Primeros terneros producidos in vitro tras punción ecoguiada de folículos ováricos

Abstract

We report several experiments looking for an optimisation of the in vitro embryo production combined to repeated ovum pick-up (OPU-IVF). For this purpose, we tested two in vitro maturation protocols (with EGF and with VERO cells) and two culture systems (SOF and VERO cells + B2). We obtained 6.8 oocytes/session/cow from which 5.8 were selected for maturation. In vitro maturation with VERO cells permitted oocytes to develop up to the blastocyst stage. Day 7 blastocys rates after culture in SOF (16.7 percent) were similar to those obtained after culturing with VERO cells (26.9 percent). Day 21 pregnancy rates after transfer of fresh embryos produced in SOF or in co-culture with VERO cells were 66.6 and 37.5 percent respectively (p>0.05); however, only embryos produced in co-culture allowed to the birth of calves (33.3 percent). We did no find differences between day 21 pregnancy rates after transfer of frozen (71.4 percent) and vitrified embryos (46.4 percent). Only vitrified embryos allowed to obtain calves (20 percent). As a result, we have obtained the first calves after transfer of fresh and vitrified embryos produced by OPU-IVF in Spain.