Features of transportation and in vitro maturation of bovine oocyte-cumulus complexes

This study aimed to evaluate and optimize methods for transporting bovine ovaries, as well as methods for in vitro maturation (IVM) of oocyte-cumulus complexes (OCCs) for subsequent in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo culture to the blastocyst stage in vitro. Ovary transportation temperature regimes of +4°C and +37.5°C were tested, along with three in vitro maturation systems for bovine oocytes utilizing commercially available media designed for preimplantation embryo culture: BO-IVM (IVF-Bioscience), Continuous Single Culture Complete (CSCM–C) with Gentamicin and HSA (Irvine Scientific) supplemented with 50 µg/mL human chorionic gonadotropin and 5 µg/mL follicle-stimulating hormone, and the CAPA-IVM (capacitation IVM) method with the addition of 1mM N6,2’-O-dibutyryl adenosine 3’,5’-cyclic monophosphate and 0.5mM 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine to CSCM–C medium. Comparable results were obtained between the transportation temperature regimes of +4°C and +37.5°C. The oocyte maturation rate using the CAPA-IVM method in CSCM–C medium was 52.4%, with a blastocyst formation rate of 14.8%. This is comparable to the results obtained in the control group utilizing media specifically formulated for bovine oocyte maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture – BO-IVM/BOIVF/BO-IVC (IVF-Bioscience) – which yielded 36.2% and 18.8%, respectively. Therefore, based on our results, the CAPA-IVM method appears promising for use in assisted reproductive technologies in cattle.

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