Refining insulin concentrations in culture medium containing growth factors BMP15 and GDF9: An in vitro study of the effects on follicle development of goats

- Low insulin increased the number of normal and secondary follicles than High insulin.
- BMP15 and/or GDF9 with high insulin enhanced the number of normal follicles.
- The addition of BMP15 and/or GDF9 in low insulin is unnecessary to in vitro culture.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of two insulin concentrations (10 ng/mL and 10 μg/mL) combined or in the absence of BMP15 and/or GDF9, on the in vitro survival and development of preantral follicles of goat ovarian tissue. Ovarian slices from the same goat ovary pair were randomly assigned to a non-cultured control treatment or to be in vitro cultured for 1 or 7 days in α-MEM containing 10 ng/mL (Low) or 10 μg/mL (High) of insulin in the absence or presence of BMP15 and/or GDF9. With the low insulin treatment, there was a greater percentage of normal follicles than with the high insulin treatment. The addition of BMP15 alone or in association with GDF9 to the medium containing low insulin resulted in a lesser percentage of normal follicles (P < 0.05). The addition of BMP15 and GDF9 separately or in combination with the high insulin concentration enhanced the percentage of normal follicles. On day 7 of culture, the use of medium containing low insulin alone or high insulin supplemented with BMP15 and BMP15 + GDF9 resulted in a greater percentage of secondary follicles than the non-cultured control, although follicles cultured with low insulin were smaller than those from the control group and had greater rates of oxidative stress. In conclusion, in the presence of physiological concentrations of insulin (10 ng/mL), medium supplementation with GDF9 and BMP15 alone or in combination is unnecessary for normal follicle development in vitro.