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Alevra AI, Exadactylos A, Mente E, Papadopoulos S. The Protective Role of Melatonin in Sperm Cryopreservation of Farm Animals and Human: Lessons for Male Fish Cryopreservation. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12060791. [PMID: 35327189 PMCID: PMC8944624 DOI: 10.3390/ani12060791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2022] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary In recent years, cryopreservation of fish sperm has been a rapidly evolving technique that contributes both to the improvement of genetic reproduction programs and the proper management of broodstock as well as to ensuring the viability of endangered species. However, this technique can cause significant damage to sperm, making the use of cryoprotectants and antioxidants in cryopreservation solutions imperative. The hormone melatonin has demonstrated positive effects on the cryopreservation of sperm in both farm animals and humans. Therefore, the plethora of research that has been conducted on animals and humans could be expanded to fish cryopreservation, making melatonin potentially a very promising alternative cryoprotectant. Abstract Cryopreservation is a technique that offers various advantages, especially in fish, among others, that makes the reproduction of species easier through a constant supply of sperm, synchronization of the gamete availability of both sexes, storage of semen for genetic improvement programs, reduction in the cost by eliminating the need to maintain male broodstock, and conserving the gametes of endangered species. However, freezing and warming procedures for cryopreservation lead to a reduction in the quality and viability of cryopreserved sperm because of oxidative stress. For this reason, the enrichment of extender media with antioxidants is a common method of cryopreservation of the semen of several fish species. Recently, many studies have been published for the protective role of antioxidants and especially of melatonin on male fertility preservation both in farm animals and humans, demonstrating the beneficial effects of melatonin as a sperm cryoprotectant. On the other hand, very few studies were conducted using melatonin as an antioxidant in different male fish species for semen cryopreservation. We conclude that the use of moderate concentrations of melatonin are beneficial to semen preservation, and the mechanisms through which melatonin acts positively on spermatozoa need to be further investigated to establish improvement protocols for cryopreservation in fish species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra I. Alevra
- Hydrobiology-Ichthyology Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Str., 38446 Volos, Greece;
- Correspondence: (A.I.A.); (S.P.); Tel.: +30-241-093-139 (S.P.)
| | - Athanasios Exadactylos
- Hydrobiology-Ichthyology Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Str., 38446 Volos, Greece;
| | - Eleni Mente
- Laboratory of Ichthyology-Culture and Pathology of Aquatic Animals, School of Veterinary Medicine, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, University Campus, 54006 Thessaloniki, Greece;
| | - Serafeim Papadopoulos
- Hydrobiology-Ichthyology Laboratory, Department of Ichthyology and Aquatic Environment, University of Thessaly, Fytokou Str., 38446 Volos, Greece;
- Correspondence: (A.I.A.); (S.P.); Tel.: +30-241-093-139 (S.P.)
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Ofosu J, Qazi IH, Fang Y, Zhou G. Use of melatonin in sperm cryopreservation of farm animals: A brief review. Anim Reprod Sci 2021; 233:106850. [PMID: 34537566 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Melatonin (MT) is a potent antioxidant with useful applications in several fields. Due to the capacity to scavenge free radicals and enhance cellular endogenous antioxidant defenses, MT is widely used in sperm cryopreservation to protect against oxidative stress-induced damage in frozen-thawed sperm. In this article, there is a review of positive effects of MT supplementation in cryopreservation of sperm from domestic ruminants and swine. There is direct or indirect scavenging of free radicals, preventing lipid peroxidation (LPO), and reducing oxidative stress, therefore, protecting membrane and DNA integrity, enhancing post-thaw antioxidant and enzymatic functions to maintain mitochondrial functions and activity, and regulating ATP production and utilization leading to maintenance of sperm quality, motility, and viability. In addition, MT reportedly inhibits sperm apoptosis, potentially by enhancing sperm viability and modulating abundances of mRNA transcripts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jones Ofosu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Izhar Hyder Qazi
- College of Animal Science and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China; Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Histology, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Sakrand 67210, Sindh, Pakistan
| | - Yi Fang
- Jilin Provincial Key Laboratory of Grassland Farming, Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Guangbin Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, and Farm Animal Genetic Resources Exploration and Innovation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, China.
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Tian X, Lv D, Ma T, Deng S, Yang M, Song Y, Zhang X, Zhang J, Fu J, Lian Z, Zhu S, Wu Y, Xing Y, Liu G. AANAT transgenic sheep generated via OPS vitrified-microinjected pronuclear embryos and reproduction efficiency of the transgenic offspring. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5420. [PMID: 30123717 PMCID: PMC6087419 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification method has been successfully applied in mouse, pig, and goat embryos as well as in buffalo oocytes, but it has not yet been applied to the microinjected embryos. This study examined the effects of OPS vitrification on embryo development and the reproductive capacity of the transgenic offspring in order to establish a method for preservation of microinjected embryos. Methods Ovine pronuclear embryos were microinjected with the exogenous aralkylamine N-acetyltransferase gene (AANAT), frozen by the OPS method, and subsequently thawed for embryo transplantation. Pregnancy rate, lambing rate, survival rate, average birth weight and transgenic positive rate as well as reproduction efficiency and hormone level of the transgenic offspring were investigated to analyze the effect of OPS vitrification on microinjectd pronuclear embryos. Results No significant differences were observed in the birth rate, lamb survival rate and transgenic positive rate between the frozen and non-frozen AANAT-microinjected pronuclear embryos. The average birth weight of the frozen embryos offspring was greater than that of the non-frozen embryos. Importantly, the transgenic offspring that overexpressed the AANAT gene showed improved ovulation efficiency and lambing rate by regulating their hormone levels. Conclusions The OPS vitrification approach may be a valuable method in microinjected- embryo transfer technology, which could reserve embryos and result in fewer unnecessary animal sacrifices. In addition, the AANAT+ transgenic offspring exhibited improved reproductive capacity on account of regulation effect of melatonin on reproductive hormone. These data may provide available references for human-assisted reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuzhi Tian
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,Animal Genetic Resources Group, Institute of Animal Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dongying Lv
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Teng Ma
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shoulong Deng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Minghui Yang
