EFFECT OF THE QUALITY OF THE CUMULUS-OOCYTE COMPLEX IN THE DOMESTIC CAT ON THE ABILITY OF OOCYTES TO MATURE, FERTILIZE AND DEVELOP INTO BLASTOCYSTS IN-VITRO
Tc. Wood et De. Wildt, EFFECT OF THE QUALITY OF THE CUMULUS-OOCYTE COMPLEX IN THE DOMESTIC CAT ON THE ABILITY OF OOCYTES TO MATURE, FERTILIZE AND DEVELOP INTO BLASTOCYSTS IN-VITRO, Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 110(2), 1997, pp. 355-360
Immature cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were recovered from freshly e
xcised domestic cat ovaries and graded at a magnification of x 40 for
the condition of the cumulus oophorus of the oocyte cytoplasm. Grade I
and II COCs were those with a uniformly dark cytoplasm and a readily
identifiable, eccentrically located germinal vesicle. Grade I COCs had
five or more cumulus oophorus cell layers, whereas grade II complemen
ts had less than five cell layers. Grade III and IV COCs were those un
dergoing progressive stages of oocyte cytoplasmic deterioration indica
ted by transparency or mosaic fragmentation and partial-to-complete lo
ss of cumulus oophorus cells. In Expt 1,699 oocytes were cultured for
maturation and fertilization in vitro. More (P < 0.05) oocytes from gr
ade I COCs matured (59.3%) and fertilized (29.7%) than from all other
grades. Maturation and fertilization success did not differ (P > 0.05)
for grade II (32.4, 11.6%, respectively) and grade III (21.9, 5.1%) o
ocytes, but these values were superior (P< 0.05) to those of grade IV
(5.1, 1.4%). In Expt 2, 1040 COCs were graded, cultured for maturation
and then inseminated. Of grade I oocytes, 24.4% developed into blasto
cysts compared with only 5.3% of grade II oocytes (P < 0.05). In gener
al, oocytes from grade III and IV COCs were incapable of: cleaving or
growing in vitro. Of the 1739 COCs collected for both experiments, 12.
3% met grade I criteria, the only category that provided consistent ma
turation, fertilization and development to blastocyst stage in vitro.
In summary, a highly heterogeneous population of cumulus-oocyte comple
xes can be separated in the cat on the basis of grossly apparent morph
ological characteristics that, in turn, reflect functional differences
in the ability of oocytes to mature, fertilize and develop in vitro.