Improvement of reproductive efficiency by the prevention of pregnancy loss on non-surgical embryo transfer in pigs

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25292184
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Veterinary medical science
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: YOSHIOKA KOJI 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 動物衛生研究部門 病態研究領域, ユニット長 (20355192)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 鈴木 千恵 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 動物衛生研究部門企画管理部, チーム長 (50414735)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 臨床繁殖 / ブタ / 胚移植 / 胚死滅

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In porcine non-surgical embryo transfer (ET), the frequency of embryonic mortality increased significantly at 2 or 3 day after ET, which is from 6 days after ovulation. However, since there are no significant differences in mRNA levels of EGF like growth factor and ErbB receptor families between ET embryos and artificially inseminated (AI) embryos, it was suggested that early pregnancy loss was not associated with difference in their gene expression levels. Proportion of apoptotic cells in ET embryos was significantly higher than that in AI embryos. Thus, high incidence of apoptosis may cause embryonic mortality after ET. When 40 blastocysts were transferred non-surgically into recipients, their pregnancy rate was significantly higher compared to when 25 blastocysts were transferred. It may suggest that increased numbers of ET embryos maintain the number of alive embryos required for pregnancy establishment in recipients.

Free Research Field

獣医学