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yukun Song
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | | | | | - Juncai Fu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhengxing Lian
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Shien Zhu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Wu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiming Xing
- College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Guoshi Liu
- National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics and Breeding of the Ministry of Agriculture, Beijing Key Laboratory for Animal Genetic Improvement, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Meikle MN, Schlapp G, Menchaca A, Crispo M. Minimum volume Spatula MVD vitrification method improves embryo survival compared to traditional slow freezing, both for in vivo and in vitro produced mice embryos. Cryobiology 2018; 84:77-81. [PMID: 30040919 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 07/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to compare the effect of minimum volume Spatula MVD vitrification (VIT) versus traditional slow freezing (SLF) of mouse embryos. A total of 2,617 8-cell in vivo derived and 2-cell in vitro produced B6D2 mouse embryos were subjected to freezing/thawing or vitrification/warming, while fresh embryos were used as control group. Embryo recovery, survival and development rate, pregnancy rate and offspring production were analyzed. In Experiment 1, 8-cell in vivo derived embryos were subjected to in vitro culture, resulting in greater survival and development rates at 3.5 days post coitum stage in VIT than in SLF group (P < 0.05). Although both methods reached an acceptable hatching rate (41.0% and 49.7% for VIT and SLF, respectively; P=NS), it was significantly lower respect to the control group (67.8%, P < 0.01). In Experiment 2, 2-cell in vitro produced mouse embryos showed a similar recovery rate from the device after freezing/thawing or vitrification/warming (∼84%), however survival rate was significantly higher for vitrified/warmed (94.7%) than frozen/thawed embryos (85.1%; P < 0.01). Vitrified/warmed and control fresh embryos were transferred to surrogate mothers, revealing no differences both in pregnancy and offspring production rates. Our data demonstrate that minimum volume Spatula MVD method is a simple home-made useful technique for vitrification of 2-cell and 8-cell mouse embryos produced either in vitro or in vivo.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Noel Meikle
- Unidad de Animales Transgénicos y de Experimentación (UATE), Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Geraldine Schlapp
- Unidad de Animales Transgénicos y de Experimentación (UATE), Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Alejo Menchaca
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Cno Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - Martina Crispo
- Unidad de Animales Transgénicos y de Experimentación (UATE), Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, CP 11400, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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Ghandy N, Karimpur Malekshah AA. Which Stage of Mouse Embryos Is More Appropriate for Vitrification? INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FERTILITY & STERILITY 2017; 10:357-362. [PMID: 28042416 PMCID: PMC5134751 DOI: 10.22074/ijfs.2016.5086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2015] [Accepted: 07/16/2016] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background Vitrification has been shown as one of the most effective methods of
cryopreservation for mammalian embryos. However, there is no consensus which stage
of embryonic development is the most appropriate for vitrification with subsequent
maximal development after thawing. This study was carried out to explore and compare
the effect(s) of vitrification on mouse 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula and blastocyst
stage embryos and subsequent blast formation and hatching after thawing. Materials and Methods In this experimental study, 2-cell embryos were obtained from
the oviducts of super ovulated female NMRI mice. Some embryos were randomly selected
and vitrified through a two-step media protocol and cryotop. Other embryos were cultured
to assess their development. During the ensuing days, some of these cultured embryos were
vitrified at 4-cell, 8-cell, morula and blastocyst stages. After 10 to 14 days, the embryos
were thawed to assess their survival and also cultured to determine the rate of blastocyst
formation and hatching. The results were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Tukey’s
post-hoc tests. Results There was no significant difference in the survival rates of vitrified embryos
at 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, morula and blastocyst stages after thawing (P>0.05). The blastocyst
formation rate of vitrified 8-cell embryos was significantly higher than that of
2-cell embryos (P<0.05). The hatching rate of vitrified 4-cell, 8-cell and blastocysts
were significantly higher than that of 2-cell embryos (P<0.05). Conclusion Vitrification is suitable for cryopreservation of all stages of mouse embryonic
development. However, the best tolerance for vitrification was observed at 4and 8-cell
stages of development. Accordingly, the development of vitrified embryos to blastocysts,
following thawing, was most efficacious for 4 and 8-cell embryos. Compared to mouse
2-cell embryos, embryos vitrified as blastocysts had the highest rate of hatching.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasibeh Ghandy
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Karimpur Malekshah
- Molecular and Cell Biology Research Center, Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
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Zhou G, Zeng Y, Guo J, Meng Q, Meng Q, Jia G, Cheng K, Zeng C, Zhang M, Liu G, Zhu S. Vitrification transiently alters Oct-4, Bcl2 and P53 expression in mouse morulae but does not affect embryo development in vitro. Cryobiology 2016; 73:120-5. [PMID: 27590081 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2016] [Revised: 08/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/28/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
This study was conducted to determine the impact of vitrification on the expression of genes regulating pluripotency and apoptosis in mouse morulae. The morulae were randomly allocated into three groups: (1) untreated (control), (2) exposed to vitrification solution without freezing (toxicity), or (3) vitrified by open-pulled straw method (vitrification). In vitro development was evaluated by morphology and assessed by the blastocyst rate and the blastocyst total cell number. Gene expression in morulae and blastocysts was assessed by quantitative Real Time-PCR (qRT-PCR) and western blot. The results showed that at morulae stage, the POU class 5 homeobox1 (Oct-4) and B-cell lymphoma2 (Bcl2) mRNA levels of vitrification group were significantly lower (P < 0.05) than those of control. Strikingly, the p53 mRNA level was significantly higher in vitrification group. However, the Oct-4, Bcl2 and p53 mRNA levels in mouse blastocysts were not statistically different. Furthermore, western blot results showed that there was no significant difference in Oct-4, Bcl2 and p53 expression at protein level in mouse morulae among three groups. Additionally, the blastocyst rate (96.67%-100.00%) and the average cell number of blastocysts (89.67-92.33) were similar between all groups. The data demonstrate that vitrification transiently changes the mRNA expression of several key genes in mouse morulae regulating early embryo development but does not affect embryo developmental potential in vitro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangbin Zhou
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR China.
