Transfer of cultured bovine embryos

Abstract

A total of 126 bovine embryos were surgically collected from 16 superovulated donor heifers 5 days after estrus and randomly selected for either immediate transfer to synchronized recipients or in vitro culture at 37°C for 24 hours and subsequent transfer. Twenty-four of 56 (42.8%) embryos maintained for 24 hours in Ham's F10 medium supplemented with 10% heat treated fetal calf serum (HTFCS) and transferred to 32 recipients produced live calves. Survival of 70 noncultured embryos transferred to 35 recipients was 55.7% (39 calves). The percentages of recipients that were diagnosed pregnant at 42 days with cultured and control embryos were 59.4% ( 19 32 ) and 74.3% ( 26 35 ), respectively. No statistical difference was observed between the in vitro cultured and control embryos for viability following transfer to recipient females. In a second study, Day 7 embryos maintained in Ham's F10 medium supplemented with 10% HTFC serum for various culture periods were tested for viability following nonsurgical transfer to recipient females. A total of 1 5 , 1 3 and 0 4 embryos cultured for 24, 48 and 72 hours, respectively, resulted in pregnant recipients following transfer.