Effects of Addition of Pyruvate, Lactate, Calcium, and Protein Sources on the Development of Bovine IVF Embryos

To produce blastocysts more efficiently, it is required to identity accurately the factors involving embryonic cleavage in the chemically defined medium. Effects of pyruvate, lactate, calcium and protein sources on early cleavage of bovine follicular oocytes were investigated. The percentage of IVF embryos cleaved to ${\geq}$ 2-cell or ${\geq}$ 8-cell was higher in pyruvate (+) and lactate (+) (48 or 14%) than in pyruvate (-) and lactate (-) (22% or 4%), than in pyruvate (+) and lactate (-) (28% or 5%) and than in pyruvate (-) and lactate (+) (40% or 10%). Lactate was more effective than pyruvate during early cleavage of bovine embryos in the chemically defined medium. The percentage of IVF embryo cleaved to ${\geq}$ 2-cell and ${\geq}$ 8-cell in calcium (-) (19 and 6%) was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than in calcium (+) (78 and 45%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 2-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (57, 57 and 57%). Also the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 2-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (40, 35 and 28%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 8-cell showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1 and 20% FBS (33, 23, and 22%). However, the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ 8-cell in BSA (24%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in 1 and 20% FBS (13 and 8%). The percentage of embryos developed to ${\geq}$ morula showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1, 10 and 20% FBS (76, 76, 80 and 68%). The percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ morula in 10% FBS (59%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than 20% FBS (43%). The percentage of embryos developed to blastocyst showed no significant (p < 0.05) difference among BSA, 1, 10 and 20% FBS (34, 41, 43 and 32%). However, the percentage of A grade embryos developed to ${\geq}$ blastocysts in 10% FBS (25%) was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than in 20% FBS (8%).