Veterinary Science in Catalonia: 1996-2002

La investigació de la veterinària a Catalunya pot considerar-se una activitat relativament recent perquè els principals organismes públics que s'hi dediquen s'han creat en les últimes dècades. L'any1982 es va crear la Facultat de Veterinària de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), el 1983 l'especialitat de zootècnia a l'Escola d'Enginyers Agrònoms de la Universitat de Lleida (UdL) i el 1985 l'Institut de Recerca i Tecnologia Agroalimentàries (IRTA). Actualment, el concepte de ciències veterinàries comprèn, a més de la medicina i la sanitat dels animals, temàtiques més relacionades amb la importància econòmica dels animals i amb la qualitat i higiene dels aliments d'origen animal. L'informe s'ha realitzat classificant la veterinària en les diferents àrees temàtiques que la componen: «Sanitat animal», «Anatomia animal», «Medicina i cirurgia animal», «Producció animal », «Nutrició i bromatologia animal», «Farmacologia i fisiologia animal». La majoria d'aquestes àrees temàtiques s'aborden pels departaments que pertanyen a la Facultat de Veterinària de la UAB. L'àrea «Producció animal», per la importància econòmica d'aquesta activitat a Catalunya, és la temàtica a què es dediquen els organismes públics més grans (UAB, IRTA, UdL). Des de l'any 2000 hi ha en funcionament el Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), organisme autònom constituït per la UAB i l'IRTA. La metodologia que s'ha utilitzat per a la realització d'aquesta memòria s'ha basat majoritàriament en l'anàlisi de les dades aportades pels diferents organismes. Com que aquest informe aplega un nombre reduït d'organismes públics i un nombre reduït de persones, les dades s'han analitzat i classificat molt detalladament. Tots els indicadors de la recerca analitzats s'han desglossat per àrees temàtiques i per organismes involucrats. Finalment, sobre cada indicador es fa una anàlisi global per a totes les àrees i els organismes i es compara amb els resultats obtinguts en l'informe anterior, que comprenia els anys 1990-1995. Els indicadors analitzats, que han estat els recomanats per l'Institut d'Estudis Catalans (IEC), són els següents: a) el sistema de recerca. En aquest apartat es fa referènciaa les institucions públiques, els centres, els departaments i les unitats que desenvolupen la recerca veterinària a Catalunya; b) les línies de recerca. S'hi descriuen els diferents temes de recerca que es desenvolupen en les diferents àrees i organismes. S'hi han especificat els temes de recerca i els grups que la Direcció General de Recerca (DGR) considera com a grups de recerca consolidats. També en aquest apartat es fa una descripció dels serveis de recerca creats per les universitats i els centres d'investigació per donar suport a la recerca demanada tant pel sector privat com pel públic; c) recursos humans. El personal dedicat a la recerca es desglossa per a cada àrea i organisme i es classifica en investigador de plantilla, investigador contractat, personal tècnic de plantilla, personal tècnic contractat i becaris. Les noves figures d'investigadors dels programes Ramón y Cajal i ICREA s'especifiquen per a cada tema. Finalment es presenta un organigrama amb el total de personal en les diferents categories l'any 2002, del qual podem deduir que el 35 % són investigadors de plantilla; el 17 %, investigadors contractats; el 27 %, tècnics, i el 21 %,becaris. En relació amb el període 1990-1995, no s'observa una variació significativa del nombre d'investigadors i tècnics, noméses produeix un increment en el nombre de becaris; d) finançament de la recerca. El finançament de la recerca s'ha classificat en projectes competitius o projectes sotmesos a avaluació científica i projectes no competitius o convenis. Entre els projectes competitius s'ha desglossat el finançament segons si prové de programes europeus, estatals o de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Dins els convenis s'especifica si han estat encarregats pel sector privat o per institucions públiques. Sobre aquest apartat podem concloure que, per a totes les àrees i per a tots els organismes, la principal font de finançament és el sector privat, la qual cosa indica la forta projecció de la recerca veterinària en els diversos sectors productius. Pel que fa als proyectes competitius, el finançament més important ha estat el que prové de l'Estat. Si ho comparem amb el període 1990-1995, veiem que el finançament per a projectes competitius en el període anterior va ser d'1,4 milions d'euros, i que en el període actual aquesta quantitat ha ascendit fins a 6,97 milions. El finançament per convenis en el període anterior va ser d'1,63 milions d'euros, i en el període actual ha ascendit a 13,11 milions, 9 dels quals van ser finançats pel sector privat; e) producció científica. En aquest apartat s'han considerat exclusivament els resultats de recerca publicats en revistes científiques, llibres, informes i tesis. Els resultats obtinguts sobre transferència de tecnologia, serveis de recerca i altres resultats obtinguts per mitjà de convenis no s'hi han incorporat, tot i que som conscients que tenen una gran importància. L'evolució que han experimentat totes les àrees i els organismes ens assenyala el creixent interès per la divulgació dels resultats en revistes pertanyents al registre ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) en comparació amb altres formats de divulgació. Així, de tot allò que es va publicar en el període estudiat, el 63,7 % van ser articles publicats en aquestes revistes, amb una tendència creixent. En comparació amb el període 1990-1995, s'ha passat de 265 articles del Science Citation Index (SCI) a 800. Quan fem la comparació amb la productivitat científica del món, Espanya, Dinamarca i Holanda, s'arriba a les conclusions següents: en aquests temes l'aportació d'Espanya és del 4,3 % respecte al total mundial, i Catalunya representa el 18,7 % del total de l'Estat. En el període anterior aquestes xifres eren un 3,1 % i un 13,5 %, respectivament. En comparació amb Catalunya, a Holanda i Dinamarca es publica, respectivament, 4,3 i 2,6 vegades més que a Catalunya. Per comprovar la qualitat de les publicacions realitzades s'han analitzat el nombre de citacions rebudes pels articles publicats. La conclusió és que la mitjana de vegades que se citen els articles publicats a Catalunya és igual a la mitjana del món i a la d'Espanya, però és inferior a les citacions dels articles publicats a Holanda i Dinamarca. En conclusió, la recerca de la veterinària a Catalunya ha experimentat un fort increment en finançament, productivitat científica i formació de personal, encara que el personal investigador i tècnic no ha variat. Els equips de recerca s'han consolidat i s'han centrat en temes de recerca d'alt interès per als sectors productius. Com a conseqüència d'això, més de la meitat del finançament de la recerca prové dels convenis amb el sector privat. En comparació amb països com ara