EGF (81.19 %) was higher (P< 0.05) compared to control group (68.04 %).

Cleavage rate, and percentages of obtained morula and early blastocyst were slightly higher when EGF was added to the maturation medium compared to control group.

In conclusion, camel frozen semen could be used successfully for in vitro production of camels embryos.

In addition, EGF could improve camel oocytes maturation and cleavage rates.