Follicular fluid constituents influencing spontaneous maturation of cultured mouse oocytes.

Different concentrations of cyclic adenosine 3',5'-pyrophosphate (cAPP), adenosine, hypoxanthine, 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone were tested to determine their effect on spontaneous germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) in mouse oocytes. Individually, these compounds at concentrations of 200 microM or less, had no or minimal inhibitory effect on the spontaneous GVBD of mouse oocytes. Dibutyryl 3',5' cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) at a concentration of 50 microM or higher blocked GVBD but had no effect at concentrations of 20 microM or less. With dbcAMP at a concentration of 20 microM, cAPP blocked GVBD at a concentration of 10 microM. To affect inhibition of GVBD with adenosine, 17 beta-estradiol and testosterone and with hypoxanthine, concentrations of 100-200 microM and 500 microM, respectively, were required. In conclusion cAPP is the most potent compound among those tested in blocking spontaneous GVBD of mouse oocytes when combined with dbcAMP.