title: Use of pig oocytes for training new professionals in human assisted reproduction laboratories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether swine oocytes are useful for training new technicians in a human reproduction laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graduate school in assisted reproductive techniques (ART) in Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students in a human reproduction laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Medium-sized follicles were aspirated from prepubertal gilts' ovaries and collected at a slaughterhouse. Oocytes were retrieved from the follicular fluid. Twenty-one students trained during four periods of 20 hours each were evaluated as to their ability to perform micromanipulation and were compared with a group of well-trained professionals (control group).
  
  
  METHODS
  Students' ability in oocyte retrieval, oocyte manipulation, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection during and after the 80 hours of training.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Students were able to retrieve, on average, 23.8 oocytes per ovary. Their micromanipulation skills substantially increased, reaching an oocyte retrieval rate of 77.2%, compared with 84.9% in the control group after the training period. Although the oocyte damage rate gradually decreased, from 52.0% after 20 hours of training to 5.4% after 80 hours, these figures were still above the control group oocyte damage rate by 0.3%, which was a statistically significant level. Regarding intracytoplasmic sperm injection, within 40 hours, no students were able to perform a single injection; and by the end of 80 hours, they achieved an average of 4.0 oocytes per hour, whereas the control group injected 20.6 oocytes per hour, a statistically significant difference.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Swine ovaries may be a useful tool in the spectrum of training techniques for unskilled assisted reproductive techniques laboratory professionals.
authors.affiliation: Fertility - Assisted Fertilization Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.forename: Fábio Firmbach
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Pasqualotto
authors.forename: Camila
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Madaschi
authors.forename: Tatiana Carvalho de Souza
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Bonetti
authors.forename: Débora
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Assumpto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iaconelli
authors.forename: Edson
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Borges
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004500:Education, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006281:Health Occupations / Q000193:education*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods*; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012099:Reproductive Techniques; D013336:Students, Health Occupations; D013552:Swine