We previously reported that when midkine (MK), a heparin-binding growth differentiation factor was used in in vitro maturation (IVM) culture of bovine cumulus-enclosed oocytes (CEOs), their developmental competence to the blastocyst stage after in vitro fertilization (IVF) was enhanced and the effect of MK might be mediated by its action upon mural granulosa cells and cumulus cells that closely...

This study was designed to examine the effects of retinoic acid adding to cumulus and/or fibroblast cellsmonolayer on the development of mouse early embryos. One-cell mouse embryos were obtained from NMRImice after superovulation by an intraperitoneal injection of 5 IU equine chorionic gonadotrophin (eCG)followed 48 hrs later by 5 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). Mouse embryonic fibrobla...

The perivitelline space is the gap between the plasma membrane and the zona pellucida of the oocyte. Although not present in the oocytes in the germinal vesicle stage, the perivitelline space is known to start forming when meiotic maturation resumes and to enlarge in matured oocytes at the metaphase II stage (Kaufman et al., 1989; Okada et al., 1993). Recently, it has been suggested that there ...

BACKGROUND In the cow, lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) acts as an auto-/paracrine factor, through its receptors LPAR1-4, on oocytes and cumulus cells during in vitro maturation (IVM). The aim of the present work was to determine the effect of LPA during IVM of bovine oocytes on: 1) oocyte maturation; 2) apoptosis of COCs; 3) expression of genes involved in developmental competence and apoptosis in ...

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of culture systems and culture media on developmental competence and freezability of bovine embryos obtained by in vitro culture of in vitro matured and fertilized (IVM-IVF) oocytes. No significant difference was observed in the proportions of oocytes developed to blastocysts, the speed at which the oocytes reached the blastocyst stage and ...