Dinamarca i Holanda, la productivitat i la qualitat científica és significativament menor. És possible que si s'incrementés el finançament públic per a projectes de recerca de temàtiques científicament més innovadores aquestes diferències es reduïssin.Research in veterinary science in Catalonia can be considered a relatively recent activity since the main public entities dedicated to it were developed during the last few decades. The Faculty of Veterinary Science at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) was created in 1982; the specialization animal husbandry at the School of Agricultural Engineering of the University of Lleida (UdL), in 1983; and the Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA) in 1985. Nowadays, the field of veterinary science includes, besides animal medicine and health, topics more related to the economic importance of animals and the hygiene and quality of animal-derived products. This report classifies veterinary science according to its different thematic areas: Animal Health, Animal Anatomy, Animal Medicine and Surgery, Animal Production, Animal Nutrition and Bromatology, and Animal Physiology and Pharmacology. Most of these areas are dealt with in the departments of the Faculty of Veterinary Science of the UAB. Given the economic importance of Animal Production in Catalonia, it has become the domain of the largest public entities (UAB, IRTA, and UdL). The Animal Health Research Center (CReSA) –an autonomous institution of the UAB and the IRTA– has operated since 2000. The methodology used in this report was mostly based on the analysis of data obtained from these institutions. Since the report takes into account a small number of both public institutions and people, the data obtained were thoroughly analyzed and classified. All research indicators have been sorted by topic and by the institutions involved. Finally, for each indicator, a global analysis of all areas and organizations is made and compared to the results obtained in the previous report, which comprised the years 1990–1995. The analyzed indicators, recommended by the Institute for Catalan Studies (IEC), are the following: a) The research system. In this section, references to public institutions, centers, departments, and units that carry out veterinary science research in Catalonia are made. b) Lines of research. The different subjects of research that are in the focus of the different areas and institutes are described. The subjects of research and the groups that the General Directorate of Research (DGR) considers as consolidated research groups have been specified. This section also describes research services created by universities and investigation centers to support the research demands of the public and private sectors. c) Human resources. Personnel dedicated to research are classified for every area and institution according to: staff investigator, hired investigator, technical staff, hired technical staff, and intern. The new figures for researchers in the Ramon y Cajal and the Catalan Institute for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA) programs are specified for every subject. Based on an organizational chart that lists all the personnel comprising the different categories for 2002, we can conclude that: 35% are staff researchers, 17% are hired researchers, 27% technical staff, and 21%, interns. Compared to the period 1990–1995, there was no significant variation in the number of technicians or researchers, only an increase in the number of interns. d) Research funding. This has been classified in competitive projects or projects subject to scientific evaluation, and agreements or non-competitive projects. The funding for competitive projects has been classified according to the source of the program: European, Spanish, or the Government of Catalonia. For non-competitive projects, it is specified whether they were commissioned by the private sector or by public institutions. From the information presented in this section, we can conclude that, for all areas and institutions, the main source of funding is the private sector, indicating a strong projection of veterinary science research in the various productive sectors. For competitive projects, the most important funding are public. If we compare it with the period 1990–1995, we see that the financing for competitive projects in the previous period came to 1.4 million Euros, and that in the current period this sum adds up to 6.47 million Euros. Financing for agreements in the previous period was 1.63 million Euros and during the current period this sum increased to 13.11 million, 9 of which were provided by the private sector. e) Scientific output. This section exclusively considers research results published in scientific journals, books, reports, and theses. The results obtained regarding scientific transference and research services, and other results obtained through agreements have not been included, despite our awareness of their great importance. The development experienced by all areas and institutions indicates a growing interest in the dissemination of results through journals indexed at the ISI (Institute for Scientific Information) register rather than through other formats: 63.7% of the publications published during the period of study were articles that appeared in these journals –a trend that continues to grow. Compared to the period 1990–1995 period, the number of articles in the Science Citation Index (SCI) increased from 265 to 800. When we compare the scientific output of the world, Spain, Denmark, and the Netherlands, the following conclusions can be drawn: Spain contributes 4.3% of worldwide output, and Catalonia represents 18.7% of the State’s total. During the previous period, these figures were 3.1% and 13.5%, respectively. The Netherlands and Denmark, respectively, publish 4.3 and 2.6 times more than Catalonia. To verify the quality of the publications, the number of citations received by published articles was analyzed. The conclusion is that the average number of citations of articles published in Catalonia is equal to the average of the world and Spain, but lower than the number of citations of articles published in the Netherlands and Denmark. In conclusion, veterinary science research in Catalonia has experienced a strong growth in funding, scientific output, and personnel training, despite the fact that the number of researchers and technicians has remained the same. Research teams have consolidated and have focused their efforts on those areas of research that are of greatest interest to the productive sector. This has resulted in more than half of research funding coming from agreements with the private sector. Compared to countries such as Denmark and the Netherlands, scientific output and quality in Catalonia are significantly lower. If public financing for innovative scientific research projects increased, surely these differences would in turn decrease

