Evaluation of the vervet (Clorocebus aethiops) as a model for the assisted reproductive technologies

Abstract

The vervet monkey was evaluated as a primate model for use in assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs). Eight adult female vervets were hormonally monitored for their potential use as egg donors and those six females displaying regular menstrual cycles were subjected to controlled ovarian stimulation with recombinant human gonadotropins. Three animals failed to respond while laparoscopic follicular aspiration was performed on the other three females at 27-30 h post-human chorionic gonadotropin administration. A total of 62, 40, and 18 oocytes was recovered from these three animals of which 30, 20, and 4, respectively, matured to the metaphase II stage and were subsequently inseminated using intracytoplasmic sperm injection. An average of 40+/-15% (SEM) of the inseminated oocytes were fertilized based on pronucleus formation and timely cleavage. One embryo from each of the two stimulated females developed into expanded blastocysts. Two adult male vervets were assessed as sperm donors. Neither adjusted well to the restraint and collection procedure required for penile electroejaculation. Samples collected via rectal electroejaculation were very low in sperm motility and concentration; however, cauda epididymal aspirations from one male yielded an adequate concentration of motile sperm. These results emphasize the need to establish species-specific ovarian stimulation protocols and semen collection techniques if vervets are to be considered for basic and applied (ARTs) research on primate gametes or embryos.

Strong Heterogeneity in Advances in Cryopreservation Techniques in the Mammalian Orders

“…In some species, female germplasm is extracted following euthanasia reducing the effective population size (Asada et al, 2000;Fujihira et al, 2006). However, oocytes can be collected surgically from live animals by follicular aspiration as seen in cynomolgus macaque (Macaca fascicularis) (Curnow et al, 2002) and vervet monkey (Clorocebus aethiops) (Sparman et al, 2007).…”

Ovarian stimulation, in vitro fertilization, and effects of culture conditions on baboon preimplantation embryo development

“…Assisted reproductive technologies have been applied in several NHP species, including rhesus monkeys (2, 5-7, 13, 20-70), cynomolgus monkeys (71)(72)(73)(74)(75)(76)(77)(78), African green monkeys (vervet) (71,79,80), squirrel monkeys (81)(82)(83)(84)(85)(86)(87)(88), marmosets (89)(90)(91)(92)(93), great apes (94), and baboons (1,19,84,(95)(96)(97)(98)(99)(100)(101)(102). Various levels of success in these species indicated the fundamental differences in gametogenesis, preimplantation embryo development, and nutrition requirement for optimal in vitro embryo development (103,104).…”

Effect of Copper Sulphate and Cadmium Chloride on Non-Human Primate Sperm Function In Vitro

“…Since baboons have adapted to diverse habitats, they have broken free of the seasonal constraints of their habitats, and therefore show virtually no seasonality in reproduction [47]. The rhesus macaque has been used extensively as a model for ART and early human development as well as for fertilization and embryonic development in primates [48]; however, they are seasonal breeders and higher quality samples are only available for approximately 4 months of the year [45].…”