title: Vitrification of bovine oocytes: implications of follicular size and sire on the rates of embryonic development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objectives were to test how the source of oocytes and semen impacted vitrification of large numbers of bovine oocytes and subsequent IVF and early embryo development to test procedures that may assist with assisted reproductive technologies in humans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bovine oocytes were vitrified from follicles of different diameters, small (< or =4 mm) and medium (4 to 10 mm), using nylon mesh. Oocytes were exposed to the cryoprotectant composed of 40% (v/v) ethylene glycol, 18% (w/v) Ficoll-70, and 0.3 M sucrose in three stepwise dilutions. Thawing was conducted with a series of 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 M sucrose dilutions in 20% fetal bovine serum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cleavage (39.1% vs. 58.5%) and blastocyst rates (5.1% vs. 22.9%) were significantly lower for the vitrified oocytes. Follicle size had a significant impact on the development of embryos. Sires had significant effects on embryonic developmental rates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that differences in development exist due to follicle source and sire used for IVF after vitrification.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dairy Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0315, USA.
authors.forename: Vahida M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Anchamparuthy
authors.forename: Arindam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dhali
authors.forename: Whitney M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Lott
authors.forename: Ronald E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Pearson
authors.forename: Francis C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Gwazdauskas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents