Production of trophoblastic vesicles derived from day 7 and 8 blastocysts of in vitro origin and the effect of intrauterine transfer on the interestrous intervals in Japanese black heifers

• Published in: Journal of Reproduction and Development 2009, Vol.55(4), pp.454-459
• Main Authors: Nagai, K.(Obihiro Univ. of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Hokkaido (Japan)), Sata, R, Takahashi, H, Okano, A, Kawashima, C, Miyamoto, A, Geshi, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ANIMAL EMBRYOS; Animals; Blastocyst; Blastocyst - cytology; Blastocyst - metabolism; Cattle; CICLO ESTRAL; CORPS JAUNE; CORPUS LUTEUM; Corpus Luteum - metabolism; CUERPO LUTEO; CYCLE OESTRAL; ECHOGRAPHIE; ECHOGRAPHY; ECOGRAFIA; EMBRIONES ANIMALES; EMBRYO TRANSFER; Embryo Transfer - methods; EMBRYON ANIMAL; Estrous Cycle; Estrus Synchronization; FECONDATION IN VITRO; FECUNDACION IN VITRO; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; GENISSE; HEIFERS; IN VITRO FERTILIZATION; MICROSCOPIA; MICROSCOPIE; MICROSCOPY; NOVILLA; OESTROUS CYCLE; Ovary - metabolism; PROGESTERONA; PROGESTERONE; Progesterone - blood; Time Factors; TRANSFERENCIA DE EMBRIONES; TRANSFERT EMBRYONNAIRE; Trophoblastic vesicle; Trophoblasts - cytology; Trophoblasts - metabolism; ULTRASON; ULTRASONICS; ULTRASONIDO; Ultrasonography - methods
• ISSN: 0916-8818; 1348-4400
• DOI: 10.1262/jrd.20222

This study was undertaken to produce trophoblastic vesicles (TVs) by using blastocysts of in vitro origin and to estimate the effect on the interestrous interval after transfer of 4 TVs into the uteri of heifers on Day 7. Morphological examination under a stereoscopic microscope revealed that the total formation rate of TVs prepared from IVP expanded blastocysts was 80.5% and that there was no difference in the formation rates of TVs derived from blastocysts between Day 7 (83.5%) and Day 8 (78.5%). After intrauterine transfer of TVs, observation of the corpus luteum (CL) by transrectal ultrasonography together with measurement of the plasma progesterone concentration confirmed that 2 of 4 recipients (50%) had a longer interestrous interval, 33.5 and 35.0 days, while the other 2 recipients had normal cycles, 20.0 and 24.5 days. In the control group transferred D-PBS, all 4 heifers had a normal cycles, 24.0-24.5 days. Consequently, the average number of days after intrauterine transfer of TVs compared with the 2 consecutive cycles just before the treatment was longer than in the controls (6.1+-2.4 days vs. -0.8+-1.1 days, P0.05). These results indicate that preparation of TVs from blastocysts of in vitro origin is a useable method and that TVs from blastocysts may have the capacity to maintain CL function after intrauterine transfer.