Effect of embryo and recipient condition on pregnancy rate following bovine embryo transfer

Lee, Jung-ho; Park, Hang-kyun; Shin, Sang-tae

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 1989;29(1):61-68.

Jung-ho Lee¹, Hang-kyun Park², Sang-tae Shin³

¹Korea Embryo Transfer.Veterinary Clinic
²College of Agriculture, Kyungpook National University
³College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University

소 수정란이식(受精卵移植)에 있어서 수란우(受卵牛)와 수정란(受精卵)의 조건이 수태율(受胎率)에 미치는 영향

이정호¹, 박항균², 신상태³

¹한국수정란이식동물병원
²경북대학교 농과대학
³서울대학교 수의과대학

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine suitable selection factors for recipients and embryos which could improve pregnancy rates following bovine embryo transfer. The experiment included 52 surgical transfers from February, 1985 through June, 1986 performed on Kyungpook Breeding Center in southern Korea. The pregnancy rate was highest when recipients were in estrus within 6 hours before the donor to 12 hours after the donor (78.3% versus 50% for recipients in estrus earlier or later). Pregnancy rates were acceptable following culture under field conditions for up to 17 hours. More recipients over 15 months of age (76.1%) remained pregnant than those under 15 months (66.7%). Embryos transferred during the months from February to July resulted in higher pregnancy rates than those transferred during the remaining 6 months (77.3% versus 57.1%). Transferrable embryos were classified A (best) to C (worst); those graded A or B resulted in significantly higher pregnancy rates than those graded C (81.8% and 73.3% versus 25.0%, p<.05). Pregnancy rates among recipients of the Korean native breed tended to be higher than among Holstein recipients (100% versus 71.1%). Similarly, when the embryo was transferred to the right uterine horn, pregnancy rates tended to be higher than when it was transferred to the left (81.3% versus 65%). Pregnancy rates did not differ according to the stage of development of the embryo; they were for morulae, tight morulae, blastocysts, and advanced blastocysts, respectively: 75.0%, 66.7%, 75.0%, and 77.4%.

Key Words: embryo transfer, recipients, embryos, factors, pregnancy rates