Production of Agu piglets after transfer of embryos produced in vitro

Abstract

The present study was conducted to examine the feasibility of in vitro embryo production and transfer technologies for producing piglets of Agu, an Okinawan indigenous pig breed. After collection of oocytes from surgically dissected ovaries, they were subjected to in vitro maturation. After in vitro maturation/fertilization, a total of 616 putative embryos were transferred into four commercial Western pig recipients, one of which became pregnant and farrowed a total of eight Agu piglets. These results demonstrate that in vitro embryo production using ovaries from Agu females is useful for breeding management and conservation of indigenous breeds.

The Uterine Melatonergic Systems of AANAT and Melatonin Membrane Receptor 2 (MT2) Are Essential for Endometrial Receptivity and Early Implantation in Mice

“…These mechanisms are essential for endometrial remodeling, which is essential to support embryo implantation, maintain early pregnancy, and balance the uterine immune response. Comprehensive exploration and determination of the biological role of the intrauterine AANAT-mediated melatonergic system in enhancing nidatory E2 surge- and P4-dependent endometrial receptivity also seems to be indispensable for eliminating the impairments in peri-implantation molecular communication between the endometrium, the placenta, and conceptuses following the transfer of mammalian embryos generated by such assisted reproductive technologies as standard in vitro fertilization [ 69 , 70 ], intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ 71 , 72 ], and somatic cell nuclear transfer [ 73 , 74 ]. Further studies on the local uterine melatonergic system are required to support the findings of our investigation.…”