The effect of unilateral ovariectomy on early embryonic survival and embryo development in rabbits

R. Peiró; M. Gallego; A. Blasco; M.A. Santacreu

doi:10.4995/wrs.2014.2105

Authors

R. Peiró Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València
M. Gallego Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València Centro de Salud Tendetes, Ricardo Micó 3, 46009 Valencia
A. Blasco Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València
M.A. Santacreu Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología Animal (ICTA), Universitat Politècnica de València

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4995/wrs.2014.2105

Keywords:

early embryo survival, embryo development, fertilisation rate, ovulation rate, unilateral ovariectomy

Abstract

Unilateral ovariectomy can be used to study uterine capacity in rabbits because an overcrowding of the functional uterine horn is produced. Due to the uterus duplex, the rabbit is the ideal model for such studies. However, this technique may affect embryo survival. The aim of this work is to study the effect of unilateral ovariectomy on early embryo survival and development in rabbit. A total of 101 unilateral ovariectomised females and 52 intact females were compared after slaughter at 30 h post-mating. Early embryo survival was estimated as the ratio between number of embryo recovered and ovulation rate. No differences were found between intact and unilaterally ovariectomised females in this trait. Unilateral ovariectomy did not change embryo development, measured as the number of embryo cells. Variability of embryo development was not affected either. At 30 h post-mating, the majority of embryos (86.2%) were 4-cell stage. Embryo quality was evaluated according to morphological criteria. No difference in embryo quality between intact and unilaterally ovariectomised females was found. Therefore, unilateral ovariectomy performed before puberty in rabbit does not modify early embryo survival and development.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Al-Shorepy S.A., Clutter A.C., Blair R.M., Nielsen M.K. 1992. Effects of three methods of selection for litter size in mice on pre-implantation embryonic development. Biol. Reprod., 46: 958-963. http://dx.doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod46.5.958

Argente M.J., Santacreu M.A., Climent A., Blasco A. 2008. Effects of intrauterine crowding on available uterine space per fetus in rabbits. Livest. Sci., 114: 211-219. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2007.05.008

Bedford J.M. 1970. Sperm capacitation and fertilization in mammals. Biol. Reprod., 2: 128-158. http://dx.doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod2.Supplement_2.128

Blasco A., Argente M.J., Haley C.S., Santacreu M.A. 1994. Relationships between components of litter size in unilaterally ovariectomized and intact rabbit does. J. Anim. Sci., 72:3066-3072.

Blasco A., Bidanel J.P., Bolet G., Haley C.S., Santacreu M.A. 993. The genetics of prenatal survival of pigs and rabbits: a review. Livest. Prod. Sci., 37: 1-21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0301-6226(93)90061-L

Bolet G., Theau-Clement M. 1994. Fertilisation rate and preimplantation embryonic development in two rabbit strains of different fecundity, in purebreeding and crossbreeding. Anim. Reprod. Sci., 36: 153-162. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-4320(94)90062-0

Christenson R.K., Leymaster K.A., Young L.D. 1987. Justification of unilateral hysterectomy-ovariectomy as a model to evaluate uterine capacity in swine. J. Anim. Sci., 67: 738-744.

Clutter A.C., Nielsen M.K., Johnson R.K. 1990. Alternative methods of selection for litter size in mice: I. Characterization of base population and development of methods. J. Anim. Sci., 68: 3536-3542.

Duc-Goiran P., Mignot T.M., Bourgeois C., Ferré F. 1999. Embryomaternal interactions at the implantation site: a delicate equilibrium. Eur. J. Obstet. Gynecol. Reprod. Biol., 83: 85-100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0301-2115(98)00310-8

Fateh El-Bab A.Z., Hassan A., Al-Bashary A., El-Habashy M.A. 1983. Effects of unilateral ovariectomization on the numbers of sperm in the oviducts, uterus and cervix of rabbits. Theriogenology, 19: 527-533. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0093-691X(83)90173-5