Producció in vivo versus in vitro d'embrions caprins

Les tecnologies per a la reproducció assistida, com són la inseminació artificial i l'ovulació múltiple i la posterior transferència embrionària (MOET), s'han utilitzat en el cabrum per incrementar l'eficiència reproductiva dels mascles i accelerar el guany genètic de les femelles. No obstant això, el MOET presenta una sèrie de limitacions a causa de: a) variabilitat en la resposta de les femelles al tractament hormonal, b) fecundacions fallides i c) regressió prematura dels cossos lutis. La producció in vitro d'embrions (PIVE) permet superar les limitacions de la tecnologia MOET. La PIVE involucra tres processos: la maduració in vitro dels oòcits, la fecundació in vitro amb espermatozoides capacitats i el cultiu in vitro dels embrions fins a l'estadi de blastocist, moment en què poden ser transferits a cabres receptores o crioconservats per a futurs usos. A més, la recuperació d'oòcits de femelles vives selectes mitjançant laparoscòpia i la reproducció de femelles prepúbers permeten una elevada difusió de les cabres d'alt valor. Així, la PIVE en el cabrum és una font excel·lent i de baix cost d'embrions, que es podran utilitzar tant per a la recerca bàsica en la biologia del desenvolupament com per a aplicacions comercials per produir transgènics i clònics.Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as artificial insemination (AI) and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) have been used to increase reproductive efficiency and accelerate genetic gain in male and females, respectively. The current limitations of MOET are due to: i) female variability response to hormonal treatment, ii) fertilization failures and iii) premature regression of corpora luteum. The in vitro production (IVP) of embryos offers the possibility of overcoming MOET limitations. The method of IVP of embryos involves three mains steps: in vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM), in vitro fertilization of oocytes (IVF) with capacitated sperm and in vitro culture (IVC) of embryos until blastocyst stage that can be transferred to recipient females or cryopreserved for future use. Recovering oocytes from live selected females by laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU), and breeding prepubertal females by juvenile in vitro embryo technology (JIVET) will allow a high diffusion of valuable goats. Also, IVP of goat embryos will provide an excellent source of low cost

