Production of buffalo embryos using oocytes from in vitro grown preantral follicles.
The present study examines the use of buffalo preantral follicles as a source of oocytes for in vitro embryo production. Preantral follicles were isolated from abattoir-derived buffalo ovaries and were grown for 100 days in five different culture systems: (1) minimum essential medium (MEM); (2) coconut water; (3) MEM + ovarian mesenchymal cell (OMC) co-culture; (4) MEM + granulosa cell (GC) co-culture; or (5) MEM + cumulus cell (CC) co-culture. Low growth rates for the preantral follicles were observed when follicles were cultured in MEM or coconut water medium. Moderate growth rates were seen for OMC and GC co-cultures, and high rates of growth were observed when follicles were grown in CC co-culture. The survival of preantral follicles was low in the MEM culture (<25%), but was over 75% in the other culture systems. Oocytes were not recovered from the MEM group, while an oocyte recovery rate of 80-100% was observed when the follicles were cultured with coconut water/somatic cells. Transferable embryos could be produced only with the oocytes obtained from preantral follicles grown in the OMC and CC co-culture systems. This study demonstrates, for the first time, that it is possible to produce buffalo embryos by in vitro fertilization of oocytes derived from in vitro grown preantral follicles.
Gupta
P S P
PS
National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology, Adugodi, Bangalore-560 030, India. pspgupta2001@yahoo.co.in
Ramesh
H S
HS
Manjunatha
B M
BM
Nandi
S
S
Ravindra
J P
JP
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002020:Buffaloes / Q000196:embryology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000662:veterinary*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000166:cytology; D009865:Oocytes / Q000254:growth & development*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology
D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone