FIG. 7.

The effect of an adenylyl cyclase stimulator and of PDE inhibitors on COC-cultured oocyte nuclear maturation. The effect of dipyridamole treatment alone (A) and of PDE inhibitors in the presence of forskolin (B) was investigated on COCs. After 16 h of IVM, COCs were denuded, fixed, and stained with aceto-orcein to assess the percentage of oocytes at the metaphase II (mature stage), as defined by a dense metaphase chromatin configuration and the extrusion of the first polar body. The data represent the mean metaphase II percentage ± SEM of three replicates. Each replicate had at least 25 COCs per treatment. Different lowercase letters represent a statistical difference between the means as determined by ANOVA followed by Dunnett post hoc test.