C. Rosenkranz et A. Holzmann, THE EFFECT OF SPERM PREPARATION ON THE TIMING OF PENETRATION IN BOVINE IN-VITRO FERTILIZATION, Animal reproduction science, 46(1-2), 1997, pp. 47-53
Five hundred and seventy three follicular bovine cumulus oocyte comple
xes were matured in vitro and in vitro fertilization (IVF) carried out
with the native semen of a brown bull, Half the cultures were fertili
zed with transmigrated spermatozoa (TM), the other with sperm suspensi
ons prepared using the swim-up (SU) process, Five, six and seven h aft
er IVF the oocytes were fixed and stained. Using a phase-contrast micr
oscope, both the incidence of penetration and polypenetration and the
stage of development of a pronucleus were determined. With the TM samp
les, five hours after IVF penetration was observed in 39.3 per cent of
the oocytes, whereas with the SU samples the first instances of penet
ration were observed only two hours later (4.2%). By this time a norma
l-looking pronucleus was observed in 16.4 per cent of the oocytes in t
he TM group, Polypenetration was seen only after seven hours of incuba
tion. This study showed that TM spermatozoa penetrate the oocyte earli
er than SU spermatozoa.