Effect of superovulation induction on embryonic development on day 5 and subsequent development and survival after nonsurgical embryo transfer in pigs.

摘要

To evaluate the effects of equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) dosage on recovery and quality of day 5 embryos and on subsequent development and survival after embryo transfer, batches of 5-10 donor sows were treated with 1000 or 1500 IU eCG. Recipients from the same batch were synchronously treated with 800 IU eCG. Ovulation was induced with 750 IU HCG (72 h after eCG) in donors and recipients. Donors were inseminated and embryos were collected at 162 h after HCG (120 h after ovulation) treatment.Ovulation rate was lower (P<0.0001) using 1000 IU eCG (28.5±11.7; n = 48) than 1500 IU eCG (45.7±20.3; n = 32). Embryo recovery rate (82.9±16.9%) and percentage expanded blastocysts (56.2±31.4%) were similar. Expanded blastocysts from each group of sowswere pooled into 2 groups within eCG treatment, containing embryos from normally ovulating sows (<=25 corpora lutea (CL)) or from superovulated sows (>25 CL). Average diameter and number of cells of a random sample of the expanded blastocysts per pool were recorded. The average diameter of blastocysts (160.5±11.5μm) was not affected by eCG dosage or ovulation rate. The average number of cells per embryo was higher (P<0.05) in the 1000 IU eCG group (84.3±15.3) than in the 1500 IU eCG group (70.2±1.9) but was similar for normal and superovulated donors within each eCG group. Of the 4 groups, litters of 28 to 30 blastocysts were non-surgically transferred to 27 synchronous recipients. Pregnant recipients were slaughtered on day 37 after HCG treatment toevaluate embryonic development and survival. Pregnancy rate was 71 (10/14) and 46% (6/13) for the 1000 and 1500 IU eCG donor groups respectively. The number of implantations and fetuses for the 1000 IU eCG groups was 12.9±3.0 and 11.1±2.7 respectively. The corresponding value for the 1500 IU eCG groups was 14.2±7.0 and 10.5±4.6. After post-priory categorizing the litters of blastocysts to below or above the average diameter (158μm) of the transferred embryos, irrespective of eCG dosage or ovulation rate, the pregnancy rate was 43 (6/14) and 77% (10/13; P<0.10) respectively. Post-priory categorizing the transferred litters to below or above the average number of cells per embryo litter, irrespective of eCG dosage or ovulation rate, showed no differences in pregnancy rates or number of implantations and fetuses. It was concluded that eCG dosage affected embryonic development at day 7 after HCG, and this effect was not due to ovulation rate. Embryonic survival after non-surgical transfer was not relatedto eCG dosage but tended to be related to the diameter of the blastocysts.