Developmental ability after parthenogenetic activation of in vitro matured oocytes collected postmortem from deers

In vitro production of embryos using postmortem recovery of gametes from endangered species would be a potential technique to develop species-specific protocols for assisted reproductive techniques. The aim of the study was to evaluate the developmental ability of oocytes collected post-mortem from deers following in vitro maturation and parthenogenetic activation. Immature oocytes were collected from spotted deer (Axis axis), swamp deer or barasingha (Rucervus duvaucelii), sambar deer (Rusa unicolor) and brow-antlered deer (Rucervus eldii thamin), matured in vitro and the developmental ability of these oocytes were tested by electrical stimulation followed by chemical activation. The proportion of oocytes that matured in vitro as judged by the presence of extruded 1st polar body and had reached telophase-I and metaphase-II in the four deer species were not significantly different. Only swamp deer oocytes developed to blastocysts (5.7%) following activation. The effect of the time interval that lapsed between the death of animal and recovery of ovaries on recovery of culture grade oocytes, in vitro maturation and development to blastocyst stage was also not significant. In conclusion, oocytes from dead spotted deer, swamp deer, sambar deer and brow-antlered deer were successfully rescued, matured in vitro and activated to develop up to morula/blastocyst stage. This is the first report on activation of in vitro matured oocytes recovered from swamp deer, sambar deer and brow-antlered deer at post mortem.