Maturation of pig oocytes in vitro in a medium with pyruvate

The aim of in vitro maturation oocyte systems is to produce oocytes of comparable quality to those derived in vivo. The present study was designed to examine the surface morphological changes of the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) and nuclear maturation in a culture system containing pyruvate. Ovaries were obtained from a slaughterhouse and transported to the laboratory within 2 h at 35-39 degrees C, and rinsed three times in 0.9 % NaCl. The COCs were harvested from the ovaries and in vitro maturation was evaluated in San Marcos (SM) medium, a chemically defined culture system containing 22.3 mM sodium pyruvate. Oocytes were cultured in SM, SM + porcine follicular fluid (pFF) and in SM + pFF + gonadotropins (eCG and hCG) for 20-22 h and then without hormonal supplements for an additional 20-22 h. After culture, the degree of cumulus expansion and frequency of nuclear maturation were determined. Oocytes matured in SM (40.9 %) and SM + pFF (42.9 %) showed moderate cumulus expansion, whereas oocytes matured in SM + pFF + gonadotropins (54.6 %) showed high cumulus expansion. The maturation rate of cultured oocytes, measured in function of the presence of the polar corpuscle, did not differ significantly between SM (40.9 +/- 3.6 %) and SM + pFF (42.9 +/- 3.7 %). These results indicate that pig oocytes can be successfully matured in a chemically defined medium and suggest a possible bifunctional role of pyruvate as an energy substrate and as an antioxidant protecting oocytes against the stress of the in vitro environment.