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Updated: Oct 17, 2025
Vitrification of In Vitro Matured Oocytes Collected from Adult and Prepubertal Ovaries in Sheep
Published on: July 10, 2021
Improved developmental potential of mouse vitrified-warmed oocytes achieved by culturing in recovery medium with
Yoshihisa Harada1, Masayuki Kinutani1, Toshitaka Horiuchi2,3
1Kinutani Women's Clinic Hiroshima Japan.
Purpose:
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutathione ethyl ester (GSH-OEt) in the recovery medium on the developmental competence of mouse vitrified-warmed MII oocytes.
Methods:
Vitrified-warmed oocytes were incubated for 1 h in recovery medium in the presence or absence of 0.5 mM GSH-OEt. The authors examined the effects of GSH-OEt, first on the levels of glutathione (GSH) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in vitrified-warmed oocytes, and second, on in vitro blastocyst development, division speed to blastocysts, and total cell numbers of blastocysts from vitrified-warmed oocytes fertilized by Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).
Results:
Adding GSH-OEt to the recovery medium significantly (p < 0.05) increased GSH content and decreased ROS levels in vitrified-warmed oocytes. The blastocyst rate did not differ significantly between the two groups, but the speed of development to blastocysts in the GSH-OEt (+) group was significantly more rapid. In addition, the total blastocyst cell number was significantly higher in the GSH-OEt (+) group than in the GSH-OEt (-) group (92.8 ± 5.1 vs. 71.4 ± 3.5, p < 0.01).
Conclusion:
Adding GSH-OEt to the recovery medium of vitrified-warmed mouse oocytes enhances the development potential of oocytes and improves the quality of blastocysts.
