Activation and parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes exposed to ultrasound in media containing different concentrations of Ca2+

Abstract

The present study was carried out to examine the activation and parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes after exposure to ultrasound in sorbitol media supplemented with different concentrations of Ca2+. The activation rates (68.8-75.6%) of oocytes exposed to ultrasound in media containing 0.1-1.0 mM Ca2+ were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those (54.3-58.3%) of oocytes exposed to ultrasound in media containing 0-0.05 mM Ca2+. When oocytes were exposed to ultrasound in media containing 0.1-0.5 mM Ca2+, the blastocyst formation rates (20.5-21.3%) were significantly (P<0.05) higher than those (3.3-6.0%) of oocytes exposed to ultrasound in media containing 0, 0.05 or 1.0 mM Ca2+. The results of the present study showed that the concentration of Ca2+ in the medium used for exposure to ultrasound affects the activation and parthenogenetic development of pig oocytes and showed that the optimal Ca2+ concentration is 0.1-0.5 mM.