FSH controlled releasing on the maturation of oocytes and its effects to bovine embryo in vitro production

• Grant number: 12/24423-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2013
• End date: December 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Veterinary Medicine - Animal Reproduction
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Fábio Gouveia Nogueira
• Grantee: Tulio Gustavo Biazotto Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências e Letras (FCL-ASSIS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Assis. Assis , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Livestock has a great impact on the Brazilian economy. This fact becomes evident after looking at the fact that the country has the second-largest bovine cattle population in the world. To assure the highest possible productivity, the animals have to be selected genetically by the producers, this happens through different kinds of reproduction biotechniques. Because of this, in vitro production (IVP) of embryos emerges as an important tool to overcome the economic limitations that natural reproduction imposes. One of the most important steps of the IVP for the quality and quantity of viable embryos is the in vitro maturation (IVM), due to the low yield of IVP caused by the big differences between IVM and natural maturation of oocytes. One of those differences is that the in vitro procedure exposes the oocytes to a static and usually high concentration of gonadotropins, particularly the follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). The aim of this research project is to utilize biocompatible nanosystems to make a controlled release of the FSH, and thus, improve the IVM´s yield of IVP in order to reach normal physiologically found conditions.(AU)