A successful technique for the preservation of rabbit embryos.
A technique for successfully freezing, thawing and transferring rabbit embryos has been developed. Morula stage embryos were collected from super-ovulated female rabbits by flushing both oviducts and uterine horns with a tissue culture medium. Well developed, viable embryos were then transferred to freezing vials and a cryoprotectant, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) was added in several steps to bring its final concentration to 1.6 molar. To freeze the embryos the temperature was lowered slowly (either 0.5 degrees C/min or 1.0 degrees C/min) to -80 degrees C at which point the vials were transferred directly to liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees C). Thawing was done at 8 degrees C/min. After thawing, phosphate buffered saline was added in a stepwise manner to dilute the DMSO. The thawed embryos were then cultured at 37 degrees C. Transfer of the embryos was accomplished by laparotomizing a pseudopregnant doe and introducing the embryos into the fimbriated ends of the oviducts. The 101 positively transferred embryos resulted in 45 implantations and 34 live born young.
D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000502:physiology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D009028:Morula / Q000502:physiology*; D010060:Ovulation; D011247:Pregnancy; D011309:Preservation, Biological / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D011817:Rabbits / Q000502:physiology*; D013480:Superovulation