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Antral follicular count and its relationship with ovarian volume, preantral follicle population and survival, oocyte meiotic progression and ultrastructure of in vitro matured bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2020

Gisvani Lopes de Vasconcelos ,
Renata Maculan ,
Ellen Vasconcelos da Cunha ,
Anderson Weiny Barbalho Silva ,
Ana Liza Souza Batista ,
Mariana Aragão Matos Donato ,
Christina Alves Peixoto ,
José Roberto Viana Silva Open the ORCID record for José Roberto Viana Silva [Opens in a new window]  and
José Camisão de Souza
Gisvani Lopes de Vasconcelos
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
Renata Maculan
Affiliation:
Federal Institute South of Minas Gerais, Machado, MG, Brazil
Ellen Vasconcelos da Cunha
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Reproduction – LABIREP, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, CE, Brazil
Anderson Weiny Barbalho Silva
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Reproduction – LABIREP, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, CE, Brazil
Ana Liza Souza Batista
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Reproduction – LABIREP, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, CE, Brazil
Mariana Aragão Matos Donato
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ultrastructure, CNPqAM/FIOCRUZ, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
Christina Alves Peixoto
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Ultrastructure, CNPqAM/FIOCRUZ, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil
José Roberto Viana Silva
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Biotechnology and Physiology of Reproduction – LABIREP, Federal University of Ceará, Sobral, CE, Brazil
José Camisão de Souza*
Affiliation:
Animal Science Department, Federal University of Lavras, Lavras, MG, Brazil
*
Author for correspondence: JC Souza. Federal University of Lavras, Aquenta Sol, Caixa Postal 3037, CEP 37200-900, Lavras, MG, Brazil. Tel: +55 35 3829.1122/1502. E-mail: [email protected]
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Summary

This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between antral follicular count (AFC) and ovarian volume (OV), preantral follicular population and survival, meiotic progression and ultrastructure of cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) after in vitro maturation. In experiment 1, the relationship between AFC and preantral follicle population and survival was evaluated by classical histology. In experiment 2, the relationship among AFC, OV, ability of oocytes to resume meiosis and ultrastructure of in vitro matured bovine COCs was studied. A positive correlation (P < 0.05) between AFC and the numbers of healthy primordial, degenerate and total follicles was observed, as well as with healthy secondary follicles and total follicles. The numbers of grades I and II oocytes in ovaries of high AFC class were higher compared with those with intermediate or lower AFC. After in vitro maturation, COCs from ovaries of high AFC had a higher percentage of oocytes in metaphase II compared with those of intermediate and low AFC (P < 0.0001). Ovaries of intermediate AFC had a higher percentage of oocytes in metaphase II compared with ovaries with low AFC (P < 0.0001). The proportion of oocytes in metaphase I, telophase I and anaphase I in COCs from ovaries of intermediate AFC (26.04%) was higher (P < 0.05) compared with that seen in COCs of ovaries with high (8.55%) and low (14.15%) AFC. No differences in the ultrastructure of oocytes were seen. In conclusion, after in vitro maturation, cow ovaries with high AFC have higher numbers of oocytes that reach in metaphase II (MII), but they also have higher numbers of degenerated primordial and primary follicles.

Keywords

CattleIn vitro maturationMorphologyOocyte qualityOvarian follicular reserve
Type
Research Article
Information
Zygote , Volume 28 , Issue 6 , December 2020 , pp. 495 - 503
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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