170 POST-THAW VIABILITY OF IN VITRO-PRODUCED BOVINE EMBRYOS CULTURED EITHER IN HOST CAPRINE REPRODUCTIVE TRACTS OR IN VITRO

In vitro culture of bovine embryos is usually associated with poor pregnancy rate following cryopreservation. The objective of this study was to compare the post-thaw viability of in vitro-produced bovine zygotes, cultured in vitro or in the reproductive tract of a host goat. Cumulus-oocyte complexes were matured in vitro, and in vitro fertilization was carried out with frozen-thawed semen as per standard laboratory procedures. At 18-20 h post-fertilization, zygotes were stripped of remaining cumulus cells and randomly separated into culture treatments. In three replicates, a total of 606 embryos were surgically transferred 12 to 24 h post-ovulation to the oviducts of an estrous-synchronized goat (VIVO) and 550 embryos were cultured in G1.3 for 72 h and then moved to G2.3 medium for 96 h and in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2, 5% O2, and 90% N2 (IVC). On Day 7, embryos were flushed from the excised tract with a 69.5% recovery rate or removed from culture. Embryos were classified according to IETS criteria with grades and stages recorded. All data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance and means were compared using Student's t-test. No differences were seen in the percentage of freezable quality embryos per total recovered between the two groups (34.3% vs. 32.3% for IVC and VIVO, respectively). However, there was a significant difference in the pre-freezing stage between the two culture groups (Stage 5.5 � 0.22 vs. Stage 4.8 � 0.26 for IVC and VIVO, respectively; P < 0.05), but no difference in the quality grade. All embryos greater than Stage 4, Grade 2 were frozen in groups of 5-10 in ethylene glycol with sucrose (Vigro Ethylene Glycol Freeze Plus; Bioniche Animal Health, Belleville, Ontario, Canada) in 0.25-mL straws. After thawing, embryo groups were washed, rehydrated, and incubated in G2.3 as above. Morphology was assessed by assigning grade and stage objectively at 24 h and 48 h post-thaw. Post-thaw viability in vitro was not different between groups (73.4% vs. 72.7% for IVC and VIVO, respectively). The average changes in morphology post-thaw from pre-freezing to 24 h and from 24 h to 48 h within each freezing group were determined. There was no significant difference in the mean change in stage (0.67 � 0.15 vs. 0.82 � 0.17 at 24 h and 0.31 � 0.09 vs. 0.37 � 0.10 at 48 h for IVC and VIVO, respectively) or grade (0.60 � 0.15 vs. 0.41 � 0.17 at 24 h and 0.03 � 0.06 vs. 0.14 � 0.07 at 48 h for IVC and VIVO, respectively) at either observation point. These results suggest that culture of in vitro-fertilized bovine embryos in the caprine reproductive tract did not alter post-thaw development or improve post thaw viability compared to in vitro cultured controls. However, morphological evaluation is too subjective to successfully predict pregnancy rate after transfer; therefore, further study is needed to determine if there are differences in pregnancy rates between these culture methods.