OVARIAN SUPERSTIMULATION, OPU AND OVOCYTE QUALITY IN MURCIANO-LEVANTINA BREED COWS
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of ovarian stimulation using a single dose of recombinant bovine follicle-stimulating hormone (rbFSH) and to determine the quality of the oocytes obtained through OPU (Ovum Pick-Up) in Murciano-Levantina (M-L) cows, with a view to contributing to the recovery of the breed.
Two M-L donor cows, named Madroña and Unicornio, were subjected to an ovarian superstimulation protocol with a single dose of rbFSH during four OPU sessions per animal. The recovered oocytes were quantitatively analysed and classified according to their quality, into grades I to IV and degenerated. Only viable oocytes classified as grades I-III were matured in vitro and vitrified.
A total of 104 oocytes were obtained, 45 from Madroña (43.27%) and 59 from Unicornio (56.73%), of which 56 were found to be viable (53.85%). The presence of oocytes that had been matured in vivo was observed in the 2nd and 3rd sessions in both females. This observation prompted a final OPU session that was not stimulated, which yielded results that were like the results of the previous sessions. Finally, 65 oocytes (62.50%) from both cows were vitrified.
As the oocyte quality results for these same animals after hormonal stimulation with four doses of porcine FSH (pFSH, Pluset®) were available (Metony et al., 2025), a comparative statistical study was carried out with our results.
The study concludes that the use of a single dose of rbFSH is a viable alternative for oocyte recovery in M-L breed cows. The ovarian response obtained was comparable, in terms of the quality and quantity of viable oocytes, to that observed in previous studies with pFSH. This approach signifies a substantial advancement, not only in terms of reproductive efficiency, but also in enhancing animal welfare by minimising the number of manipulations and the associated stress.
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