The effect of mesenchymal stem cells as co-culture in in vitro nuclear maturation of ovine oocytes

This study compared the effects of ovine mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and ovine oviductal epithelial cells (OECs) as feeder cells in cell free culture systems (HEPES-modified tissue culture medium, TCM199) supplemented with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or fetal calf serum (FCS) on in vitro oocyte maturation and subsequent embryo development (IVM/IVC). Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were harvested from ovine ovaries and subjected to IVM in the above-mentioned culture media. After culture for 24 h, nuclear maturation of the oocytes was evaluated by 4, 6-diamino-2-phenylindole (DAPI) staining. After fertilization the presumptive zygotes were cultured under identical culture conditions and embryo development was evaluated. The percentage of oocytes at nuclear maturation (metaphase II) cultured in the MSC group was higher than for the IVM medium + PVA group (P