Cryopreservation of rat blastocysts by vitrification

Rat blastocysts equilibrated with vitrification solution (VS1), consisting of dimethyl sulfoxide, acetamide, propylene glycol, and polyethylene glycol were plunged directly into liquid nitrogen. The embryo suspension are solidified by an extreme elevation in viscosity of solution. The embryos are cryopreserved by vitrification without intra- and extracellular ice formation. The proportion of morphologically normal embryos after cooling and warming was 79% (117/149) and all (48/48) of the embryos cultured were developed to expanded or hatched blastocysts. Normal live young were obtained 41% of the time (28/69) after transfer of the cooled and warmed embryos to pseudopregnant recipients.