Development of IVF Porcine Embryos in Microwell Culture System

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Science
• Developmental Biology
• Reproductive Medicine

Background:

• In vitro fertilization (IVF) is crucial for swine reproduction and genetic improvement.
• Optimizing embryo culture conditions is essential for maximizing IVF success rates.
• Traditional culture methods can lead to suboptimal development of porcine embryos.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of Well-of-the-Well (WOW) microwell culture on IVF porcine embryo development.
• To compare the efficacy of individual embryo culture in microwells versus group culture in traditional settings.
• To determine the optimal volume of culture medium for microwell culture.

Main Methods:

• Porcine embryos were cultured under five conditions: 50 μL WOW, 50 μL Well, 20 μL WOW, 20 μL Well, and control (traditional dish).
• Experiment 1 involved 500 embryos; Experiment 2 compared the best condition (50 μL WOW) against control using 350 embryos.
• Key developmental parameters assessed included cleavage rate, blastocyst formation, and blastocyst cell number.

Main Results:

• No significant differences in embryo cleavage rates were observed across groups.
• The 50 μL WOW group showed significantly higher blastocyst formation rates (42.00%) compared to all other groups in Experiment 1.
• In Experiment 2, 50 μL WOW culture resulted in higher blastocyst rates (37.86%) and blastocyst cell numbers (38.97) compared to the control group.

Conclusions:

• Individual embryo culture within microwells using the Well-of-the-Well system significantly enhances IVF porcine embryo development.
• The 50 μL medium volume in microwells appears optimal for promoting blastocyst formation and quality.
• Microwell technology offers a promising advancement for improving IVF outcomes in swine.