Contributions of Marine Cluster for Regional Sustainability: Economic Prospective for Azores

The project SEAValue proposes to develop a first integrate approach to valuation of the Sea of Azores from economic view analyses.The project aims the estimation of the contribution of the sea, namely, maritime sector and marine ecosystem services, and their benefits for the sustainable development of the Autonomous Region of Azores through a responsive and effective decision support process.Nowadays, the world context of the sustainable ocean governance is one of the paradigms that the Azores Autonomous Region should address, in particular, due to the geographical position in the core of the Atlantic area and its geopolitical implicit factors. The extension of the Portuguese EEZ would raise new challenges and responsibilities to sea management. Different governance transversal issues as legal, planning, conservation, economic and their scales of articulation into local, national, European and international level, need a coherent governance framework. Estimate the value, specially the economic value, bring the awareness of the benefits that sea offers to Azores. Furthermore it would enhance the decision support process through define of strategic options for the development of public policy of the Region. The multidisciplinary research of the project from Governance, Economy and Environmental Planning approach provides integrate and holistic vision of the Sea and would project outputs as tools and options for operational decisions.O presente artigo identifica e salienta um conjunto de benefícios e oportunidades derivados da aplicação da metodologia de clustering a vetores económicos endógenos, em particular, os do ambiente marinho. Num contexto de desenvolvimento regional, os clusters têm-se demonstrado importantes ferramentas para a governação e a implementação política. O atual contexto económico força as regiões a desenvolverem um novo paradigma de sustentabilidade. Assim, para o caso das pequenas regiões como os Açores, o modelo de desenvolvimento deve dar atenção às oportunidades decorrentes da governação dos seus recursos internos. Tendo por base uma abordagem de gestão estratégica, este trabalho efetua uma análise prospetiva que identifica o quadro, os fatores e os requisitos necessários para a definição de um Cluster do Mar para os Açores. O âmbito do cluster deve abranger não somente as principais atividades existentes no Mar dos Açores, bem como outros setores com potencial para a região e que se entrecruzam pelo uso e valor do Mar. A estrutura proposta visa contribuir para o desenvolvimento do Mar dos Açores, enquanto força económica endógena. Por outro lado, a presente investigação avalia as contribuições do cluster do mar para o sistema económico regional e nacional, bem como a sua ligação a outros vetores económicos. A proposta do Cluster do Mar dos Açores surge como um smart mechanism que permite o acompanhamento das dinâmicas derivadas da agenda europeia e internacional sobre os assuntos do mar, particularmente o crescimento económico e economia azul.ABSTRACT: This paper points out the benefits and opportunities of using the clustering methodology applied to the endogenous economic drivers, in particular, the marine domain. In regional development context, the cluster appears as a powerful tool for governance and policy implementation. Currently, economic transition forces the regions to develop a new sustainability paradigm. In the case of small regions, such as the Azores Archipelago, the development model relies on the governance opportunities of internal resources. Using a strategic management approach the paper performs a prospective analysis to identify the framework, factors and requirements needed to define the Azores Marine Cluster. The cluster congregates the main sea activities already performed in the region and add the potential sectors recognized. This structure derives from the evaluation of the overall potential of the Sea of the Azores as an endogenous economic force. The paper weighted the contributions of the Azores marine cluster to the regional economic system and the link to other economic drivers. The Azores Marine Cluster arises as a smart mechanism to implement recommendations and requirements, especially at the European and International governance agenda.Funding for this work is granted by FCT - CEEAplA, Research Centre of Applied Economics Studies of the Atlantic. FRCT- Regional Technology and Science Regional Azores Fund. Science Regional Azores Fun

Resveratrol supplementation during in vitro maturation improves embryo development of prepubertal goat oocytes selected by brilliant cresyl blue staining

