Studies on the in vitro Maturation of Cat Oocytes

Authors: MİTHAT EVECEN, HATEM ATALLA, SEMA BİRLER, ALPER BARAN, KEMAL AK

Abstract: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of gonadotrophin and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) supplemented Synthetic Oviduct Fluid (SOF) and Ham's F-10 media on the in vitro maturation of cat oocytes. Oocytes collected from spayed stray queens served as the material of the study. The ovaries were brought to the laboratory within 2 h in PBS solution at 38 °C. Recovered oocytes were divided into two groups (Group 1: SOF + 0,4% BSA + 10 µg/ml FSH + 10 µg/ml LH, group 2: Ham's F-10 + 0,4% BSA + 10 µg/ml FSH + 10 µg/ml LH) and left for maturation in an incubator at 38.5 °C for 48 h under atmosphere containing 5% O_2, 5% CO_2 and 90 % N_2 and almost 100% humidity. Oocytes were then fixed and stained. The maturation status of the oocytes was evaluated under a phase-contrast microscope at x400 magnification. Data were compared by using Student's t-test. Group 1 had 209 oocytes and group 2 had 207: a total of 416. In group 1 54.06% (113/209) and in group 2 29.00% (60/207) of the oocytes reached the M II stage. The difference between these values was statistically significant. At the end of the study, it was concluded that SOF medium was superior to Ham's F-10 medium for the in vitro maturation of cat oocytes. These results also showed that a satisfactory background for in vitro fertilization studies of cat oocytes has been established.

Keywords: Cat, oocyte, in vitro maturation, medium

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