In-vitro maturation of human germinal vesicle stage oocytes: role of cumulus cells and epidermal growth factor in the culture medium |
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Authors: | Goud PT; Goud AP; Qian C; Laverge H; Van der Elst J; De Sutter P; Dhont M |
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Affiliation: | Infertility Centre, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium. |
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Abstract: | In-vitro maturation (IVM) of oocytes is a promising technique to reduce the
costs and avert the side-effects of gonadotrophin stimulation for in-vitro
fertilization (IVF). The pregnancy rates from oocytes matured in vitro are
much lower than those of in-vivo stimulation cycles indicating that
optimization of IVM remains a challenge. Therefore, we investigated the
effect of supplementation of the medium with gonadotrophins, oestradiol and
epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the effect of retaining or removing the
cumulus cells on nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation of immature oocytes.
Human germinal vesicle (GV) oocytes obtained after gonadotrophin
stimulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) were cultured in a
complex defined medium either supplemented with gonadotrophins, oestradiol
and physiological concentrations of EGF (2 ng/ml) or gonadotrophins and
oestradiol alone. The cumulus cells were either removed or kept intact. In
GV stage oocytes cultured without cumulus (group I) significantly more
oocytes reached the metaphase II (MII) stage at 30 h in media supplemented
with EGF (64.3 versus 33.9%, P < 0.003). For oocytes cultured with
intact cumulus (group II), more oocytes reached MII at 30 h than in group
I, but there was no difference in medium with or without EGF
supplementation (81.8 and 79.8% respectively). Cytoplasmic maturation of
MII oocytes was judged from their capability to activate and fertilize
after ICSI. In group I, the rates of activation and normal fertilization
were similar. However, in group II, significantly more oocytes underwent
normal fertilization in the EGF-supplemented than the unsupplemented group
(71.7 versus 45.6%, P < 0.05). The cleavage rates of the fertilized
oocytes were similar in the sibling oocyte subgroups cultured with or
without EGF supplementation, but the overall cleavage rates were higher in
cumulus-intact compared to cumulus-denuded oocytes (88.9 versus 47.8%, P
< 0.001). Thus, supplementation of the maturation medium with EGF and
maintenance of the cumulus during culture improve the nuclear and
cytoplasmic maturation of human oocytes in vitro.
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