The objective of this study was to determine the effect of a semi-defined culture media system developed in our laboratory, named Pigs Media System (PMS) on the in vitro production of porcine embryos. In a first assay, the cummulus-oocytes complexes (COCs) were matured, fertilized and cultured for embryo development in PMS supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA), and in North Carolina State University-23 (NCSU-23) supplemented with fluid follicular, until blastocysts evaluation. In the assay 2, maturation and culture were performed in PMS using BSA or polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement (PMS-BSA/BSA, PMS-BSA/PVA, PMS-PVA/PVA, PMS-PVA/BSA). The PMS had a positive effect on the total cell number (58.04) and the decrease of the total lipids (49.4%) regarding the NCSU-23 medium (37.98 and 59.2% respectively; p<0.05). The percentage of monospermic fertilization was significantly lower (42.3%; p<0.05) when oocytes were matured with PMS-BSA than in PMS-PVA (52.6%). The supplementation of BSA in the PMS for embryo culture, increased the blastocyst development, the cell number of blastocysts and decreased the content of total lipids (36.8%, 46.9 and 49.6% respectively; p<0.05), in comparison with the supplementation of PVA in the PMS for embryo culture. These results suggest that the semi-defined culture media system developed by the National Genetic Resources Center (CNRG), have proved favorable effects on the total cell number and the decrease of total lipids of porcine blastocysts in vitro produced.

To evaluate the ovarian response to superovulation using reduced doses of FSH in Criollo Coreño cattle two experiments were conducted at the Experimental Station "El Verdineño" (INIFAP) located in Nayarit, México. Twelve (12) cows of 12.4 ± 2.9 yr old (Exp 1) and six heifers of 3.0 ± 0.3 yr old (Exp 2) were used. Three treatments were assigned to each female consisting of 280 mg (T1), 200 mg (T2) and 140 mg (T3) of FSH, so that all females received all treatments. The response variables were transferable embryos (ET), corpuscles retrieved (CR) = (embryos+non fertilized ova), degenerated embryos (ENT), number of corpora lutea (CL), non-fertilized ova (ONF), ovarian volume (VO), serum progesterone (P4), fertilization rate (%F) = ((ET+ENT)*100)/CR) and percent recovery (%R)=CL*100/CR. A cross-over balanced experimental design was used. Analyses were carried out with the GLM procedure of SAS. The statistical model included the fixed effects of treatment (T1, T2 and T3), animal (twelve or six) and period (three periods). In Exp 1 differences among treatments (P<0.05) favorable to T1 were detected for CR and ONF. No differences were found (P>0.05) among treatments for ET, ENT, CL, VO, P4, %F or %R. In Exp 2 no differences were detected (P>0.05) among treatments for any of the variables. It is feasible to use reduced doses of FSH for the superovulation of Criollo Coreño heifers without affecting the response to superovulation or to embryo production.

A lo largo de cinco secciones, se recapitulan las principales biotecnologías reproductivas en el bovino, se analiza su desarrollo histórico, estado actual, y se incluyen resultados generados en México. En la década de 1970, se inició la sincronización estral e inducción de la ovulación donde, basados en el conocimiento de la fisiología reproductiva bovina, se empezó a controlar el ciclo reproductivo con recursos disponibles en aquel entonces. Con los años, la terapia hormonal evolucionó conforme se descubrieron nuevos compuestos, refinando métodos para estandarizar el efecto y generar nuevos métodos de liberación de las hormonas. La biotecnología más usada en el mundo, la inseminación artificial, debe su expansión a los avances en el procesamiento del semen, donde destaca el desarrollo de diluyentes, la criopreservación, el sexado del semen y el análisis espermático asistido por computadora. La era embrionaria inició con el desarrollo de la multiovulación y los métodos para colectar, evaluar, transferir y criopreservar los embriones. La segunda era embrionaria llegó con la producción de embriones completamente in vitro, partiendo de óvulos inmaduros y semen congelado, en lo que se denominó la producción in vitro de embriones. En ésta, se han invertido grandes recursos de investigación, y materiales, para hacerla un pilar del mejoramiento genético y la productividad, en combinación con otras dos herramientas, el semen sexado y las evaluaciones genómicas. Se vislumbra una época de oro de la producción in vitro de embriones con la posibilidad de modificar el genoma de embriones con precisión, gracias a la tecnología de edición de genes.