| | - Yan Zeng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China; College of Animal Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, PR China
| | - Jiang Guo
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR China
| | - Qinggang Meng
- Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Qingyong Meng
- State Key Laboratory of AgroBiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Gongxue Jia
- Key Laboratory of Adaption and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, PR China
| | - Keren Cheng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Changjun Zeng
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR China
| | - Ming Zhang
- Institute of Animal Genetics and Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu 611130, PR China
| | - Guoshi Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
| | - Shi'en Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, PR China
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Morató R, Castillo-Martín M, Yeste M, Bonet S. Cryotolerance of porcine in vitro-produced blastocysts relies on blastocyst stage and length of in vitro culture prior to vitrification. Reprod Fertil Dev 2016; 28:886-892. [DOI: 10.1071/rd14203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 10/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of our study was to assess whether the cryotolerance of in vitro-produced embryos could be influenced by the length of in vitro culture and size of blastocoel cavity before vitrification, using the pig as a model. For this purpose we analysed the cryoresistance and apoptosis rate of blastocysts at different stages of development as derived on Day 5 and 6 of in vitro culture. Blastocysts were subsequently vitrified, warmed and cultured for 24 h. Re-expansion rates were recorded at 3 and 24 h and total cell number and apoptotic cells were determined at 24 h. Day-6 blastocysts showed the highest rates of survival after warming, which indicates higher quality compared with Day-5 blastocysts. Higher re-expansion rates were observed for expanded blastocysts and those in the process of hatching when compared with early blastocysts. Total cell number and apoptotic cells were affected by blastocyst stage, vitrification–warming procedures and length of in vitro culture, as expanding and hatching–hatched blastocysts from Day 6 presented higher percentages of apoptotic cells than fresh blastocysts and blastocysts vitrified at Day 5. Our findings suggest that the cryotop vitrification method is useful for the cryopreservation of porcine blastocysts presenting a high degree of expansion, particularly when vitrification is performed after 6 days of in vitro culture. Furthermore, these results show that faster embryo development underlies higher blastocyst cryotolerance and provide evidence that blastocoel cavity expansion before vitrification is a reliable index of in vitro-produced embryo quality and developmental potential.
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An L, Chang S, Hu Y, Li Y, Xu B, Zhang F, Yang L, Presicce GA, Du F. Efficient cryopreservation of mouse embryos by modified droplet vitrification (MDV). Cryobiology 2015; 71:70-6. [PMID: 26025881 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2015.05.067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Revised: 04/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess modified droplet vitrification (MDV) for the cryopreservation of early developmental mouse embryos. Mouse embryos were equilibrated in holding solution for 3 min followed by immersion in vitrification solution for 30-45 s, and then three embryos per 3-μL vitrification droplet were directly dropped into liquid nitrogen. Vitrified embryos were warmed to examine their developmental potential both in vitro and in vivo. The results demonstrated that MDV vitrified and warmed embryos had a survival rate of 98.1-99.6% (P>0.05); however, blastocyst development post warming and culture in vitro demonstrated that vitrified 4-celled, 8-celled, 16-celled, morulae, and blastocyst embryos had significant higher developmental potentials (94.7-99.5%) than those from zygotes (9.2%) and 2-celled embryos (85.7%) (P<0.05). Compared to CryoLoop and CryoTech vitrification, MDV showed similar results with regards to rates of survival, blastocyst development, but with the higher hatching rate (76.1% vs. 64.0-67.3%) (P<0.05). Cryopreservation by MDV resulted in a similar blastocyst developmental potential in 4-celled and 16 celled embryos from ICR (94.7-99.5%), C57BL/6J (94.7-96.4%), and their crossbred F1 strain (97.9-98.9%) (P>0.05). After embryo transfer of vitrified ICR embryos from 4-celled, 16-celled, morulae and blastocyst stage, 40.7-43.7% of the embryos developed into live offspring (P>0.05), but MDV vitrification resulted in the highest birth rate (43.8%) compared to CryoLoop (38.3%) and CryoTech (35.4%) (P<0.05), when 4-celled mouse embryos were used for vitrification. Our study clearly demonstrated that MDV is the most efficient vitrification to cryopreserve embryos at least 4-celled and advanced stages, which can be used to preserve important mouse genomes from different strains and different developmental stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liyou An
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Shiwei Chang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Yeshu Hu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Yi Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Bowen Xu
- Lannuo Biotechnologies Wuxi Inc., Wuxi 214000, PR China
| | - Fenli Zhang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China
| | - Lan Yang
- Lannuo Biotechnologies Wuxi Inc., Wuxi 214000, PR China
| | | | - Fuliang Du
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Molecular and Medical Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing 210046, PR China; Renova Life Inc., College Park, MD 20742, USA.
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Fan Z, Meng Q, Bunch TD, White KL, Wang Z. Effective cryopreservation of golden Syrian hamster embryos by open pulled straw vitrification. Lab Anim 2015; 50:45-53. [PMID: 25715282 DOI: 10.1177/0023677215571654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Golden Syrian hamster embryos are difficult to cryopreserve due to their high sensitivity to cryoprotectants and in vitro handling. The objective of this study is to develop a robust open pulled straw (OPS) vitrification technique for cryopreserving hamster embryos at various developmental stages. We first systematically tested the concentrations of cryoprotectants and the exposure times of two-cell embryos to various vitrification solutions. We identified pretreatment of two-cell embryos with 10% (v/v) ethylene glycol (EG) + 10% (v/v) dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) for 30 s followed by exposure in the vitrification solution, EDFS30 (containing 15% EG + 15% DMSO), for 30 s before plunging into liquid nitrogen (two-step exposure method) as the optimal OPS vitrification protocol. We then investigated the resourcefulness of this protocol for vitrifying hamster embryos at different developmental stages. The results showed that high blastocyst rates from embryos vitrified at two-cell, four-cell, eight-cell, or morula stage (62%, 78%, 80%, or 72%, respectively), but not those verified at pronuclear (0%) or blastocyst stage (24%; P < 0.05), were achieved by this protocol. When embryos vitrified at the two-cell stage were recovered and then directly transferred to recipient females, 29% of them developed to term, a development rate not significantly different (P > 0.05) from the 40% birth rate of the unvitrified controls. In conclusion, we have developed an effective two-step OPS vitrification protocol for hamster embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Z Fan
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Q Meng
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - T D Bunch
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - K L White
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA
| | - Z Wang
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, Utah, USA Auratus Bio, LLC, Canton, South Dakota, USA
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Dos Santos Neto PC, Vilariño M, Barrera N, Cuadro F, Crispo M, Menchaca A. Cryotolerance of Day 2 or Day 6 in vitro produced ovine embryos after vitrification by Cryotop or Spatula methods. Cryobiology 2014; 70:17-22. [PMID: 25448379 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2014.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 11/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted to evaluate the cryotolerance of in vitro produced ovine embryos submitted to vitrification at different developmental stages using two methods of minimum volume and rapid cooling rate. Embryos were vitrified at early stage (2 to 8-cells) on Day 2 or at advanced stage (morulae and blastocysts) on Day 6 after in vitro fertilization. Vitrification procedure consisted of the Cryotop (Day 2, n=165; Day 6, n=174) or the Spatula method (Day 2, n=165; Day 6, n=175). Non vitrified embryos were maintained in in vitro culture as a control group (n=408). Embryo survival was determined at 3h and 24h after warming, development and hatching rates were evaluated on Day 6 and Day 8 after fertilization, and total cell number was determined on expanded blastocysts. Embryo survival at 24h after warming increased as the developmental stage progressed (P<0.05) and was not affected by the vitrification method. The ability for hatching of survived embryos was not affected by the stage of the embryos at vitrification or by the vitrification method. Thus, the proportion of hatching from vitrified embryos was determined by the survival rate and was lower for Day 2 than Day 6 vitrified embryos. The percentage of blastocysts on Day 8 was lower for the embryos vitrified on Day 2 than Day 6 (P<0.05), and was lower for both days of vitrification than for non-vitrified embryos (P<0.05). No interaction of embryo stage by vitrification method was found (P=NS) and no significant difference was found in the blastocyst cell number among vitrified and non-vitrified embryos. In conclusion, both methods using minimum volume and ultra-rapid cooling rate allow acceptable survival and development rates in Day 2 and Day 6 in vitro produced embryos in sheep. Even though early stage embryos showed lower cryotolerance, those embryos that survive the vitrification-warming process show high development and hatching rates, similar to vitrification of morulae or blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Dos Santos Neto
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Vilariño
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - N Barrera
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - F Cuadro
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - M Crispo
- Unidad de Animales Transgénicos y de Experimentación, Institut Pasteur de Montevideo, Mataojo 2020, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - A Menchaca
- Instituto de Reproducción Animal Uruguay, Fundación IRAUy, Camino Cruz del Sur 2250, Montevideo, Uruguay.
