In vitro fertilization of cat oocytes

The aim of ihc study was to investigate the ability of in vitro matured cat oocytes to be fertilized in vitro and reach to morula and blastocyst stages in vitro. The oocytes collected from spayed stray queens served as the material of ihc study. The ovaries were brought to the laboratory within two hours in PBS solution at 38C. Recovered oocytes were left for maturation in SOF medium (%0,4 IISA+lO^g/ml FSH + ltytg/ml LH added) In an incubator at 38.5°C for 48 hours under gas mixture (5% 0 2 . 5% C 0 3 . 90% N 2 ) and almost 100% humidity. After iVM for 48 h oocytes were co-incubated with frozen-thawed spermatozoa for 20 h. which were capacitated by Swim-Up procedure under the same conditions. After in vitro culture for seven days, oocytes/embryos were then fixed and stained. Developmental status of the oocytes/embryos were evaluated under a phase-contrast microscope at x400 magnification. Totally 106 primer oocytes were used for in vitro maturation. After 24 h in vitm fertilization period. 21 oocytes were cleavaged (19.81%). At the end of culture period. 13 (12.16%) and eight (7.54%) of embryos reached to morula and blastocyst stages respectively. In spite of the low cleavage rate, all of the cleaved embryos have reached the morula blasocyst stage (21/21). As a result of this study, it was observed that transferable embryos could be produced by in vitro maturation, fertilization and culture of cat oocytes in SOF medium.