The acquisition of equine oocyte developmental capacity is ensured by the follicular environment, such as granulosa cells, which could reflect the meiotic development potential of immature oocytes. This study evaluated the relationship between DNA fragmentation of granulosa cells, using the chromatin dispersion test, and equine oocyte meiotic development after in vitro maturation. Granulosa cells and cumulus-oocytes complexes (n = 50) were recovered from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries. Oocytes were in vitro matured, stained and evaluated under fluorescence microscopy. Maturation rates were classified into outstanding, medium and poor levels of maturation using 25th and 75th percentiles as thresholds. For DNA assessment, each sample was processed with the Ovoselect® kit (Halotech DNA). High, low and total DNA fragmentation percentages were compared among levels of maturation rates by ANOVA, followed by Duncan test. Results were expressed as mean ± SE. Total and high DNA fragmentation rates of granulosa cells were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in follicles whose oocytes had reached outstanding maturation level than those originating from follicles whose oocytes had reached poor maturation level. In conclusion, the DNA fragmentation analysis of equine granulosa cells can be a valuable test to identify equine oocytes showing the best meiotic competence after in vitro maturation.
Keywords: granulosa cells; mare; meiotic competence; oocyte; sperm chromatin dispersion.
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