Effect of follicle-stimulating hormone on Bligon goat oocyte maturation and embryonic development post in vitro fertilization

Background and Aim: Bligon goat is a crossbreed between Etawah and Kacang goat. This crossbreed goat is mostly reared by small farmers. In vitro maturation allows female goat (does) contributes toward reproduction despite the fact that the animal has been slaughtered. The aim of this study was to determine the in vitro maturation rate of Bligon goat oocytes supplemented with follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and their ability for further embryonic development after in vitro fertilization. Materials and Methods: Experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Animal Physiology and Reproduction, Faculty of Animal Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta, using Bligon goat ovaries obtained from local slaughterhouse around Yogyakarta. One thousand five hundred cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured for 24 h in tissue culture medium 199 supplemented with 50 IU/L FSH or without FSH (control). First, matured oocytes were evaluated its morphology based on the expansion of cumulus cells and PB1 extrusion. Next, 600 oocytes were then stained with 1% aceto-orcein to examine maturation based on changes in the configuration of chromosomes and nuclear membrane breakdown. Oocytes were considered mature when they reached metaphase II. To prove the ability of mature oocytes to develop into embryos, 900 oocytes were processed for fertilization in vitro. The data were analyzed using analysis of variance. Results: The results indicated that FSH supplementation significantly increased oocyte maturation rate (65.21 +/- 7.26 vs. 43.25 +/- 6.23%) as indicated by extrusion of PB1 and homologous chromosome pairing and lined in the equator. The rate of degeneration was lower in the FSH-supplemented medium (3.21 +/- 0.25 vs. 10.17 +/- 3.15%). The blastocyst stage of oocyte developed embryos was reached by 12.43 +/- 2.15% and 22.28 +/- 4.86% of the control and treatment groups, respectively. Conclusion: FSH supplementation significantly improves oocyte maturation and yields mature oocytes for future embryo development in vitro.