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Development of One-Cell Porcine Embryos in Two Culture Systems^1,2,3,

Washington State University, Pullman 99164

Abstract

The effect of culture system and protein supplementation on the development of one-cell porcine embryos was investigated. One hundred and sixty-four one-cell embryos were collected at slaughter from 19 handmated gilts. Culture systems evaluated were microdrops of Whitten's medium (WM) under paraffin oil (M) or tubes with 4.0 ml of WM (T). Also tested was T with a 2.0 ml paraffin oil overlay (O). Media evaluated were WM with: no bovine serum albumin (–BSA), 15 mg/ml BSA (+BSA) or 10% (v/v) heat-treated porcine serum (+HTPS). Twenty-nine, 29, 28, 29, 28 and 21 one-cell embryos were assigned to treatments T + BSA + O, T – BSA, M + BSA, M – BSA and M + HTPS, respectively. All cultures were conducted at 37 C in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO₂ in air. At the cessation of division, embryos were fixed and stained, and each was assigned a cleavage index based on the number of divisions completed in culture. The mean cleavage indexes for embryos cultured in T + BSA + O (2.07) and T + BSA (1.97) were not significantly different, but both were greater (P<.05) than the indexes for T – BSA (1.09), M + BSA (1.12), M – BSA (.82) and M + HTPS (.86). Mean cleavage indexes for embryos cultured in T – BSA, M + BSA, M – BSA and M + HTPS were not significantly different. More (P<.05) embryos developed to the blastocyst stage in T + BSA + O (6/29) than in either T – BSA (0/28) or M – BSA (0/28). Fragmentation was greater (P<05) in embryos cultured in M – BSA than in embryos cultured in tubes. These results suggest that culture tubes of WM with 1.5% BSA are superior to microdrops and WM with 10% HTPS in supporting the in vitro development of one-cell porcine embryos.

¹ Scientific Paper No. 5885. College of Agriculture Research Center, Washington State Univ., Pullman. Project No. 0313.

² Dept. of Anim. Sci.

³ The authors wish to thank the Washington State Pork Procedures for contributions to this study.

⁴ Present Address: College of Agriculture, Univ. of Hawaii, Hilo, Hawaii 96720