This study aimed to investigate the effect of resveratrol supplementation in maturation medium on the developmental ability and bioenergetic\oxidative status of prepubertal goat oocytes selected by brilliant cresyl blue (BCB). Oocytes collected from slaughterhouse-derived ovaries were selected by 13 µM BCB staining and classified as grown BCB+ and growing BCB- oocytes. All oocytes were matured in vitro in our conventional maturation medium and supplemented with 1 µM (BCB+R and BCB-R) and without (Control groups: BCB+C and BCB-C) resveratrol. After 24 h, IVM-oocytes were fertilized with fresh semen and presumptive zygotes were in vitro cultured for 8 days. Oocytes were assessed for blastocyst development and quality, mitochondrial activity and distribution, and levels of GSH, ROS, and ATP. BCB+R (28.3%) oocytes matured with resveratrol presented significantly higher blastocyst development than BCB+C (13.0%) and BCB- groups (BCB-R: 8.3% and BCB-C: 4.7%). Resveratrol improved blastocyst development of BCB-R oocytes at the same rate as BCB+C oocytes. No differences were observed in blastocyst quality among groups. GSH levels were significantly higher in resveratrol groups (BCB+R: 36554.6; BCB-R: 34946.7 pixels/oocyte) than in control groups (BCB+C: 27624.0; BCB-C: 27655.4 pixels/oocyte). No differences were found in mitochondrial activity, ROS level, and ATP content among the groups. Resveratrol-treated oocytes had a higher proportion of clustered active mitochondria in both BCB groups (BCB+R: 73.07%; BCB-R: 79.16%) than control groups (BCB+C: 19.35%; BCB-C: 40%). In conclusion, resveratrol increased blastocyst production from oocytes of prepubertal goats, particularly in better quality oocytes (BCB+)

Producció in vivo versus in vitro d'embrions caprins

Les tecnologies per a la reproducció assistida, com són la inseminació artificial i l'ovulació múltiple i la posterior transferència embrionària (MOET), s'han utilitzat en el cabrum per incrementar l'eficiència reproductiva dels mascles i accelerar el guany genètic de les femelles. No obstant això, el MOET presenta una sèrie de limitacions a causa de: a) variabilitat en la resposta de les femelles al tractament hormonal, b) fecundacions fallides i c) regressió prematura dels cossos lutis. La producció in vitro d'embrions (PIVE) permet superar les limitacions de la tecnologia MOET. La PIVE involucra tres processos: la maduració in vitro dels oòcits, la fecundació in vitro amb espermatozoides capacitats i el cultiu in vitro dels embrions fins a l'estadi de blastocist, moment en què poden ser transferits a cabres receptores o crioconservats per a futurs usos. A més, la recuperació d'oòcits de femelles vives selectes mitjançant laparoscòpia i la reproducció de femelles prepúbers permeten una elevada difusió de les cabres d'alt valor. Així, la PIVE en el cabrum és una font excel·lent i de baix cost d'embrions, que es podran utilitzar tant per a la recerca bàsica en la biologia del desenvolupament com per a aplicacions comercials per produir transgènics i clònics.Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as artificial insemination (AI) and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) have been used to increase reproductive efficiency and accelerate genetic gain in male and females, respectively. The current limitations of MOET are due to: i) female variability response to hormonal treatment, ii) fertilization failures and iii) premature regression of corpora luteum. The in vitro production (IVP) of embryos offers the possibility of overcoming MOET limitations. The method of IVP of embryos involves three mains steps: in vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM), in vitro fertilization of oocytes (IVF) with capacitated sperm and in vitro culture (IVC) of embryos until blastocyst stage that can be transferred to recipient females or cryopreserved for future use. Recovering oocytes from live selected females by laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU), and breeding prepubertal females by juvenile in vitro embryo technology (JIVET) will allow a high diffusion of valuable goats. Also, IVP of goat embryos will provide an excellent source of low cost

Producció in vivo versus in vitro d'embrions caprins

Les tecnologies per a la reproducció assistida, com són la inseminació artificial i l'ovulació múltiple i la posterior transferència embrionària (MOET), s'han utilitzat en el cabrum per incrementar l'eficiència reproductiva dels mascles i accelerar el guany genètic de les femelles. No obstant això, el MOET presenta una sèrie de limitacions a causa de: a) variabilitat en la resposta de les femelles al tractament hormonal, b) fecundacions fallides i c) regressió prematura dels cossos lutis. La producció in vitro d'embrions (PIVE) permet superar les limitacions de la tecnologia MOET. La PIVE involucra tres processos: la maduració in vitro dels oòcits, la fecundació in vitro amb espermatozoides capacitats i el cultiu in vitro dels embrions fins a l'estadi de blastocist, moment en què poden ser transferits a cabres receptores o crioconservats per a futurs usos. A més, la recuperació d'oòcits de femelles vives selectes mitjançant laparoscòpia i la reproducció de femelles prepúbers permeten una elevada difusió de les cabres d'alt valor. Així, la PIVE en el cabrum és una font excel·lent i de baix cost d'embrions, que es podran utilitzar tant per a la recerca bàsica en la biologia del desenvolupament com per a aplicacions comercials per produir transgènics i clònics.Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) such as artificial insemination (AI) and multiple ovulation and embryo transfer (MOET) have been used to increase reproductive efficiency and accelerate genetic gain in male and females, respectively. The current limitations of MOET are due to: i) female variability response to hormonal treatment, ii) fertilization failures and iii) premature regression of corpora luteum. The in vitro production (IVP) of embryos offers the possibility of overcoming MOET limitations. The method of IVP of embryos involves three mains steps: in vitro maturation of oocytes (IVM), in vitro fertilization of oocytes (IVF) with capacitated sperm and in vitro culture (IVC) of embryos until blastocyst stage that can be transferred to recipient females or cryopreserved for future use. Recovering oocytes from live selected females by laparoscopic ovum pick-up (LOPU), and breeding prepubertal females by juvenile in vitro embryo technology (JIVET) will allow a high diffusion of valuable goats. Also, IVP of goat embryos will provide an excellent source of low cost

