Sheep Isolated Secondary Follicles Are Able to Produce Metaphase II Oocytes After Vitrification and Long-Term In Vitro Growth.

The vitrification of preantral follicles followed by in vitro growth (IVG) could be valuable to produce fertilizable oocytes. However, the meiotic resumption rates of oocytes cultured from vitrified secondary follicles (SF) have been reported as suboptimal. This study aimed to verify two base media (alpha modification of minimum essential medium, α-MEM, and tissue culture medium 199, TCM199) on vitrified SF regarding different requirements during IVG. Sheep ovarian fragments were divided in six groups: (1) Fresh groups (Control α-MEM and TCM199): SF without vitrification; (2) Follicle-Vitrified (Follicle-Vit α-MEM and TCM199): SF vitrified after isolation; and (3) Tissue-Vitrified (Tissue-Vit α-MEM and TCM199): SF vitrified enclosed in ovarian fragments and, subsequently, isolated. The isolated SF were submitted to IVG for 18 days. Thereafter, the recovered cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) underwent in vitro maturation (IVM) and evaluation of chromatin configuration. Follicular granulosa cells were analyzed for their gene expression of Bax, Bcl2, and Connexins (CX) 37 and 43. COCs from in vivo antral follicles were used as in vivo control. Data were analyzed by analysis of variance, Tukey, and chi-square tests. Differences were considered significant if p-value is <0.05. Follicle-Vit groups had higher (p < 0.05) percentage of antrum formation compared with Tissue-Vit groups. Vitrification did not affect (p > 0.05) oocyte diameter postmaturation. Oocytes from Follicle-Vit in α-MEM reached metaphase II stage after IVM. Gene expression for CX37, CX43, and Bax was lower in Tissue-Vit groups. For Bcl2, the gene expression was the opposite. In conclusion, during IVG for 18 days, maximal oocyte meiotic resumption was not negatively impacted by vitrification and was greatest for isolated SF using α-MEM as a medium.

Accelerated follicle growth during the culture of isolated caprine preantral follicles is detrimental to follicular survival and oocyte meiotic resumption.

This study investigated the effect of androstenedione (A4) alone or in association with different concentrations of bovine recombinant FSH on the IVC of isolated goat preantral follicles. Follicles were mechanically isolated from ovarian tissue and cultured for 18 days in α-minimum essential medium supplemented or not with A4 (10 ng/mL) alone or in association with fixed (A4 + FixFSH: 100 ng/mL) or sequential (A4 + SeqFSH: Day 0, 100 ng/mL; Day 6, 500 ng/mL; Day 12, 1000 ng/mL) concentrations of FSH. After 18 days, the oocytes were recovered for IVM and fluorescence analysis. At Day 18 of culture, only A4 + SeqFSH treatment showed a lower (P < 0.05) rate of intact follicles, survival probability, and meiotic resumption, as well as higher (P < 0.05) percentage of degeneration and/or extrusion after antrum formation. Taken together, these results reported a positive correlation between fast-growing follicles and follicles that degenerated and/or extruded after antrum formation. When compared with control, the addition of A4 alone or in association of FSH did not increase (P > 0.05) the estradiol production or androstenedione levels on Day 6. However, on Day 18, the androstenedione levels were significantly lower in A4 + SeqFSH treatment when compared with A4 alone or to A4 + FixFSH treatments, whereas the estradiol production did not differ (P > 0.05). In summary, this study found that accelerated follicle growth negatively impacted the morphology of caprine preantral follicle cultured in vitro. In addition, the association of androstenedione with increasing concentration of FSH was detrimental to follicular survival and oocyte meiotic resumption.