DEVELOPMENT OF RABBIT EMBRYOS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO FOLLOWING STORAGE OF THE TWO-CELL STAGE AT 10 C

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Abstract
Experiment I was a study of the effect of low-temperature storage upon the proportion of embryos which developed into blastocysts in vitro and in vivo. More blastocytes (stored at 10.degree. C or not) developed in vivo than in vitro. Storage at 10.degree. C for 24 h reduced the number of embryos forming blastocysts, but the difference between stored and unstored embroys which were transferred to recipients was less than for those cultured in vitro, and the in vitro .times. in vivo interaction was significant (P < 0.10). Experiment II compared the degree of trophoblast expansion for blastocysts for 120 h after luteinizing hormone [LH] injection under both conditions. No effect of storage for 24 h at 10.degree. C on blastocyst expansion in vitro was noted. Blastocyst size was much greater for embryos grown in vivo than for embryos developing in vitro (P < 0.005). Embryos which became blastocysts in culture after storage and those collected as blastocysts from does were smaller (P < 0.05) than embryos transferred immediately after collection.