Effect of the length of embryos storage in liquid nitrogen on their post warming survival
Keywords:
rabbit embryos, vitrification, period of storage, open-pulled straw methodAbstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate post-thaw survival of rabbit embryos vitrified at pre-compacted or morula stages after short-term (1 - 5 hours) or long-term (1 week – 1 year) storage in liquid nitrogen. We determined the influence of embryo stage at vitrification, as well as period of embryos storage in liquid nitrogen on their post-thaw survival. The development of vitrified/ warmed rabbit embryos up to the hatched blastocyst stage in vitro was 38 % after short-term storage in liquid nitrogen. About 65 % of embryos, vitrified at the morula stage, reached the hatched blastocyst stage after the same time of storage in liquid nitrogen. Sig� nificant differences between both examinated groups (P< 0.001), as well as compared to control (intact, P< 0.001) were observed. The ratio of advanced blastocysts after a long-term storage and warming of morula stage embryos was 44%, which was statistically different (P< 0.001) from the intact group (75 %). We did not notice significant differences in the survival rate among embryos vitrified at the morula stage after different lenght of their storage in liquid nitrogen. However, stage of embryos at vitrification significantly influenced post-thaw survival of rabbit embryos.
