Although theory and widespread evidence show that the evolution of egg size is driven primarily by offspring and maternal fitness demands, an additional explanation invokes sperm limitation as a selective force that could also influence egg size optima. Levitan proposed that constraints from gamete encounter in external fertilization environments could select for enlargement of ova to increase ...

the study was undertaken to elucidatethe beneficial effects of goat follicular fluid (gff) added to maturation and culture media on in vitro maturation, fertilization and post-fertilization development of oocytes in black bengal goats. follicular fluid and oocytes were collected from slaughter house goat’s ovaries using the aspiration technique. media were prepared using tcm-199 supplemented wi...

in order to do in vitro fertilization (ivf), 435 oocytes were collected from 20 super ovulated nmri female mice, in m2 media with 4% bsa. 85% (n=370) of collected oocytes were in mii phase. epididymal sperms were added to 332 oocytes in t6 media drops with 4% bsa and incubated. fertilization rate was 79.8% (n=265) out of which 27.5% (n=73) grew to morula and 20.8% (n=55) achieved blastocyst sta...

background: there has been an increase in number of obese infertile females booked for advanced infertility treatment procedures like in vitro fertilization (ivf) and intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (icsi). the knowledge of impact of body mass index (bmi) on reproductive outcome can help to counsel these patients. objective: to compare reproductive outcome in females of different bmi after ic...

The aim of the present study was to address the effect of resveratrol-mediated upregulation of sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) during oocyte maturation on mitochondrial function, the developmental ability of oocytes and on mechanisms responsible for blockage of polyspermic fertilization. Oocytes collected from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries were cultured in TCM-199 medium supplemented with 10% FCS and 0 or 2...

Acrosome plays an integral role during fertilization and its absence in individuals with globozoospermia leads to failure of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and oocyte activation post-intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). A variety of processes, organelles and structures are involved in acrosome biogenesis including, trans-Golgi network (TGN), acroplaxome and cellular trafficking. This review a...

Background: While mammalian embryos can adapt to their environments, their sensitivity overshadows their adaptability in suboptimal in vitro conditions. Therefore, the environment in which the gametes are fertilized or to which the embryo is exposed can greatly affect the quality of the embryo and consequently its implantation potential. Objectives:</stro...

A major challenge of assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs) is to mimic the natural environment required to sustain oocyte and embryo survival. Herein, we show that the ceramide-metabolizing enzyme, acid ceramidase (AC), is expressed in human cumulus cells and follicular fluid, essential components of this environment, and that the levels of this enzyme are positively correlated with the qua...

In women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) who have an implantation failure (IF) after repeated embryo transfer, an association with the presence of acquired thrombophilia has been demonstrated, and a thromboprophylaxis seems to be efficacious in improving implantation rate. More recently a role inherited trombophilia has been recognised to have a role in recurrent otherwhise unexplained ...

In vitro fertilisation (IVF) has become a useful breeding tool in most of the developed world. In this paper the success of bovine IVF and the birth of live calves under typical South African conditions is reported. Oocytes for IVF were collected from the ovaries of 6 slaughtered Bovelder beef cows. On average, 36.2 oocytes per donor were retrieved. From these oocytes, 43 blastocysts were produ...