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11
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Ha AN, Park HS, Jin JI, Lee SH, Ko DH, Lee DS, White KL, Kong IK. Postthaw survival of in vitro-produced bovine blastocysts loaded onto the inner surface of a plastic vitrification straw. Theriogenology 2014; 81:467-73. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2013.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2013] [Revised: 10/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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12
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Mochida K, Hasegawa A, Li MW, Fray MD, Kito S, Vallelunga JM, Lloyd KCK, Yoshiki A, Obata Y, Ogura A. High osmolality vitrification: a new method for the simple and temperature-permissive cryopreservation of mouse embryos. PLoS One 2013; 8:e49316. [PMID: 23341870 PMCID: PMC3547031 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2012] [Accepted: 10/07/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Procedures for cryopreserving embryos vary considerably, each having its specific advantages and disadvantages in terms of technical feasibility, embryo survival yield, temperature permissibility and species- or strain-dependent applicability. Here we report a high osmolality vitrification (HOV) method that is advantageous in these respects. Cryopreservation by vitrification is generally very simple, but, unlike slow freezing, embryos should be kept at a supercooling temperature (below –130°C) to avoid cryodamage. We overcame this problem by using an HOV solution containing 42.5% (v/v) ethylene glycol, 17.3% (w/v) Ficoll and 1.0 M sucrose. This solution is more viscous than other cryopreservation solutions, but easy handling of embryos was assured by employing a less viscous equilibration solution before vitrification. Most (>80%) embryos cryopreserved in this solution survived at –80°C for at least 30 days. Normal mice were recovered even after intercontinental transportation in a conventional dry-ice package for 2–3 days, indicating that special containers such as dry shippers with liquid nitrogen vapor are unnecessary. The HOV solution could also be employed for long-term storage in liquid nitrogen, as with other conventional cryoprotectants. Finally, we confirmed that this new vitrification method could be applied successfully to embryos of all six strains of mice we have tested so far. Thus, our HOV method provides an efficient and reliable strategy for the routine cryopreservation of mouse embryos in animal facilities and biomedical laboratories, and for easy and cheap transportation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ming-Wen Li
- Mouse Biology Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Martin D. Fray
- Medical Research Council Mary Lyon Centre, Harwell Science and Innovation Centre, Oxon, United Kingdom
| | - Seiji Kito
- National Institute of Radiological Sciences, Chiba-shi, Chiba, Japan
| | - Jadine M. Vallelunga
- Mouse Biology Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - K. C. Kent Lloyd
- Mouse Biology Program, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | | | - Yuichi Obata
- RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
| | - Atsuo Ogura
- RIKEN BioResource Center, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science, University of Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan
- The Center for Disease Biology and Integrative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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13
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Morató R, Romaguera R, Izquierdo D, Paramio MT, Mogas T. Vitrification of in vitro produced goat blastocysts: Effects of oocyte donor age and development stage. Cryobiology 2011; 63:240-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2011.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Revised: 08/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/15/2011] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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14
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Kim BH, Kim JS, Ryu JS, Lee SH, Lee JT, Kang JY, Chang KT, Choo YK. Effect of droplet vitrification on mitochondrial membrane potential and developmental competence in two-cell mouse embryos. Anim Cells Syst (Seoul) 2011. [DOI: 10.1080/19768354.2011.620624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
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15
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Wang L, Liu J, Zhou GB, Hou YP, Li JJ, Zhu SE. Quantitative investigations on the effects of exposure durations to the combined cryoprotective agents on mouse oocyte vitrification procedures. Biol Reprod 2011; 85:884-94. [PMID: 21697515 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.090118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Vitrification by using two-step exposures to combined cryoprotective agents (CPAs) has become one of the most common methods for oocyte cryopreservation. By quantitatively examining the status of oocytes during CPA additions and dilutions, we can analyze the degree of the associated osmotic damages. The osmotic responses of mouse MII oocyte in the presence of the combined CPAs (ethylene glycol, EG, and dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) were recorded and analyzed. A two-parameter model was used in the curve-fitting calculation to determine the values of hydraulic conductivity (L(p)) and permeability (P(s)) to the combined CPAs at 25°C and 37°C. The effects of exposure durations and the exposure temperatures on the cryopreservation in terms of frozen-thawed cell survival rates and subsequent development were examined in a series of cryopreservation experiments. Mouse MII oocytes were exposed to pretreatment solution (PTS) and vitrification solution (VS) at specific temperatures. The PTS used in our experiment was 10% EG and 10% DMSO dissolved in modified PBS (mPBS), and the VS was EDFS30 (15% EG, 15% DMSO, 3 × 10(-3) M Ficoll, and 0.35 M sucrose in mPBS).The accumulative osmotic damage (AOD) and intracellular CPA concentrations were calculated under the different cryopreservation conditions, and for the first time, the quantitative interactions between survival rates, subsequent development rates, and values of AOD were investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Haidian District, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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16
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Lin T, Chen C, Sung L, Carter M, Chen Y, Du F, Ju J, Xu J. Open-pulled straw vitrification differentiates cryotolerance of in vitro cultured rabbit embryos at the eight-cell stage. Theriogenology 2011; 75:760-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2010.10.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2009] [Revised: 10/09/2010] [Accepted: 10/09/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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17
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Tsang WH, Chow KL. Cryopreservation of mammalian embryos: Advancement of putting life on hold. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010; 90:163-75. [PMID: 20860056 DOI: 10.1002/bdrc.20186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Rodent transgenesis and human-assisted reproductive programs involve multistep handling of preimplantation embryos. The efficacy of production and quality of results from conventionally scheduled programs are limited by temporal constraints other than the quality and quantities of embryos per se. The emergence of vitrification, a water ice-free cryopreservation technique, as a reliable way to arrest further growth of preimplantation embryos, provides an option to eliminate the time constraint. In this article, current and potential applications of cryopreservation to facilitate laboratory animal experiments, colony management, and human-assisted reproductive programs are reviewed. Carrier devices developed for vitrification in the last two decades are compared with an emphasis on their physical properties that infer cooling rate of samples and sterility assurance. Biological impacts of improved cryopreservation on preimplantation embryos are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wai Hung Tsang
- Department of Biology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong
