Open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrification of in vitro fertilised mouse embryos at various stages

Acta Vet Hung. 2008 Jun;56(2):245-53. doi: 10.1556/AVet.56.2008.2.12.

Abstract

The present study was designed to investigate the cryotolerance of in vitro fertilised (IVF) mouse embryos at various preimplantation developmental stages. IVF mouse embryos were vitrified by the open-pulled straw (OPS) method. After warming, embryos were morphologically evaluated and assessed by their development to blastocysts, hatched blastocysts or term. The results showed that a high proportion (93.3-100.0%) of vitrified embryos at all developmental stages were morphologically normal after recovery. The developmental rate of vitrified 1-cell embryos to blastocyst (40.0%) or hatched blastocyst (32.7%) or term (9.3%) was significantly lower than that from other stages (P < 0.05). Vitrified embryos from 2-cell to early blastocyst stage showed similar blastocyst (71.8-89.5%) and hatched blastocyst rates (61.1-69.6%) and could develop to term without a significant loss of survival compared with those of fresh embryos (P > 0.05). Vitrified 2-cell embryos showed the highest survival rate in vivo (50.6%, 88/174), compared with that from other stages (9.3-30.5%, P < 0.05). The data demonstrate that the OPS method is suitable for the cryopreservation of IVF mouse embryos from 2-cell stage to early blastocyst stage without a significant loss of survival. Embryos at the 2-cell stage had the best tolerance for cryopreservation in the present study.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Cryopreservation / methods
  • Cryopreservation / veterinary*
  • Embryo Transfer / veterinary
  • Female
  • Fertilization in Vitro / methods
  • Fertilization in Vitro / veterinary*
  • Male
  • Mice / embryology*
  • Pregnancy