Relationship between Time Elapsed after Human Chorionic Gonadotropin Administration and Developmental Stage in Porcine Embryos Collected from Prepubertal Gilts

We examined the relationship between the time elapsed after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration and developmental stage of porcine embryos after collection. Prepubertal gilts, 7 to 8 months old, were given 1500 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intramuscularly, followed by 500 IU hCG 72 h later. The treated gilts were inseminated artificially on Day 1 (Day 0=the day of hCG administration) and on Day 2. Embryos were collected surgically on Day 6 (140, 144, and 147 h after hCG administration) or on Day 7 (164, 168, and 171 h), and the developmental stages of the collected embryos were examined. From 75.2% (276/367) of the prepubertal gilts treated with hormones, we collected an average of 20.7 embryos per gilt with normal morphology. At 140 h after hCG administration, morulae (54.4%) could be collected. At 144 h, morulae and early blastocysts (57.7% and 28.9%, respectively) were collected. By 147 h, the proportion of embryos at the blastocyst to expanded blastocyst stages had increased (10.0%). From 164 h to 171 h, expanding or expanded blastocysts of more than 200 microm in diameter and hatched blastocysts could be collected. The proportion of hatched blastocysts increased from 3.2% (164 h) to 41.0% (171 h). These results suggests that although the number of ovulations differed among gilts, porcine embryos at the appropriate stages can be collected efficiently by controlling the time elapsed between hCG administration and embryo collection.