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Ling XF, Zhang JQ, Cao SR, Chen J, Peng Y, Guo X, Heng BC, Tong GQ, Wang X. Effect of cryotop vitrification on preimplantation developmental competence of murine morula and blastocyst stage embryos. Reprod Biomed Online 2010; 19:708-13. [PMID: 20021719 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2009.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Vitrification is an effective method for the cryopreservation of mammalian embryos. Nevertheless, it is unclear which embryonic developmental stage is the most suited for vitrification and would ensure maximal developmental competence upon subsequent warming. This study, therefore, compared the effects of cryotop vitrification on the developmental competence of murine morula and blastocyst stage embryos. Additionally, trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers were compared in two hatched blastocyst groups derived from vitrified morulae and blastocysts, respectively. The post-vitrification survival rates for mouse embryos at the morula and blastocyst stage were 95.4% (186/195) and 96.5% (195/202), respectively. The blastocyst formation rate was significantly lower for vitrified morulae (90.3%) compared with the non-vitrified control group (98.4%) (P < 0.05). The hatching rates were similar between the vitrified morula (79.6%) and the vitrified blastocyst (81.0%) groups. When further development to the fully hatched blastocyst stage was compared, fully hatched blastocysts derived from vitrified morulae had significantly higher cell counts for both the ICM and TE lineage, as compared with hatched blastocysts derived from vitrified blastocysts (P < 0.001). Cryotop vitrification of mouse embryos at the morula stage rather than blastocyst stage would thus ensure a higher degree of post-warming developmental competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiu Feng Ling
- Department of Reproduction, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, PR China
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Zhao XM, Fu XW, Hou YP, Yan CL, Suo L, Wang YP, Zhu HB, Dinnyés A, Zhu SE. Effect of vitrification on mitochondrial distribution and membrane potential in mouse two pronuclear (2-PN) embryos. Mol Reprod Dev 2010; 76:1056-63. [PMID: 19551710 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.21064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the effect of vitrification on mitochondrial distribution, membrane potential (Deltapsi) and microtubule distribution in mouse 2-PN embryos, as well as to document the relationship between mitochondrial distribution and developmental ability of those embryos. Mitochondrial distribution was examined by fluorescence microscopy technology. Results indicated that: (1) The rate of mitochondrial ring formation around pronuclei in vitrified 2-PN embryos was significantly lower than in fresh ones (67.3 +/- 3.0% vs. 84.9 +/- 3.1%) (P < 0.05). (2) Blastocyst development rate of vitrified 2-PN embryos without mitochondrial rings (61.7 +/- 4.5%) was significantly lower than that of vitrified embryos with mitochondrial rings (82.1 +/- 2.8%). (3) Following staining by 5,5',6,6'-tetrachloro-1,1',3,3'-tetraethyl-imidacarbo-cyanine iodide (JC-1), most red-colored mitochondria (high Deltapsi) were distributed peripherally around pronuclei and along cell membranes of fresh 2-PN embryos. Conversely, red-colored mitochondria were greatly diminished in vitrified embryos, with green mitochondria (low Deltapsi) evenly distributed throughout the cytoplasm. The proportion of fresh 2-PN embryos with obvious aggregation of high Deltapsi mitochondria (84.2 +/- 2.2%) was significantly higher than that of vitrified embryos (26.7 +/- 3.0%) (P < 0.05). (4) The proportion of fresh embryos with microtubules distributed around pronuclei (83.5 +/- 3.4%) was similar to that of vitrified embryos (74.7 +/- 2.5%). In conclusion, vitrification affected mitochondrial distribution and decreased the mitochondrial membrane potential in mouse 2-PN embryos, events which may affect subsequent developmental viability of such embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ming Zhao
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, P.R. China
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20
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Zhang J, Cui J, Ling X, Li X, Peng Y, Guo X, Heng BC, Tong GQ. Vitrification of mouse embryos at 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stages by cryotop method. J Assist Reprod Genet 2009; 26:621-8. [PMID: 19967554 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-009-9370-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2009] [Accepted: 11/13/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of vitrification on the preimplantation developmental competence of mouse 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stage embryos. METHODS Mouse 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stage embryos were cryopreserved using the cryotop vitrification method and subsequently warmed on a later date. The embryos were then assessed by their morphology, blastocyst formation and hatching rates. Additionally, trophectoderm (TE) and inner cell mass (ICM) cell numbers were compared in hatched blastocysts from the control and experimental groups. RESULTS Vitrified embryos at the 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell stages appeared morphologically normal after warming. The overall survival rate of vitrified embryos at various stages after warming was 96.7% and there were no significant differences among 2-cell stage (96.0%), 4-cell stage (96.8%) and 8-cell stage (97.1%) embryos (P > 0.05). The blastocyst formation rate (69.4%) and hatching rate (52.6%) of vitrified 2-cell embryos were significantly lower than that from the control group and vitrified 8-cell embryos (P < 0.05). In the vitrified 4-cell embryo group, the blastocyst formation rate (90.3%) was similar to the 8-cell group (91.2%), but the hatching rate (60.0%) was significantly lower than that of the non-vitrified control ( 84.1%) and vitrified 8-cell embryo (78.4%) groups (P < 0.05). When further development to the fully hatched blastocyst stage was compared, hatched blastocysts derived from vitrified 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell embryos had significantly lower cell counts both in the ICM and TE, as compared to fresh blastocysts (P < 0.05). Among the vitrified 2-cell, 4-cell and 8-cell embryo groups, there were no significant differences in the cell counts of ICM and TE (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS Although cryotop vitrification was suitable for the cryopreservation of mouse embryos from the 2-cell stage, 4-cell stage and 8-cell stage without significant loss of survival, vitrification had an adverse effect on the development of 2-cell embryos. Mouse embryos at the 8-cell stage had the best tolerance for vitrification and would yield the highest level of post-vitrification developmental competence among early cleavage stage embryos. Nevertheless, it is unclear how these findings can be extrapolated to human embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junqiang Zhang
- Department of Reproduction, Nanjing Maternity and Child Health Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210004, People's Republic of China
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Vitrification of human early cavitating and deflated expanded blastocysts: clinical outcome of 474 cycles. J Assist Reprod Genet 2009; 26:523-9. [PMID: 19876729 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-009-9356-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2009] [Accepted: 10/08/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The present study was undertaken to evaluate and compare the post thaw survival, implantation and pregnancy rates of vitrified human early cavitating blastocysts with deflated expanded blastocysts. MATERIAL AND METHODS Supernumerary blastocysts were vitrified in 30% ethylene glycol-dimethyl sulphoxide based solution using cryoloop. Fully expanded blastocysts were deflated by gentle aspiration of the blastocoelic fluid using a micromanipulator until the cavity collapses prior to vitrification. RESULTS Of the 576 vitrified blastocysts, 545 (94.61%) survived thawing in the early cavitating blastocyst group which was significantly higher than deflated expanded blastocyst group, in which only 370 survived thawing out of 459 (80.62%). However, no significant difference was observed in implantation and pregnancy rates between early cavitating and deflated expanded blastocyst groups. CONCLUSIONS Early cavitating blastocyst would be the ideal stage for cryopreservation of human blastocysts as it has higher survival rate and avoids additional invasive procedures like deflation of the blastocoele.
