College of Veterinary Science Assam Agricultural University, Khanapara, Guwahati-781 022, India.
Medium (>3 to 5 mm dia) and large (>5mm dia) follicles were dissected out from abattoir ovaries obtained from Assam local goats soon after slaughter. Oocytes were recovered by rupturing the follicles of the ovary under steriozoom microscope in aseptic condition. A total of 256 oocytes enclosed by one or more complete layers of cumulus cells were subjected to in vitro maturation at 37°C for 28 to 40 hours under humidified Co2 atmosphere in sterilized Dulbecco's phosphate buffer saline (DPBS) medium containing 1% or 3% bovine serum albumin (BSA) with or without granulosa cells. The occurrence of metaphase I (M I) and metaphase II (M II) in oocytes between 28 and 40 hours of incubation in the medium did not differ significantly when cultured in vitro with 1% or 3% BSA and with or without granulosa cells. The difference in the occurrence of M I and M II in oocytes was not significant between 1% and 3% BSA when incubated in vitro with or without granulosa cells for 28 or 40 hours. The incidence of M I in oocytes incubated in vitro for 28 or 40 hours with 1% or 3% BSA was significantly (P<0.05) higher in DPBS with granulosa cells than in that without granulosa cells. Addition of granulosa cells resulted in maturation of a proportion of oocytes to M II.
