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ARS Home » Plains Area » Clay Center, Nebraska » U.S. Meat Animal Research Center » Livestock Bio-Systems » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #189534
Title: FREEZING SWINE EMBRYOS: DO SUCCESS RATES DIFFER BETWEEN BREEDS?

Author
item MONTAGNER, MARCELO - FED U SANTA MARIA, BRAZIL
item GONCALVES, PAULO - FED U SANTA MARIA, BRAZIL
item MILLS, GINGER - UNIV NEBRASKA, LINCOLN
item Christenson, Ronald
item WHITE, BRETT - UNIV NEBRASKA, LINCOLN

Submitted to: State University Ag Report
Publication Type: Other
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/1/2006
Publication Date: 1/20/2006
Citation: Montagner, M.M., Goncalves, P.B.D., Mills, G.A., Christenson, R.K., White, B.R. 2006. Freezing swine embryos: Do success rates differ between breeds? University of Nebraska-Lincoln 2006 Nebraska Swine Report, EC219. pp. 21-25.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Successful freezing, or cryopreservation, of embryos could greatly impact the pork industry, serving as a tool for conservation of valuable germplasm and enhancing biosecurity for transfer of genetic material. Pig embryos are very sensitive to cooling and few reports have shown successful developmental rates following freezing. The objectives of this study were to determine the efficiency of freezing pig embryos using a microdroplet vitrification method and to investigate in vitro development of embryos from Chinese Meishan and occidental white crossbred females following cryopreservation at different stages of embryonic development. Preliminary studies using the microdroplet vitrification method for cryopreservation and embryo transfer into recipient females resulted in the birth of normal, live piglets indicating the effectiveness of this procedure. Rates of expanded blastocyst formation did not differ between Meishan and white crossbred non-frozen, control embryos (98 and 95%, respectively). Developmental rates were significantly higher for control embryos than vitrified embryos from both Meishan and white crossbred females at the expanded blastocyst stage (P < 0.001) but not at the hatched blastocyst stage. Following collection of embryos from Meishan and white crossbred females, cryopreservation and in vitro culture, the percentage of cryopreserved embryos alive after 24 hours of culture was higher for Meishan (72%) than white crossbred (44%; P < 0.001) embryos. However, thawed, cryopreserved embryos that survived 24 hours of culture was not different for Meishan and white crossbred embryos at the expanded (64%) or hatched (22%) blastocyst stages. The optimal stages to vitrify pig embryos using the microdroplet method range from late compact morula to early expanded blastocyst. Our results suggest that Meishan embryos have a higher capacity to survive the freezing process than white crossbred embryos, independent of embryo stage.