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Effect of droplet vitrification on development competence, actin cytoskeletal integrity and gene expression in in vitro cultured mouse embryos. Theriogenology 2009; 71:1408-16. [PMID: 19268346 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2009.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2008] [Revised: 01/14/2009] [Accepted: 01/14/2009] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The effect of modified droplet vitrification was assessed on cellular actin filament organization, apoptosis related gene expression and development competence in mouse embryos cultured in vitro. Mouse zygotes, 2-cell embryos and morulae were vitrified in ethylene glycol (VS-1) and ethylene glycol plus DMSO (VS-2) and thawed by directly placing the vitrified drop into 0.3M sucrose solution at 37 degrees C. High recovery (93-99%) of morphologically normal embryos was evident following vitrification and thawing. No detectable actin filament disruption was observed in the embryos at any development stage following vitrification and thawing and/or in vitro culture. The expression pattern of Bax, Bcl2 and p53 genes was altered (P<0.05) in vitrified zygotes and 2-cell embryos, but not in morulae. Although a large proportion of the vitrified zygotes (59.5+/-4.4% in VS-1 and 57.9+/-4.5% in VS-2; mean+/-S.E.M.) and 2-cell embryos (63.1+/-4.4% in VS-1 and 59.2+/-4.3% in VS-2) developed into blastocysts, development of control embryos (70.2+/-5.0% of zygotes and 75.5+/-4.4% of 2-cell embryos) into blastocysts was higher (P<0.05). In contrast, development of the control and vitrified morulae into blastocysts (more than 85%) was similar. We concluded that the modified droplet vitrification procedure supported better survival of morula stage compared to zygotes and 2-cell mouse embryos.
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Abstract
SummaryThe aim of the study was to determine the efficiency of two vitrification techniques followed by two assisted hatching (AH) techniques based on post-thaw developmental capacity of precompacted rabbit embryos and their ability to leave the zona pellucida (hatching) during in vitro culture. The total cell number and embryo diameter as additional markers of embryo quality after warming were evaluated. In vivo fertilized, in vitro cultured 8–12-cell rabbit embryos obtained from superovulated rabbit does were cryopreserved by two-step vitrification method using ethylene glycol (EG) as cryoprotectant or by one-step vitrification method with EG and Ficoll (EG+Ficoll). Thawed embryos were subjected to enzymatic or mechanical AH. Vitrified EG group showed significantly lower (P < 0.05) blastocyst rate (22.5%) and hatching rate (15%) than those vitrified with EG + Ficoll (63 and 63% resp.) and that of control (97 and 97% respectively). Significantly lower values of total cell number (P < 0.05) as well as embryo diameter (P < 0.01) in EG group compared with EG + Ficoll and control group were recorded. No significant difference was found in developmental potential of warmed embryos treated by either mechanical or enzymatic AH. The present study demonstrates that the EG + Ficoll vitrification protocol provides superior embryo survival rates over the EG vitrification protocol for 8–12-cell stage precompacted rabbit embryos. No positive effect of either mechanical or enzymatic AH on the post-thaw viability and quality of rabbit embryos in vitro was observed.
