Mammalian oocytes are arrested at the diplotene stage of the first meiotic division. Release of oocytes from their follicles induces meiotic resumption characterized by germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), followed by the chromosome formation and metaphase I spindle organization and finally the extrusion the first polar body. Recently it was shown that cellpermeant antioxidants significantly inhibit spontaneous resumption of meiosis in mouse oocytes, which may indicate a role of oxygen radicals in oocyte maturation. The regulation of mouse oocyte meiosis resumption is different from that of large domestic animals in that GVBD is independent of Ca2+ and protein synthesis. The present study investigated the influence of two cell-permeant antioxidants, 2(3)-ter-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole (BHA) and nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), on porcine oocyte meiosis resumption, chromatin behavior and spindle assembly. Our findings revealed a different role of antioxidants in porcine oocyte meiosis resumption than in mouse oocyte maturation.