Abstract
The present study was carried out to examine effects of storage conditions of bovine ovaries and/or oocytes on the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and subsequent in vitroculture (IVC) of the zygotes. Ovaries obtained from a slaughter house were stored in Ringer solution at 39C (group 1), 20C (group 2), or 4C (group 3). In another group, immature oocytes were isolated from ovaries and stored in TCM-199 medium at 39C (group 4). The entire collection procedures of the ovaries took approximately 3 h at the slaughter house from the time of slaughter. The ovaries and/or the oocytes were stored under the conditions described above for 5 h before the experiment. In the control group, oocytes were isolated from the ovaries and cultured immediately to induce maturation. Following IVF and IVC, none of the zygotes developed to morula stage in group 1 and 3. In group 2, some zygotes developed to morula or blastocyst stage (11%, 7% respectively), but the rates were significantly lower than in the control group (32%, 15%). Group 4 gave high success rates (38%, 13%) similar to those attained in the control gorup.
