In Vitro Maturation and Development of Porcine Oocytes Cultured in a Straw or Dish Using a Portable Incubator with a CO2 Chamber |
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| Authors: | A Fujii Y Kaedei F Tanihara A Ito K Hanatate K Kikuchi T Nagai T Otoi |
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| Institution: | 1. Laboratory of Animal Reproduction, The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi;2. Genetic Diversity Department, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Tsukuba, Ibaraki;3. Department of Research Planning and Coordination, National Institute of Livestock and Grassland Science, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan |
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| Abstract: | We investigated the effects of a portable incubator with a CO2 chamber on the viability and development of porcine oocytes/embryos for their transportation and examined the operational suitability of a straw or dish as a container for culturing the oocytes or embryos in the portable incubator. In the first experiment, the cumulus‐oocyte complexes (COCs) were placed either in a dish or straw; and they were then cultured for 44 h in a standard CO2 incubator, in the CO2 chamber in an incubator, or in the CO2 chamber in a portable incubator. The matured oocytes were fertilized with frozen‐thawed spermatozoa and then cultured in a dish in the standard CO2 incubator for 8 days. There were no differences in the proportions of oocytes reaching metaphase II stage among the groups. However, the proportions of cleavage and development to blastocysts derived from oocytes matured in a straw were lower than those from oocytes matured in a dish, irrespective of the type of incubator used. In the second experiment, the COCs were matured in a dish in the standard CO2 incubator, and the matured oocytes were fertilized and then placed either in a dish or straw. These were then cultured for 8 days in the standard CO2 incubator or portable incubator. Some zygotes cultured in the portable incubator developed to the blastocyst stage. The proportions of cleavage and development to blastocysts were significantly lower for putative zygotes cultured in straw than for those cultured in dish, irrespective of the type of incubator used. Our results indicate that a portable incubator with a CO2 chamber can maintain the viability and development of oocytes/embryos, but the straw is not a suitable system for in vitro culture of the oocytes/embryos during transportation. |
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