Spontaneous in vitro maturation and artificial activation of human germinal vesicle oocytes recovered from stimulated cycles.
OBJECTIVE
To define germinal vesicles (GV) by morphometric and morphologic examination and by chromatin compaction and to assess their spontaneous nuclear and cytoplasmic competence.


METHODS
131 GV were cultured for 42.7 ± 2.4 h. Nuclear maturation was evaluated at four time points. Sixty-seven in vitro and twenty-five in vivo metaphase II (MII) were activated. Parthenotes with 2 PB and one pronucleus (NA) were studied for ploidy.


RESULTS
A total of 74.8% GV matured to MII: 55% at 21.4 ± 2.4 h and 47.3% in the following 24 h. Artificial activation induced NA in 79.2% of in vivo-MII and in 22.4% of in vitro-MII. All NA were haploid.


CONCLUSIONS
GV spontaneously mature at the nuclear level. Their NA are haploid, but their cytoplasmic competence is compromised. Variables were not found to be predictors of oocyte competence, probably due to our population being homogeneous with respect to most of the variables studied.
Universitary Institute IVI Valencia, Valencia, Spain.
Laura
L
Escrich
Noelia
N
Grau
Amparo
A
Mercader
Carmen
C
Rubio
Antonio
A
Pellicer
María-José
MJ
Escribá
D000328:Adult; D000001:Calcimycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects; D002843:Chromatin / Q000235:genetics; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology; D007621:Karyotyping; D008540:Meiosis / Q000187:drug effects; D008677:Metaphase / Q000187:drug effects; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011691:Puromycin / Q000494:pharmacology
D002843:Chromatin; D007476:Ionophores; D000001:Calcimycin; D011691:Puromycin