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This study was aimed to assess the viability after vitrification of sow and sheep embryos produced in vitro. Complexes Oocyte-cumulus cells (COCs) were obtained from ovaries collected from sows and sheeps in the slaughterhouse. The viability was evaluated in three groups of embryos: unvitrified (control group), after vitrification (warming) and at 72 hours of culture after warming. The vitrification used two steps with ethylene glycol (EG) 4% (v/v), fetal bovine serum (FBS) 20%, in TCM-199 at 37 °C for 15 minutes, then the embryos were transferred to a vitrification solution of 35% EG, 0.4 M trehalose, and 20% FBS in TCM-199 for 20 seconds and finally placed in beveled edge open straws (BES). The straws were immersed and kept in liquid nitrogen for a week. The total viability of the vitrified/warmed embryos from sows was 49.3%, and the highest viabilities were shown by the 8-16 blastomere embryos (63.7%) and the morulae (61,7%), though the differences were not statistically significant. The total viability in the control group was of 74.3%, and the 8-16 blastomere embryos and morulae had 100% of viability. The total viability of the vitrified/warmed embryos from sheeps was 63.1%, and the highest viabilities were shown by the morulae (76.1%) and the 8-16 blastomere embryos (68.1%), though the differences were not statistically significant. The total viability in the control group was 100% in all the different stages of the embryonic development. The viability obtained after culturing the vitrified/warmed embryos for 72 hours was 1.5% of sow morulae and 2.8% of sheep blastocysts; in the latter, two morulae changed to blastocysts. It is concluded that the vitrification procedure in beveled edge open straws using ethylene glycol and trehalose as cryoprotectants allowed recovering of sow and sheep embryos viable at the devitrifying moment, but their further development is reduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of 1331 oocytes were recovered from ovaries obtained in slaughterhouses; from these 670 were obtained by puncture and 661 by follicles cutting, then cultivated in the medium defined suplemented TCM-199. Maturation was evaluated by fixation and staining with acetic orceín from 302 ovocytes fixed by puncture method 97 matured and from 294 oocytes fixed by cutting method 95 matured corresponding 32,1 and 32 from maturation percentage respectively, between both groups. A number 368 oocytes from the puncture method and 367 from the cutting one were fertilized in, TBM buffered medium with Tris and then transfered to the development embryo medium NCSU-23. The obtained results were 40 embryos in those of method of puncture and 36 embryos in cutting method, corresponding 11,8% and 11,2% of embryonic development respectively, not observing any significant statistical difference (P>0.05), between both groups. One concludes that the efficiency in both procedures of obtaining of oocytes for maturation in vitro of oocytes of pig and its fertilization in vitro is equal, since they significantly did not affect the percentage in the maturation and embryonic development in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]