Aim: Several factors had been concerned with the developmental competence of the sheep oocyte. This study aims to investigate the effect of adding growth factors (insulin-like growth factor 1 [IGF-1] and epidermal growth factor [EGF]) in the maturation medium of ewe oocytes selected based on brilliant cresyl blue (BCB) screening on in vitro maturation (IVM), fertilization, and pre-implantation embryo development.
Materials and Methods: Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were obtained from the ovaries of slaughtered ewes by either aspiration or slicing techniques. COCs were in vitro matured in a medium containing IGF-1 and EGF (control group). For BCB screening, oocytes were stained and divided into BCB+ oocytes that matured in the same maturation conditions without adding growth factors (Group 2) or in the presence of growth factors (Group 3), and BCB– oocytes that matured in medium without growth factors (Group 4) or with growth factors (Group 5).
Results: The supplementation of the maturation medium with growth factors during IVM of (BCB+) oocytes resulted in a significant increase in nuclear maturation rate (90.9%), fertilization rate (75.6%), and embryo developmental rates (60.0%, 46.7%, and 33.3% for cleavage, morula, and blastocyst, respectively).
Conclusion: Culturing BCB+ oocytes in a maturation medium containing both EGF and IGF-1 showed a significant improvement in nuclear maturation, fertilization, and pre-implantation embryo development in vitro.
Macroscopic and microscopic findings of Rahmani sheep cervical canal were evaluated for designing a trans-cervical catheter. The study was carried out on 160 cervices divided into four groups: (Group A; young follicular, Group B; old follicular, Group C; young luteal and Group D; old luteal). All morphometric parameters of cervical canals of each group including length, average length and the external os diameter and shape were measured and tabulated. Epoxy casts were made to demonstrate the anatomic variations of each group. Data collected were statistically analysed using ANOVA. One hundred and twenty tissue sections from each group were sectioned and stained with Harris haematoxylin and eosin, Masson’s trichrome stain for demonstration of collagen fibres, Alcian blue pH 2.5 for demonstration of acidic mucins and PAS technique for demonstration of neutral mucins. In conclusion, the current study is the first report on the morphometric structure of the cervical canal of native Egyptian Rahmani ewes.
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