In newborn mammals, most of the germ cell population rests in a pool of quiescent small follicles in the ovaries. Regularly throughout adulthood, a small percentage of these oocytes and follicles grows to a certain stage of development and then either degenerates or matures and ovulates. This entire process is under both exogenous and endogenous control. Recent work, including my laboratory's, ...

To evaluate the effect of follicular fluid on in vitro maturation, pig oocytes were cultured in the presence of hormones where 10% of fetal calf serum (FCS), 10% of follicular fluid from large follicles (l-pFF), 10% of follicular fluid from medium follicles (m-pFF) or no supplement were added. When oocytes where matured in medium containing the hormones the addition of different supplements did...

BACKGROUND Oocyte maturation is under strict regulatory control, not only from intrinsic cellular processes, but also extrinsic influences. While the oocyte is directly connected to the surrounding cumulus cells (CCs) via a network of gap junctions facilitating communication and exchange of molecules, it is also influenced by the greater follicular environment. In order to produce an oocyte cap...

Studies were conducted to examine the effect of substitution of serum with cystic follicular fluid in the IVM media and also to test the efficacy of cystic follicular fluid (buCFF) at 50 and 100 per cent levels for in vitro maturation of buffalo oocytes. Resutts indicated that buffalo cystic follicular fluid supplemented with PMSG possess the ability for induction of maturation of buffalo oocyt...

the study was undertaken to elucidatethe beneficial effects of goat follicular fluid (gff) added to maturation and culture media on in vitro maturation, fertilization and post-fertilization development of oocytes in black bengal goats. follicular fluid and oocytes were collected from slaughter house goat’s ovaries using the aspiration technique. media were prepared using tcm-199 supplemented wi...

background: human chorionic gonadotropin (hcg) has been used as a replacement for the mid-cycle luteinizing hormone (lh) surge for several years. the recent arrival of recombinant dna technology has made recombinant hcg (rhcg) accessible. objective: to assess efficacy of rhcg compared to urinary hcg (uhcg) for triggering of ovulation and induction of final oocyte maturation in assisted reproduc...

Accurate estimation of the number of ovarian follicles at various stages of development is an important indicator of the process of folliculogenesis in relation to the endocrine signals and paracrine/autocrine mechanisms that control the growth and maturation of the oocytes and their supporting follicular cells. There are 10-fold or greater differences in follicular numbers per ovary at similar...

Human in vitro fertilization has become a widely accepted method of treatment for infertile couples. The list of indications for this technique is rapidly growing and includes oligospermia, endometriosis, and unexplained infertility. The techniques of follicular recruitment, ovum maturation, and follicular aspiration, as well as laboratory culture techniques, are described. The various factors ...

Oocyte quality in pigs is defined as the potential of that oocyte to develop into a viable offspring. There is increasing evidence that the programming of the oocyte must be completed before leaving the ovarian follicle, including both nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. Pig oocytes matured in vitro under basic conditions are deficient in some, as yet unidentified, cytoplasmic factors and thus ...

Ovarian follicular development occurs in a hierarchical manner with each follicle having a unique biochemical composition at any moment in time. It has long been understood that a precise coordination between the growth and maturation of the oocyte and adjacent follicular cells (i.e. somatic cells) is essential in order to produce an oocyte that is fully competent to undergo fertilization and e...