FIRST EMBRYOS PRODUCED IN ROMANIA BY OVUM PICK-UP AND IN VITRO FERTILIZATION IN HOLSTEIN FRIESIAN CATTLE

S.-I. Borş, Şt. Creangă, L. Dascălu, T. Bugeac, Ioana Cristina Crivei, Alina Borș

Abstract
    Reproductive technologies, such as ovum pick-up (OPU) and in vitro fertilization (IVF) can rapidly enhance genetics of cattle through both the female and male linage. In this study, we describe the results of first bovine embryo production in Romania by IVF after retrieval of oocytes by OPU. Also, we evaluated the embryo production by OPU followed by IVF in cows stimulated with a FSH-based treatment (experimental group, n = 5) compared to non-stimulated cows (control group, n = 4). Our results suggest that the follicular growth stimulation with FSH improves the number of the punctured follicle (9.8 ± 0.8 vs. 2.5 ± 0.8, P<0.05) and the hatched blastocyst rate (41.9% vs. 16.7%). No effect was registered in the oocytes recovery rate in experimental vs. control group (63.3% vs. 60%). In conclusion, the use of follicular growth stimulating program is recommended in order to improve the number of recovered oocytes and the blastocyst rate at Holstein Friesian cattle. This is the first report of embryo production in Romania, using OPU in association with IVF in cattle.