Selection of Immature Cat Oocytes with Brilliant Cresyl Blue Stain Improves In Vitro Embryo Production during Non-Breeding Season

The domestic cat is commonly used as a model for the development of assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro embryo production (IVEP) in felid species. Seasonal reproduction is a feature of domestic cats as well as of several species of wild feline. Likewise, the number and the quality of blastocysts produced in in vitro systems is linked to season. Maintaining stable in vitro embryo production throughout the year is crucial not only for research purposes but also for programs aimed at protecting endangered felines. We assess whether using Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) selection in addition to the classical morphological selection could improve the IVEP outcomes during non-breeding season. Blastocyst yield and quality of the embryos (hatching rate and blastocyst cell numbers) were higher after IVM/IVF in oocytes defined as BCB+ (colored cytoplasm) based on the BCB test than in oocytes only morphologically selected. Furthermore, no adverse effects on bioenergetic/oxidative status were observed in oocytes subjected to BCB staining. In conclusion, BCB test implementation in IVEP programs might ensure a steady output of domestic cat blastocysts throughout the year. In domestic cats, the maturation, fertilization, and development potential in vitro decreases during the non-breeding season. This study aims at evaluating the efficacy of Brilliant Cresyl Blue (BCB) staining in selecting developmentally competent oocytes to be used in in vitro embryo production (IVEP) programs in order to overcome the season variability in blastocyst yield. Cumulus-oocytes complexes (COCs) collected from antral follicles of domestic cat ovaries during the anestrus phase (July to November) were selected by BCB staining and classified as BCB+ (colored cytoplasm) and BCB− (colorless cytoplasm). COCs not exposed to BCB staining were used as control. Before and after in vitro maturation mitochondrial activity and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were measured. Following in vitro fertilization, blastocyst rate, hatching rate, and blastocyst cell numbers were recorded. The results show that BCB staining did not alter the mitochondrial function and ROS production in cat oocytes. BCB+ oocytes presented a higher (p < 0.05) blastocyst rate, hatching rate, and blastocyst cell number than BCB− and control oocytes. In conclusion, BCB staining does not affect the bioenergetic/oxidative status of the oocyte while being a useful tool for selecting good quality oocytes to increase IVEP in domestic cats during non-breeding season

Oocyte Competence of Prepubertal Sheep and Goat Oocytes : An Assessment of Large-Scale Chromatin Configuration and Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Oocytes and Cumulus Cells

The oocyte competence of prepubertal females is lower compared to that of adults, mainly because they originate from small follicles. In adult females, the germinal vesicle (GV) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have been associated with oocyte competence. This study aimed to analyze GV chromatin configuration and EGFR expression in prepubertal goat and sheep oocytes obtained from small (<3 mm) and large (≥3 mm) follicles and compare them with those from adults. GV chromatin was classified from diffuse to condensed as GV1, GVn, and GVc for goats and NSN, SN, and SNE for sheep. EGFR was quantified in cumulus cells (CCs) by Western blotting and in oocytes by immunofluorescence. Oocytes from prepubertal large follicles and adults exhibited highly condensed chromatin in goats (71% and 69% in GVc, respectively) and sheep (59% and 75% in SNE, respectively). In both species, EGFR expression in CCs and oocytes was higher in prepubertal large follicles than in small ones. In adult females, EGFR expression in oocytes was higher than in prepubertal large follicles. In conclusion, GV configuration and EGFR expression in CCs and oocytes were higher in the large than small follicles of prepubertal females