Insemination of recipient sows improves the survival to term of vitrified and warmed porcine expanded blastocysts transferred non‐surgically. (14th September 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tajima, Shigeyuki; Uchikura, Kenzo; Kurita, Takayuki; Kikuchi, Kazuhiro
• Is Part Of: Animal science journal. Volume 91:Number 1(2020)
• Page Start: n/a
• Page End: n/a
• Publication Date: 2020-09-14
• Subjects: artificial insemination -- micro volume air cooling -- non‐surgical embryo transfer -- piglets -- vitrified and warmed embryos; Animal culture -- Periodicals; Livestock -- Periodicals; 636
• DOI: 10.1111/asj.13453
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1344-3941

Abstract

Abstract: This study was performed to evaluate reproductive performance after non‐surgical embryo transfer (Ns‐ET) of 10–15 porcine expanded blastocysts (ExBs) that had been vitrified and warmed (V/W) using the micro volume air cooling (MVAC) method. The effect of asynchrony between the donor and recipient estrous cycle was investigated. Ns‐ET was conducted in recipients whose estrous cycle was asynchronous to that of donors by a delay of 2, 1, or 0 days. In the 2‐day and 1‐day groups, the similar farrowing rates (27.3% and 25.0%) and survival rates to term (13.9% and 15.7%) were obtained after Ns‐ET of V/W ExBs. None of the recipients in 0‐day group farrowed. Artificial insemination (AI) prior to Ns‐ET was then evaluated. Ten–15 V/W ExBs were transferred non‐surgically to 12 recipients whose estrous cycles were asynchronous to that of donors by a 2‐day delay. All of the recipients produced piglets, and all (100.0%) delivered piglets were derived from the transferred V/W ExBs. The survival rate of V/W ExBs to term was 25.2%. These results demonstrate that Ns‐ET of V/W ExBs using MVAC can facilitate piglet production, even if 10–15 embryos are transferred. Moreover, piglets were obtained stably when AI was performed prior to Ns‐ET.