Polyspermic fertilisation of porcine oocytes in vitro - a current review

Abstract

Polyspermic fertilisation has been a continual problem in porcine in vitro fertilisation. Over the years, researchers have tried to resolve this persistent problem, but have not been entirely successful in their endeavour. This can be attributed to several factors. This review discusses the role of sperm capacitation in the in vitro fertilisation and the most recent studies on the capacitation media. This includes the results obtained by testing the effect of various compounds on sperm capacitation. Additionally, the importance of the oviductal fluid on the porcine oocytes prior to fertilisation is also discussed. This is of significance, as the experiments show that oviductal fluid is crucial for the pre-fertilisation zona pellucida hardening. Also, the significance of using high quality oocytes for the in vitro fertilisation is highlighted. Lastly, the different and latest techniques to prevent or reduce polyspermic fertilisation have been reviewed.

Keywords

• oviductal fluid
• capacitation media
• zona pellucida
• hardening
• oocyte maturation
• supplementary hormones