Use of pig oocytes for training new professionals in human assisted reproduction laboratories.
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.
Braga
Daniela Paes de Almeida Ferreira
DP
Fertility - Assisted Fertilization Center, São Paulo, Brazil.
Pasqualotto
Fábio Firmbach
FF
Madaschi
Camila
C
Bonetti
Tatiana Carvalho de Souza
TC
Rodrigues
Débora
D
Iaconelli
Assumpto
A
Borges
Edson
E
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