The use of transvaginale oocyte pick-up (OPU): first OPU calves born in Belgium
1996
Bols, P.E.J. | Soom, A. van | Kruif, A. de (Gent Univ., Merelbeke (Belgium). Faculteit Diergeneeskunde. Vakgroep Voortplanting, Verloskunde en Bedrijfdiergeneeskunde)
Transvaginal Oocyte Pick-Up (OPU) has proven to be a reliable technique for oocyte retrieval in living donor cows. It can be used in combination with IVF, for the treatment of infertile cows. Twelve Belgian Blue donor cows, which had already been used as donors in an embryo transfer programme, were submitted to OPU, which was performed without prior hormonal stimulation, except in 3 cows (6 sessions) in which ovarian activity was found to be low upon echographic examination. These cows were stimulated with a combination of FSH and LH. OPU was performed the next day using an ultrasonal scanner (PieMed, The Netherlands) equipped with a 7.5 MHz transducer. Cows were punctured once or twice a week, using 18-g disposable 50 mm long single lumen needles. Follicles with a diameter between 4 and 10 mm were punctured. Oocytes were collected in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) and heparin (125 IU/ml) and were processed following standard IVF procedures. Results clearly indicate a significant difference in the number of cultured embryos among the donor cows, with a percentage of oocytes developing into blastocysts between 2 and 38 percent suggesting that the oocytes of some cows are more suited to IVF procedures than others. Ovarian stimulation increased significantly the number of punctured follicles (4.4 to 20.8), the number of retrieved oocytes (2.1 to 6.3) and the number of blastocysts (0.4 to 1.5) per session. Since most owners did not have enough well synchronized recipients, not all embryos were transferred under optimal conditions. Nevertheless, the first 5 OPU-calves have already been born and 7 more pregnancies are confirmed.
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