Live cubs born after transfer of OPS vitrified-warmed embryos in the farmed European polecat ( Mustela putorius)

The Open Pulled Straw (OPS) method of vitrification has been used successfully for cryopreserving embryos of most domestic animal species. However, there is no report of a successful delivery of offspring after transfer of vitrified embryos in carnivores, even though vitrification has been a success...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Theriogenology 2004-04, Vol.61 (5), p.811-820
Main Authors: Piltti, K, Lindeberg, H, Aalto, J, Korhonen, H
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Assisted reproductive techniques
Blastocyst - physiology
cryopreservation
Cryopreservation - methods
Cryopreservation - veterinary
Culture Techniques
Embryo transfer
Embryo Transfer - veterinary
Female
Ferret
Ferrets - embryology
In vitro culture
Morula - physiology
Open pulled straw
Pregnancy
Vitrification
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:The Open Pulled Straw (OPS) method of vitrification has been used successfully for cryopreserving embryos of most domestic animal species. However, there is no report of a successful delivery of offspring after transfer of vitrified embryos in carnivores, even though vitrification has been a successful freezing method for species like swine whose embryos are known to be susceptible to chilling injury. Morulae and blastocysts of farmed European polecat ( Mustela putorius) were vitrified and warmed before in vitro culture in modified synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) for a period from a few hours up to 3 days before being transferred to recipients. Survival rate after vitrification, warming and in vitro culture was 51% (50/98). A total of 50 embryos were transferred surgically into the uteri of four anesthetized recipients. Two recipients delivered a total of eight offspring (2 and 6 each) for an overall survival rate of 16% (eight live cubs/50 transferred embryos). According to our knowledge, these offspring are the first carnivores produced by transfer of in vivo embryos after vitrification by OPS. Based on the present results, we suggest that OPS vitrification can be used as an alternative cryopreservation method for mustelid embryos with pup results comparable to conventional slow freezing.
ISSN:0093-691X
1879-3231
DOI:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2003.06.001