The effect of propanediol on the morphology of fresh and frozen equine embryos.
Seventeen horse embryos recovered on the sixth day after spontaneous ovulation were; 1) washed in PBS (n = 6), 2) treated with 1.5 M 1-2 propanediol (n = 6) or, 3) frozen and thawed using 1.5 M propanediol as the cryoprotectant (n = 5). After treatment, the embryos were incubated for 6 h in medium before they were fixed, serially sectioned and examined microscopically to count the total numbers of interphase, mitotic and pycnotic nuclei. Significant differences were measured only in the mean proportions of pycnotic cells (+/- s.d.), both between the control (9.2 +/- 7.3%) and frozen-thawed embryos (52.8 +/- 37.1%; P<0.05) and between the propanediol-treated (10.8 +/- 4.6%) and the frozen-thawed embryos (P<0.01). Propanediol appears to be minimally toxic to equine embryos but it is a poor cryoprotectant.
Bruyas
J F
JF
Pathologie de la Reproduction, Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Nantes, France.
Martins-Ferreira
C
C
Fiéni
F
F
Tainturier
D
D
D000818:Animals; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005615:Freezing; D006736:Horses / Q000196:embryology*; D019946:Propylene Glycol / Q000494:pharmacology*
D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D019946:Propylene Glycol