Fleming T.P., Kwong W.Y., Porter R., Ursell E., Fesenko I., Wilkins A., Miller D.J., Watkins A.J., Eckert J.J. 2004. The embryo and its future. Biol. Reprod., 71: 1046-1054. http://dx.doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.104.030957

Fujimoto S., Rawson J.M.R., Dukelow W.R. 1974. Hormonal influences on the time of ovulation in the rabbit as determined by laparoscopy. J. Reprod. Fertil., 38: 97-103. http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0380097

García-Ximénez F., Vicente J.S. 1992. Effect of ovarian cystic or haemorrhagic follicles on embryo recovery and survival after transfer in hCG-ovulated rabbits. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 32: 143-149. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/rnd:19920207

Herrler A., von Rango U., Beier H.M. 2003. Embryo-maternal signalling: how the embryo starts talking to its mother to accomplish implantation. Reprod. Biomed. Online, 6: 244-256. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S1472-6483(10)61717-8

Hunter R.H.F. 1982. Fisiología y tecnología de la reproducción de la hembra de los animales domésticos. Acribia, Zaragoza, España.

Knight J.W., Fuller W.B., Thatcher W.W., Franke D.E., Wallace H.D. 1977. Conceptus development in intact and unilaterally hysterectomized-ovariectomized gilts: interrelations among hormonal status, placental development, fetal fluids and fetal growth. J. Anim. Sci., 44: 620-637.

Koenig J.L.F., Zimmermann D.R., Eldridge F.E., Kopf J.D. 1986. The effect of superovulation and selection for high ovulation rate on chromosomal abnormalities in swine ova. J. Anim. Sci., 63: 202.

Lamberson W.R., Blair R.M., Long C.R. 1989. Effect of unilateral ovariectomy on reproductive traits of mice. Anim. Reprod. Sci., 20: 49-55. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0378-4320(89)90112-7

Mehaisen G.M., Viudes de Castro M.P., Vicente J.S., Lavara R. 2006. In vitro and in vivo viability of vitrified and non-vitrified embryos derived from eCG and FSH treatment in rabbit does. Theriogenology, 65: 1279-1291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.08.007

Ménézo Y., Renard J.P. 1991. La vie de l´oeuf avant l´implantation. In: Thibault M.C. (ed). La reproduction chez les mammifères et l´home. INRA, Toulose, France, 339-358.

Peiró R., Santacreu M.A., Climent A., Blasco A. 2007. Early embryonic survival and embryo development in two divergent lines of rabbits selected for uterine capacity. J. Anim. Sci, 85:1634-1639. http://dx.doi.org/10.2527/jas.2006-737

Pope S., Xie D., Broermann M., Nephew K.P. 1990. Causes and consequences of early embryonic diversity in pigs. J. Reprod. Fertil., 40: 251-260.

Shulman A., Bennun I., Ghetler Y., Kaneti H., Shilon M., Beyth Y. 1993. Relationship between embryo morphology and implantation rate after in-vitro fertilization treatment in conception cycles. Fertil. Steril., 60: 123-126.

Torres S., Hulot F., Sevellec C. 1987a. Early stages of embryonic development in two rabbit genotypes. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 27:715-719. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/rnd:19870511

Torres S., Hulot F., Meunier M., Sevellec C. 1987b. Comparative study of preimplantation development and embryonic loss in two rabbit strains. Reprod. Nutr. Dev., 27: 707-714. http://dx.doi.org/10.1051/rnd:19870510

Tsiligianni T., Saratsi A., Besenfelder U., Anastasiadis A., Vainas E., Saratsis Ph., Brem G. 2004. The use of cytological examination of vaginal smears (CEVS) in the selection of rabbits for superovulation. Theriogenology, 61: 989-995. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0093-691X(02)01293-1

Veeck L.L., Maloney M. 1986. Insemination and fertilization. In: Jones H.W., Jones G.S., Hodgen G.D., Rosenwaks Z. (ed). Invitro fertilization-norfolk. Wiliams and Wilkins, Baltimore, USA,

-200.