title: Vitrification of equine embryos.
abstract: Vitrification can be used successfully to cryopreserve equine embryos. Embryos for vitrification should be collected from donor mares' uteri when they are 300 mm or less in diameter, however,and at the morula or early blastocyst stage of development. No special equipment is required for vitrification; the straw containing the embryo is exposed to vapor for 1 minute before plunging it into liquid nitrogen. Warming of the straw requires no special equipment,and the embryo can be transferred directly from the straw into a recipient's uterus. Vitrification has been repeatedly successful when the procedure is used with small embryos and provides a method for the rapid cryopreservation of equine embryos.
authors.affiliation: Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 3194 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. emc@colostate.edu
authors.forename: Elaine M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Carnevale
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000662:veterinary*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006736:Horses / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D011247:Pregnancy