title: Developmental potential of sheep oocytes cultured in different maturation media: effects of epidermal growth factor, insulin-like growth factor I, and cysteamine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), and cysteamine (Cys) in defined maturation medium (DMM: basic culture medium + polyvinyl alcohol), semidefined maturation medium (SDMM: basic culture medium + bovine serum albumin), and undefined maturation medium (UDMM: basic culture medium + fetal bovine serum) on the cleavage rates and developmental capacity of sheep oocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective experimental study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Department of Animal Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ovine oocytes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oocytes were treated in culture with growth factors and antioxidant-supplemented media to examine effects on embryo development.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cleavage and embryo development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The addition of Cys to DMM supplemented with EGF and IGF-I improved the mean blastocyst formation compared medium without Cys. The combination of EGF + IGF-I + and Cys in UDMM resulted in a higher proportion of cleavage and greater morula and blastocyst yields than DMM + EGF + IGF-I + Cys or SDMM + EGF + IGF-I + Cys.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Undefined maturation medium supplemented with EGF, IGF-I, and Cys resulted in a higher proportion of cleavage and greater morula and blastocyst yields than DMM and SDMM supplemented with growth factors and antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: IVF Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, Razi University, Kermanshah, Iran. hkaramishabankareh@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hamed Karami
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Shabankareh
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zandi