Effects of different sucrose concentrations on vitrified porcine preantral follicles: Qualitative and quantitative analysis

Reproductive technologies in swine

This chapter highlights the importance of reproductive technologies that are applied to porcine breeds. Nowadays the porcine industry, part of a high technological and specialized sector, offers high-quality protein food. The development of the swine industry is founded in the development of breeding/genetics, nutrition, animal husbandry, and animal health. The implementation of reproductive technologies in swine has conducted to levels of productivity never reached before. In addition, the pig is becoming an important species for biomedicine. The generation of pig models for human disease, xenotransplantation, or production of therapeutic proteins for human medicine has in fact generated a growing field of interest.

Effect of cryoprotectant type and concentration on the vitrification of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) ovarian tissue

The aim of the present study was to establish a protocol for solid surface vitrification of peccary ovarian tissue by using different cryoprotectants. Ovarian pairs from five adult females were fragmented and two fragments (fresh control group) were immediately subjected to morphological evaluation using classical histology, transmission electron microscopy, and viability analysis using fluorescent probes. The remaining fragments (n = 18) were vitrified using a solid surface method with different concentrations (3 or 6 M) of ethylene glycol (EG), dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or dimethyl formamide (DMF). After 2 weeks, samples were re-warmed and evaluated. A decrease in the percentage of morphologically normal preantral follicles (PFs) was verified for all the groups in comparison to the fresh control (92.0 ± 2.8%); however, if only the primordial follicles are considered, the most effective preservation (P < 0.05) was achieved with the use of EG at 3 M (74.2±7.3%) or DMSO at 6 M (75.0 ± 4.2%). Ultrastructural analysis indicated there were well-preserved PFs in all the groups evaluated, having well-defined membranes, a few vacuoles, and organelles that were uniformly distributed throughout the cytoplasm, mainly round and elongated mitochondria in close association with lipid droplets. Viability was preserved (P <  0.05) with the use of EG at 3 (97%) or 6 (97%) M, DMSO at 3 (100%), and DMF at 6 (97%) M. Solid surface vitrification, therefore, is an effective method for conservation of peccary female germplasm, especially with the use of EG at 3 M, which was highly effective for preservation of both the morphology and viability of PFs.