Effect of follicle diameter on oocyte apoptosis, embryo development and chromosomal ploidy in prepubertal goats

The aim of this study was to assess the following parameters in prepubertal goat oocytes of different follicle diameter (≥3 mm, <3 mm, control): oocyte diameter, early (Annexin-V) and late (TUNEL) apoptosis, embryo development and chromosomal ploidy of these blastocysts using Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (FISH). Before in vitro maturation, oocytes were measured and stained with Annexin-V or TUNEL. The rest of the oocytes were matured, fertilized, and cultured in vitro for 8 days. Oocytes from follicles of ≥3 mm showed greater mean oocyte diameter (128.27 ± 7.20 μm vs. 125.35 ± 7.59 μm), higher percentages of TUNEL positive (42.86 vs. 24.23%), higher cleavage (47.85 ± 3.98 vs. 23.07 ± 2.44 %) and blastocyst rates (19.77 ± 3.04 vs. 4.11 ± 1.10 %) than oocytes from follicles of <3 mm.. Blastocyst mean cell numbers did not show differences between follicular groups (123.83 ± 49.62 vs. 104.29 ± 36.09 for follicles of ≥3 mm and <3 mm, respectively). A total of 54 blastocysts with 7084 nuclei were hybridized with specific probes to chromosomes X and Y. Ninety-eight percent (98%) of the embryos presented at least one cell carrying an abnormal number of chromosomes, but 78% of them presented less than 25% of chromosomal abnormal cells. No differences in the percentage of blastocysts with abnormal ploidy were found in embryos produced from oocytes of different follicle diameter.