Objective Currently, there is no agreement on the optimal urinary derived human chorionic gonadotropin (u-hCG) dose requirement for initiating final oocyte maturation prior to oocyte collection in in vitro fertilization (IVF), but doses that range from 2500- 15000 IU have been used. We intended to determine whether low dose u-hCG was effective for oocyte maturation in IVF/intracytoplasmic sperm...

Background: Heat shock may affect different aspects of oocyte maturation and its subsequent development to the blastocyst stage. A series of in vitro experiments was performed to determine whether physiologically heat shock (41°C) disrupts the progression of the ovine oocytes through meiosis, activation and blastocyst formation. Materials and Methods: The cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were as...

Background: Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue is an important option for preserving the fertility of cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Researchers have used different cryoprotectants and various techniques to improve the cryopreservation of ovaries However, despite significant recent progress, the efficiency of ovary cryopreservation is still low. Zinc is essential for ...

Introduction: In vitro maturation and development of immature oocytes, as an artificial reproduction technique, is useful especially in women who are affected by cancer and polycystic ovary syndrome. Despite using many types of in vitro media, an appropriate environment has not been reported yet. Present study was designed to assess the effect of heated human follicular fluid (hHFF), which is s...

Leptin, the 16-kDa product of the obese (ob) gene, primarily secreted from adipose tissue, has been implicated to play an important role in the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure. This study investigated protective effect of leptin on trichostatin A-induced apoptotic on in vitro maturation ratio of buffalo oocytes. Ovaries were collected from abattoir and were transported...

The ultrastructural analysis of oocytes and ovarian follicles has been used to evaluate the effects of assisted reproductive techniques, such as cryopreservation or in vitro oocyte maturation. It also benefits the understanding of such complex mechanisms that occur during folliculogenesis. From the beginning of primordial follicles growth until oocyte maturation in preovulatory follicles oocyte...

Background: Cryopreservation of oocytes is an effective technology in assisted reproductive technology. Although successful vitrification of gametes has been reported in several mammalian species, the survival is generally low. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on preantral follicle development after vitrifi...

Fatty acid oxidation is an important energy source for the oocyte; however, little is known about how this metabolic pathway is regulated in cumulus-oocyte complexes. Analysis of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation showed that many are regulated by the luteinizing hormone surge during in vivo maturation, including acyl-CoA synthetases, carnitine transporters, acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and acet...