Vitrification and transfer of cynomolgus monkey ( Macaca fascicularis) embryos fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection

• Published in: Theriogenology Vol. 76; no. 1; pp. 33 - 38
• Main Authors: Yamasaki, J, Iwatani, C, Tsuchiya, H, Okahara, J, Sankai, T, Torii, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.07.2011; [Oxford]: Butterworth-Heinemann; [New York]: Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Animals; blastocyst; Cryopreservation; Cryopreservation - methods; Cryopreservation - veterinary; Cynomolgus monkey; Embryo Culture Techniques - veterinary; Embryo Transfer - methods; Embryo Transfer - veterinary; Female; ICSI; in vitro culture; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; Macaca fascicularis; Macaca fascicularis - embryology; Male; monkeys; Polypropylene strip; pregnancy; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic - methods; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic - veterinary; thawing; Vitrification; ICSI; Polypropylene strip; Cryopreservation; Vitrification; Cynomolgus monkey
• ISSN: 0093-691X; 1879-3231
• DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2011.01.010

Protocols for cryopreservation of monkey embryos are not well established. The objective of the current study was to determine the efficacy of the polypropylene strip method for cryopreserving cynomolgus monkey embryos. Cynomolgus monkey embryos, 63 and 56 at the 4- to 8-cell and 56 blastocyst stages, respectively, were produced by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and in vitro culture, and vitrified using a polypropylene strip. For these two stages, 95 and 86% survived after thawing and pregnancy rates were 29.2% (7 pregnant females/24 recipients, with three live births) and 0% (n = 16 recipients). These were apparently the first live births obtained from embryos fertilized by ICSI. In conclusion, 4- to 8-cell preimplantation cynomolgus monkey embryos were successfully cryopreserved using a polypropylene strip.