Abstract
We investigated the effects of pre-maturational (pre-IVM) culture on the developmental competence of small-sized bovine oocytes (110 and < 115 µm). Oocytes were cultured with 3-isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) for 0, 5, or 10 h and subjected to in vitro maturation, fertilization, and culture. The cleavage rate (73%) of small-sized oocytes with 5 h pre-IVM was higher than those with 0 and 10 h pre-IVM (61 and 62%, respectively). The blastocyst rate (16%) of embryos derived from small-sized oocytes with 5 h pre-IVM was higher than those with 0 and 10 h pre-IVM (9 and 8%, respectively). In addition, small-sized oocytes with 5 h pre-IVM had a higher mean cell number in blastocysts (134.1 ± 34.8) than those with 0 and 10 h pre-IVM (100.2 ± 17.2 and 107.8 ± 23.7, respectively). In conclusion, the pre-IVM of small-sized oocytes with IBMX for 5 h improved the developmental competence of bovine oocytes, as well as the quality of blastocysts.