BACKGROUND Zona pellucida binding assays (ZBAs) have proven useful in determining the fertilising ability of spermatozoa in several species. Most ZBAs use fresh or salt-stored oocytes collected from fresh ovaries but because ovaries are not easy to obtain on a regular basis, chilled and frozen-thawed ovaries have been tested, with varying results. The present study tested the hypothesis that ca...

The oocyte maturation includes nuclear maturation and cytoplasmic maturation before fertilization. Moreover, the oocyte nucleus, the cytoplasm and other cell organelles occur changes, zona pellucida (ZP) synchronously undergoes biochemical and structural modifications in the final maturation phase of oocyte prior to fertilization (ZP maturation). It is reported that ZP modifications, such as gl...

Prior to vitellogenesis (previtellogenesis), androgens appear to play pivotal roles in stimulating oocyte growth. In this study, suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) with subsequent array development was used to open a possible revealing window in understanding the functional aspects of oocyte development. we constructed a targeted cod cDnA array containing 200 differentially-expressed g...

Purpose To identify the factors that characterize cycles with empty zona pellucida (EZP). Methods Thirty-six oocyte retrieval cycles from which EZP were collected and another 36 cycles from which no EZP was collected were compared. The patients were divided into three groups: those with no EZP collected during any cycle, those with EZP collected during all cycles, and those experiencing cycle...

G12 monoclonal antibody (mAb), one of a library of constructed mAb directed against human sperm proteins, was found by immunoperoxidase staining to label the post-acrosomal and neck regions of fixed human cauda epididymal and ejaculated spermatozoa. Epithelium and fluid of caput epididymis were strongly labelled while there was no staining on testis and efferent ducts. Western lot analysis reve...

The mouse cyritestin gene is a member of the ADAM (a disintegrin and metalloprotease) gene family and codes for a membrane-anchored sperm protein. Recently, it was shown that cyritestin is critical for male fertility in the mouse. Spermatozoa of cyritestin-deficient mice are not able to bind to the zona pellucida of the oocyte and therefore unable to fertilize the egg. However, zona-free oocyte...

Background: Heat shock may affect different aspects of oocyte maturation and its subsequent development to the blastocyst stage. A series of in vitro experiments was performed to determine whether physiologically heat shock (41°C) disrupts the progression of the ovine oocytes through meiosis, activation and blastocyst formation. Materials and Methods: The cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) were as...

The development of an effective program that combines in vitro maturation (IVM) and cryopreservation for immature oocytes would represent a novel advance for in vitro fertilization (IVF), especially as a means to preserve the fertility of women in unique situations. The aim of this study was to analyze the ultrastructural characteristics of human oocytes, obtained after controlled ovarian stimu...

BACKGROUND The precise effects of cigarette smoking on female fertility have not yet been clearly defined. We have used a mouse model that mimics human smoking and is able to control for variables that may confound clinical studies to assess the impact of chronic smoking on the quality of mouse oocytes. METHODS Mice received cigarette smoke directly to their lungs for 12 weeks. Lung tissue was ...

During oocyte maturation, capacity and sensitivity of Ca(2+) signaling machinery increases dramatically, preparing the metaphase II (MII)-arrested egg for fertilization. Upon sperm-egg fusion, Ca(2+) release from IP3-sensitive endoplasmic reticulum stores results in cytoplasmic Ca(2+) oscillations that drive egg activation and initiate early embryo development. Premature Ca(2+) release can caus...