Developmental competence and post-thaw survivability of buffalo embryos produced in vitro: effect of growth factors in oocyte maturation medium and of embryo culture system

The present study was conducted to examine the effects of supplementation to IVM medium of epidermal growth factor (EGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) along with pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMSG) on oocyte maturation and cleavage of buffalo embryos (experiment 1). The developmental competence of cleaved embryos cultured in either a complex co-culture system (TCM-199+10% serum+oviduct cell monolayer) or defined media (a) modified form of synthetic oviductal fluid (mSOF) was evaluated (experiment 2). The post-thaw morphology and survivability of frozen blastocysts developed from embryos cultured either in complex or defined medium was compared (experiment 3). Aspirated oocytes were cultured in maturation medium (TCM-199+PMSG (40 IU/ml—control)) supplemented with EGF (20 ng/ml), FGF (20 ng/ml) and VIP (20 ng/ml), either alone or in combination, in a CO 2 incubator at 38.5 °C for 24 h. Maturation rate was assessed and oocytes were inseminated in vitro with frozen–thawed sperm processed in Brackett and Oliphant (BO) medium. The cleaved embryos were cultured either in complex co-culture system or mSOF. Results suggested that EGF had more beneficial effect on buffalo oocyte maturation, and embryo cleavage than FGF. Addition of VIP to the oocyte maturation medium did not improve the results. Blastocyst yields from buffalo oocytes were significantly higher in a complex co-culture system than in defined media (mSOF) when oocytes were matured in presence of EGF either alone or in combination with FGF and VIP. The mean percent of morphologically normal blastocysts after thawing and their survivability were significantly higher in blastocysts obtained from embryos cultured in mSOF than those cultured in complex co-culture system.