Short-term culture of bovine bisected embryos effects on pregnancy rates, sex ratio and birth weight of calves

Authors

  • Rafael Herrera Alvarez Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de São Paulo, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Polo Regional de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico dos Agronegócios do Centro Sul, Piracicaba, SP
  • Jackson Barros do Amaral Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de São Paulo, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Instituto de Zootecnia, Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Genética e Reprodução Animal, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Rita Maria Ladeira Pires Secretaria de Agricultura e Abastecimento do Estado de São Paulo, Agência Paulista de Tecnologia dos Agronegócios, Instituto de Zootecnia, Centro de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento em Genética e Reprodução Animal, Nova Odessa, SP
  • Antonio Campanha Martinez Universidade Estadual de Maringá, Centro de Ciências Agrárias, Umuarama, PR
  • Eunice Oba Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Medicina Veterinária e Zootecnia, Departamento de Reprodução Animal e Radiologia Veterinária, Botucatu, SP

Keywords:

bovine, embryo splitting, pregnancy rate, short-term culture

Abstract

This study evaluated pregnancy rate, gestation length, calving rate, and also sex proportion and birth weight of calves derived from in vitro reconstructed bovine demi-embryos. Recovered embryos (grade I morulae) from superovulated cows were bisected with a steel blade and transferred to recipient heifers either immediately (group 1, n=38) or after a 24h period in culture medium (EARLE + 10% FCS) at 38.5 °C and 5% CO2 (group 2, n=34) when showed a reconstituted appearance. Intact, uncultured embryos immediately transferred to recipients after collection (group 3, n=36) were used as control. Data were analyzed by ANOVA and Chi-square test. In vitro cultured demi-embryos that developed from morulae to blastocyst (78%, 44/56) were considered viable. Pregnancy rate at day 45 was 47.4%, 52.9%, and 52.8% for groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively (P> 0.05). Calving rate reached 26.3% in group 1. 29.4% in group 2, and 30.6% in group 3 (P> 0.05). No difference was found regarding pregnancy length (280.8 ± 1.8, 285.5 ± 1.7 and 285.3 ± 1.7 days), male proportion (60%, 50% and 54.5%) and birth weight of calves (38 ± 4.2, 32.4 ± 2.5 and 36.2 ± 2.6 kg) among groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. It was concluded that even though in vitro reconstructed demi-embryos transfer can be of some utility to select the viability of demi-embryos, this procedure is not able to improve pregnancy rates since it does not differ from uncultured demi-embryos.

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Published

2008-03-14

Issue

Section

ANIMAL REPRODUCTION

How to Cite

Short-term culture of bovine bisected embryos effects on pregnancy rates, sex ratio and birth weight of calves. (2008). Bulletin of Animal Husbandry, 65(3), 191-196. http://bia.iz.sp.gov.br/index.php/bia/article/view/1131

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