Effect of subcutaneous application of a single cadmium dose on oocyte maturation in vitro.

Female Wistar rats in experimental groups were treated subcutaneously with a single dose of 0.02, 0.04, 0.06 or 0.08 mmol CdCl2.kg-1 body weight. Superovulated oocytes were cultivated in vitro for 4 or 14 h up to the stage of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) and metaphase II (M II). In all, 606 oocytes were used for the determination obtained document that the Cd content in oocytes of cadmium-treated rats increases from less than 0.1, 1.6 +/- 0.4, 2.8 +/- 0.5, 6.5 +/- 0.3, 10.8 +/- 0.2 pg per oocyte. With and increasing cadmium dose the percentage of oocytes which reached the stage of metaphase II after 14 h of cultivation in vitro, decreased (86.6%, 77.6%, 43%, 4.3% respectively).