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Yavin S, Aroyo A, Roth Z, Arav A. Embryo cryopreservation in the presence of low concentration of vitrification solution with sealed pulled straws in liquid nitrogen slush. Hum Reprod 2008; 24:797-804. [DOI: 10.1093/humrep/den397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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El-Gayar M, Gauly M, Holtz W. One-step dilution of open-pulled-straw (OPS)-vitrified mouse blastocysts in sucrose-free medium. Cryobiology 2008; 57:191-4. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2008.07.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2008] [Revised: 07/30/2008] [Accepted: 07/31/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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26
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Fan ZQ, Wang YP, Yan CL, Suo L, Zhu SE. Positive effect of partial zona pellucida digestion on in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes with cryopreserved spermatozoa. Lab Anim 2008; 43:72-7. [PMID: 18987060 DOI: 10.1258/la.2008.008029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa has been widely used; however, fertility of frozen spermatozoa in some strains, especially when inseminating cryopreserved oocytes, is low and may be improved by assisted fertilization techniques. The present study was performed to investigate the effect of partial zona pellucida (ZP) digestion on the in vitro fertilization (IVF) capacity of frozen mouse spermatozoa. Mouse oocytes were subjected to partial ZP digestion using acidic Tyrode's solution (pH 3.1). Fertilization rates in digestion groups (30 or 45 s) were higher (P < 0.05) than that of zona-intact control (78.3% or 86.3% vs. 52.5%). The recovery rate at 45 s was lower (P < 0.05) than that at 30 s (84.2% vs. 97.3%). Among vitrified oocytes, the fertilization rate in treatment group (digested for 30 s) was higher (P < 0.05) than that of zona-intact group (50.8% vs. 22.1%). After embryo transfer at the two-cell stage, 17.7% and 11.8% of transferred embryos derived from fresh and vitrified digested oocytes developed to term and showed no significant difference as compared with that from zona-intact oocytes (24.1%, P > 0.05). These results indicate that partial ZP digestion improves IVF efficiency of fresh and vitrified oocytes with frozen mouse spermatozoa, which can provide valuable information for in vitro assisted fertilization using cryopreserved gametes in the re-establishment of mouse colonies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi Qiang Fan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Yan CL, Yang QE, Zhou GB, Hou YP, Zhao XM, Fan ZQ, Liu MQ, Liu L, Zhu SE. Open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrification of in vitro fertilised mouse embryos at various stages. Acta Vet Hung 2008; 56:245-53. [PMID: 18669252 DOI: 10.1556/avet.56.2008.2.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The present study was designed to investigate the cryotolerance of in vitro fertilised (IVF) mouse embryos at various preimplantation developmental stages. IVF mouse embryos were vitrified by the open-pulled straw (OPS) method. After warming, embryos were morphologically evaluated and assessed by their development to blastocysts, hatched blastocysts or term. The results showed that a high proportion (93.3-100.0%) of vitrified embryos at all developmental stages were morphologically normal after recovery. The developmental rate of vitrified 1-cell embryos to blastocyst (40.0%) or hatched blastocyst (32.7%) or term (9.3%) was significantly lower than that from other stages (P < 0.05). Vitrified embryos from 2-cell to early blastocyst stage showed similar blastocyst (71.8-89.5%) and hatched blastocyst rates (61.1-69.6%) and could develop to term without a significant loss of survival compared with those of fresh embryos (P > 0.05). Vitrified 2-cell embryos showed the highest survival rate in vivo (50.6%, 88/174), compared with that from other stages (9.3-30.5%, P < 0.05). The data demonstrate that the OPS method is suitable for the cryopreservation of IVF mouse embryos from 2-cell stage to early blastocyst stage without a significant loss of survival. Embryos at the 2-cell stage had the best tolerance for cryopreservation in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Liang Yan
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Qi-En Yang
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | | | - Yun-Peng Hou
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Xue-Ming Zhao
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Fan
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Man-Qing Liu
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Lin Liu
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
| | - Shi-En Zhu
- 1 China Agricultural University College of Animal Science and Technology, and State Key Laboratories for Agrobiotechnology Beijing P.R. China
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28
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Fan ZQ, Li XW, Liu Y, Meng QG, Wang YP, Hou YP, Zhou GB, Zhu SE. Piezo-assisted in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes with spermatozoa retrieved from epididymides stored at 4 degree C. J Reprod Dev 2008; 54:107-12. [PMID: 18239354 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.19118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
This study was performed to investigate the effect of partial zona pellucida incision by piezo micromanipulation (ZIP) on the in vitro fertilizing ability of stored mouse spermatozoa. The storage conditions were optimized by storing the mouse epididymides at 4 C in mineral oil or in the mouse body for up to 4 days after death, and the retrieved spermatozoa were used to fertilize fresh oocytes. No significant difference was observed in fertilization rates between the treatments when epididymides were stored for up to 2 days, but the fertilization rates in mineral oil were higher (P<0.05) than those in the mouse body at 3 (41.4 vs. 16.2%) and 4 days (26.0 vs. 15.8%). Spermatozoa retrieved from epididymides stored in mineral oil were then used to fertilize fresh and vitrified oocytes with or without ZIP treatment. The fertilization rates of the ZIP fresh oocytes were higher than those of the zona-intact oocytes at each time point (1 to 4 days). After ZIP, the fertilization rates of spermatozoa stored for 1 and 2 days (91.2 and 86.6%, respectively) were similar (P>0.05) to that of fresh spermatozoa (91.9%). In regard to vitrified oocytes, the fertilization rates of zona-intact and ZIP oocytes using fresh spermatozoa were 46.7 and 84.7%, while the fertilization rates of vitrified ZIP oocytes using spermatozoa stored for 1 to 4 days ranged from 49.3 to 79.6%. When 2-cell embryos derived from ZIP fresh and vitrified oocytes inseminated with 2 day-stored spermatozoa were transferred into recipient females, 47.9 and 15.0% of the embryos developed to term, respectively. These results indicate that storing mouse epididymides at 4 C in mineral oil is more suitable than storage in the mouse body and that the ZIP technique improves the in vitro fertilizing ability of stored mouse spermatozoa in fresh oocytes and significantly increases the fertilization rate of vitrified oocytes with fresh spermatozoa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Qiang Fan
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, Beijing, China
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Zhao XM, Quan GB, Zhou GB, Hou YP, Zhu SE. Conventional freezing, straw, and open-pulled straw vitrification of mouse two pronuclear (2-PN) stage embryos. Anim Biotechnol 2008; 18:203-12. [PMID: 17612843 DOI: 10.1080/10495390701201663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Little is known on the cryopreservation of mouse pronuclear (PN) stage embryos. In the present experiment the mouse 2-PN stage embryos were cryopreserved by conventional freezing, straw, or open-pulled straw (OPS) vitrificaiton methods. The conventional freezing solution was 1.5 mol/L ethylene glycol (EG), and vitrification solutions were EFS30 (30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose), EFS40 (40% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose), EDFS30 (15% EG, 15%dimethyl sulfoxide [DMSO], Ficoll, and sucrose), or EDFS40 (20% EG, 20%DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose). The blastocyst rate of 2-PN stage embryos cryopreserved by conventional method (30.4%) was lower than those vitrified by straw method with EDFS (56.9% to 69.1%), by OPS method (66.0% to 85.7%), and that of control (80.8%) (P < 0.05). With a given vitrificaiton solution EFS30, EFS40, EDFS30, or EDFS40, the blastocyst rate of embryos vitrified by the OPS method (66.7%, 66.0%, 85.7%, or 76.9%) was higher than that of those vitrified by the straw method (46.8%, 43.8%, 69.1%, or 56.9%) (P < 0.05). When mouse 2-PN-stage embryos were vitrified with EDFS30 by straw or OPS method, the highest blastocyst rate was achieved (69.1% or 85.7%) and was similar to that of the control, respectively. The embryos transfer results revealed that the full-term development of blastocysts derived from 2-PN stage embryos vitrified by OPS method with EDFS30 (19.9%) was similar to that of the control (23.5%), and higher than that of those cryopreserved by conventional freezing (9.3%) (P < 0.05). The present research demonstrates that the OPS method, especially with EDFS30, is more effective in cryopreserving mouse 2-PN embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue-Ming Zhao
