ULTRA- STRUCTURE, TRANSCRIPTIONAL PROFILE AND EMBRYONIC DEVELOPMENT OF EGYPTIAN BUFFALO OOCYTES MATURED IN VITRO UNDER OXIDATIVE STRESS

Abstract

The aims of this study were to: 1- Monitor the cellular and molecular changes of buffalo cumulus-oocytes complexes (COCs) cultured under oxidative stress (Oxygen level 5% and 20%) when selected based on BCB staining, 2- Evaluate developmental competence after maturation by in vitro fertilization and early embryonic development up to the blastocyst stage. This study was designed into two subsequent experiments. In the first one, good quality immature COCs (n= 1627) were distributed into three groups that were divided into two sub-groups according to level of oxygen tension as follows: Control (C5% and C20%); BCB+ (BCB+5% and BCB+20% ) and BCB- (BCB-5% and BCB- 20%). Different parameters were evaluated on oocytes following IVM under these two conditions. In the second experiment, COCs (n=1045) as mentioned in the first experiment (Control, BCB+ and BCB ) groups were in vitro fertilized and cultured to monitor embryonic development.