title: Piglets born after non-surgical deep intrauterine transfer of vitrified blastocysts in gilts.
abstract: The aims of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effect of the number of previous estrus of recipient gilts on effectiveness of intrauterine insertion of a flexible catheter designed for non-surgical deep intrauterine catheterization during diestrus in pigs; and (2) to determine the farrowing rate and the litter size after non-surgical deep intrauterine embryo transfer (ET) of porcine blastocysts vitrified by the open pulled straw (OPS) method. In experiment 1, 27 large white hyperprolific gilts (LWh) with 2-6 previous estrus were used. Intrauterine insertions of the flexible catheter were carried out at day 5.5-6 of the estrous cycle (D0=onset of estrus). During insertions, no or only moderate reactions were observed in 88.9% of gilts and was not related (P >0.05) to the number of estrus prior to the insertion periods. The number of the estrus had a significant effect (P <0.05) on the difficulties found during the procedure. In the 100% of gilts with two estrus (N=6) it was not possible to insert the flexible catheter through the cervix. In gilts with three or more estrus, it was possible to pass the cervix and to progress along a uterine horn in 80.9% of the cases. In 86.7% of the gilts, the tip of the flexible catheter achieved the second or third quarter of the uterine horn. In experiment 2, following non-surgical deep intrauterine transfer of 20 vitrified/warmed blastocysts, 9 Meishan recipients (42.9%) farrowed an average of 5.4 +/- 0.8 piglets (range 3-9) of which 0.6 +/- 0.3 piglets (range 0-2) were born dead. In conclusion, this study shows that it is possible to obtain birth of piglets following non-surgical deep intrauterine embryo transfer (ET) of vitrified/warmed blastocysts. Non-surgical deep intrauterine ET and OPS vitrification methods are promising procedures to be used together for the introduction of new genetic material in a farm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, Veterinary Science, University of Murcia, Murcia E-30071, Spain. ccuello@um.es
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cuello
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Berthelot
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Martinat-Botté
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Venturi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Guillouet
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Vázquez
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Roca
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst; D002404:Catheterization / Q000662:veterinary; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000662:veterinary*; D004031:Diestrus; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary*; D005260:Female; D008098:Litter Size; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D013552:Swine