We established a novel in vitro production system for porcine embryos using simple media, POM (for in vitro maturation), PGMtac (for in vitro fertilization) and PZM-5 (for in vitro culture). The inorganic and energy substrate composition of these three media was based on the concentrations of pig oviductal fluid. Moreover, we also attempted to establish a chemically defined system for in vitro production of porcine embryos. When immature oocytes were matured in POM supplemented with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or porcine follicular fluid (pFF), the rates of maturation, initial cleavage and blastocyst formation after in vitro fertilization did not differ among treatments. Fourteen normal piglets were obtained from in vitro-produced blastocysts using POM+pFF, PGMtac and PZM-5 by non-surgical embryo transfer into 2 of 10 recipients. The results clearly demonstrate that the chemically defined system can support in vitro production of porcine blastocysts and that blastocysts produced by a single medium have full-term developmental potential.
(Theriogenology Section, Department of Production Diseases TEL +81-29-838-7784)
Reference:
Suzuki et al. (2004) J. Reprod. Dev. 50:487-491.
