title: A novel technique for in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes in a liquid marble microbioreactor.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this work was to develop a microbioreactor using liquid marble (LM) as a novel system for oocyte in vitro maturation (IVM) in small volumes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) obtained from slaughterhouse sheep ovaries were in vitro matured in a LM system prepared by placing a drop (30 μl containing 10 COCs) suspended in TCM 199 supplemented with 10 % (v/v) oestrus sheep serum (OSS) and 0.1 IU FSH and LH onto a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) particle bed (LM group). As a control group (CTRL group), COCs were in vitro matured in standard volume and conditions (600 μl of IVM medium in a four-well dish). After 24-h culture at 38.5 °C in 5 % CO2 in air, COCs were released from LM and the following parameters were evaluated: (a) percentage of MII oocytes, (b) oocyte developmental competence following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenetic activation (PA) and embryo culture for 8 days in synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) medium at 38.5 °C in 5 % O2, 5 % CO2, and 90 % N2.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results indicated similar percentage of MII oocytes in LM and CTRL groups (88.0 vs. 92.0 %). No differences were observed in blastocyst rate after IVF (LM 47.5 % vs. CTRL 50.2 %, P=0.637) or PA (LM 44.4 % vs. CTRL 48.3 %, P=0.426).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results indicate that LM microbioreactor is a viable technique that provides a suitable microenvironment to induce oocyte in vitro maturation.
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy. giodi@uniss.it.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Ledda
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Idda
authors: Turretfield Research Centre, South Australian Research and Development Institute, Rosedale, South Australia, 5350, Australia.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Kelly
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors: F
authors: F
authors: Ariu
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Bogliolo
authors: Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari via Vienna 2, 07100, Sassari, Italy.
authors: D
authors: D
authors: Bebbere
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019149:Bioreactors; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D059471:In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000254:growth & development*; D012756:Sheep
keywords: Bioreactor; Embryo development; In vitro maturation; Liquid marble; Oocyte