Parthenogenetic activation and subsequent development of rat oocytes in vitro

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Abstract
Studies were undertaken to determine whether electrical stimulation, or ethanol treatment alone or in combination with 6‐dimethylaminopurine (6‐DMAP) influenced the rate of parthenogenetic activation of rat oocytes. The percentages of activated oocytes with pronuclei (89–91%) and those developed to the two‐cell stage (68–72%) were significantly higher after electrical stimulation with direct current (DC) at 100 V/mm, 99 μsec once or twice, than when other DC voltages (75, 150, and 200) were applied or when ethanol or 6‐DMAP treatment was given alone. However, none of the activated oocytes developed beyond the four‐cell stage. The percentages of activated oocytes with pronuclei (100%) that developed to the two‐cell (100%), eight‐cell (89%) and blastocyst stages (50%) were significantly higher when electrical stimulation was followed by treatment with 2 mM 6‐DMAP for 4 hr than when other combined procedures were applied. In conclusion, the results of the present study clearly showed that combined treatment of electrical stimulation or ethanol with 6‐DMAP induces parthenogenetic activation and subsequent development of rat oocytes in vitro. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 61: 120–125, 2002.