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
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30
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Effect of the Developmental Stage and Thawing Temperature on the Survival and Development of the Vitrified Embryos. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/s1658-3612(08)70057-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
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31
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Dhali A, Anchamparuthy VM, Butler SP, Pearson RE, Mullarky IK, Gwazdauskas FC. Gene expression and development of mouse zygotes following droplet vitrification. Theriogenology 2007; 68:1292-8. [PMID: 17915304 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2007.08.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2007] [Revised: 08/22/2007] [Accepted: 08/28/2007] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The concept of ultra-rapid vitrification has emerged in recent years; the accelerated cooling rate reduced injury attributed to cryopreservation and improved post-freezing developmental competence of vitrified oocytes and embryos. The objectives of the present study were to develop a simple and effective ultra-rapid vitrification method (droplet vitrification) and evaluate its effects on post-thaw development and apoptosis-related gene expression in mouse zygotes. Presumptive zygotes were equilibrated for 3 min in equilibration medium and washed 3 times in vitrification solution. A drop (5 microL) of vitrification solution containing 10-12 embryos was placed directly onto surface of liquid nitrogen, with additional liquid nitrogen poured over the drop. For thawing and cryoprotectant removal, vitrified drops were put into dilution medium for 3 min, followed by M2 medium for 5 min. Although cleavage rate did not differ significantly among the control (90.8+/-2.8%; mean+/-S.E.M.), toxicity control (83.5+/-3.2%), and vitrified (86.2+/-3.1%) zygotes, rates of blastocyst and hatched blastocyst formation were lower (P<0.01) in vitrified zygotes (49.7+/-4.7% and 36.0+/-4.7%) and toxicity controls (47.3+/-4.6% and 40.3+/-4.6%) compared with controls (65.5+/-4.1% and 54.2+/-4.3%). Exposure of zygotes to vitrification solution, as well as the vitrification process, down-regulated the expression of Bax, Bcl2, and p53 genes in blastocysts. Although droplet vitrification was efficient and easy, it altered the transcriptional activities of Bax, Bcl2, and p53 genes in vitrified embryos, indicating a strong relationship between reduced developmental competence and the altered transcriptional activities of these genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Dhali
- Department of Dairy Science, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0315, USA
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Zhou C, Zhou GB, Zhu SE, Hou YP, Jin F, Zhao XM, Hong QH. Open-pulled Straw (OPS) Vitrification of Mouse Hatched Blastocysts. Anim Biotechnol 2007; 18:45-54. [PMID: 17364443 DOI: 10.1080/10495390600826412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
This study was first employed to investigate the developmental potential of mouse hatched blastocyts (HBs) vitrified by a two-step open-pulled straw (OPS) method. HBs were obtained by culture of morulae in vitro. First, the embryos were placed in four cryprotectant solutions - that is, 10% ethylene glycol (EG), 10%E + 10%D (10% EG and 10% dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in mPBS), EFS30 (30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose) and EDFS30 (15% EG, 15% DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose)--at 25 degrees C for 0.5 to 10 min, respectively, to determine their optimal survival after rapid dilution in 0.5 M sucrose. Secondly, based on the above best survival, the embryos were plunged into liquid nitrogen after first pretreatment in 10%E for 0.5 min and then 0.5 min equilibration in EFS30 (Group 1), or 10%E + 10%D and EDFS30 for 0.5 min, respectively (Group 2). When warming, three methods were used to dilute the cryoprotectants from the vitrified embryos. The embryos were assessed by the re-expansion of the blastocoel or development to term. The result showed that all the vitrified-warmed HBs got high in vitro survival rates (83.7% to 98.9%). The highest in vitro survival rates (87.8% in Group 1, 98.9% in Group 2) were obtained when the vitrified embryos were diluted first in 0.3 M sucrose for 5 min, then in 0.15 M sucrose for 2 min (method C). When the vitrified embryos diluted with method C were transferred, their survival rate in vivo (35.5% to 42.2% of the total) were similar to (P > 0.05) that of control (45.7%). These results demonstrate OPS method was highly efficient for the cryopreservation of mouse HBs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chong Zhou
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, PR China
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Yang QE, Hou YP, Zhou GB, Yang ZQ, Zhu SE. Stepwise in-straw dilution and direct transfer using open pulled straws (OPS) in the mouse: a potential model for field manipulation of vitrified embryos. J Reprod Dev 2006; 53:211-8. [PMID: 17132907 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.18045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, mouse blastocysts were employed to investigate the feasibility and efficiency of stepwise in-straw dilution and direct transfer using the open pulled straw (OPS) method. In experiment I, the effects of various vitrification solutions (VS) on embryo survival were examined. After thawing, the expanded blastocyst rates (97.59 and 95.05%) and hatching rates (80.48 and 78.95%) achieved in the EDFS30 [15% ethylene glycol (EG), 15% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), Ficoll, and sucrose] and EFS40 [40% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose] groups were no different from those (96.15% and 83.33%) of the control group. However, the rates in the EFS30 [30% EG, Ficoll, and sucrose] (87.80 and 55.43%) and EDFS40 [20% EG, 20% DMSO, Ficoll, and sucrose] (95.69 and 70.97%) groups were significantly lower than those (96.15 and 83.33%) of the control group (P<0.05). In the experiment II, the effects of the volume of VS in the OPS on the survival of embryos after in-straw thawing were investigated. When the length of the VS in the column was less than 1 cm, the in vitro viability of embryos thawed by stepwise in-straw dilution was no different among the experimental and control groups. The embryos could be successfully thawed by immersing the OPS in 0.5 M sucrose for 3 min and then 0.25 M sucrose for 2 min. In experiment III, the effect of immersion time of the OPS in diluent (PBS) on the viability of vitrified embryos was investigated. After in-straw thawing, OPSs were immersed immediately in 1 ml PBS for 0 to 30 min. When the immersion time of the OPSs in PBS was less than 12 min, in vitro development of the in-straw thawed embryos was no different from that of the controls. In experiment IV, in-straw thawed blastocysts were directly transferred to pseudopregnant mice to examine their in vivo developmental viability. The pregnancy (91.67%) and birth rates (42.42%) of embryos in-straw thawed and directly transferred were no different from those of the unvitrified controls (90.90 and 40%) and embryos thawed by the conventional method (84.61 and 46.94%). These results demonstrate that mouse embryos vitrified with OPS could be successfully thawed by stepwise in-straw dilution and transferred directly to a recipient and that this method might be a model for field manipulation of vitrified embryos in farm animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qi-En Yang
- Laboratory of Animal Embryonic Biotechnology, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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