Birth weight and gestation length of Japanese black calves following transfer of embryos produced in vitro with or without co-culture.
Birth weight and gestation length of calves following the transfer of in vitro produced (IVP) embryos with or without co-culture of cumulus cells, were compared to those produced in vivo (IVD). Spermatozoa from one Japanese Black bull were used for both IVP and IVD. IVP embryos were produced using two types of culture method: 1) co-culturing with cumulus cells in TCM 199 supplemented with calf serum (IVP-Co), and 2) non-co-culturing without cumulus cells in CR1aa supplemented with BSA / calf serum (IVP-NON-Co). Both IVP and IVD embryos were transferred non-surgically to Holstein recipients on day 7+/-1 of the estrous cycle. Birth weight and gestation length of half-sib single calves were analyzed. No differences were observed in birth weight and gestation length between IVP-Co and IVP-NON-Co calves (31.0 kg and 31.8 kg, and 291.9 days and 291.0 days, respectively). However, the birth weight of the IVP-Co and IVP-NON-Co calves was significantly higher than that of the IVD calves (P<0.01). Gestation length of the IVP-Co and IVP-NON-Co calves was also significantly longer than that of the IVD calves (P<0.01).
Numabe
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Miyagi Prefectural Animal Industry Experiment Station, Japan.
Oikawa
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Kikuchi
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Horiuchi
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D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001724:Birth Weight / Q000502:physiology*; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy