Success rate in a clinical equine in vitro embryo production program

Abstract

In vitro embryo production (IVEP) via Ovum Pick-Up (OPU) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) has become a popular breeding technique in Warmblood mares because of the high success rate and several practical advantages. IVEP offers a solution for a variety of reproductive issues including, but not limited to, sub-fertility in stallions or mares, poor quality or scarce frozen semen, difficulty in synchronizing donor and recipient mares, and inefficient use of recipient mares. In 515 OPU-ICSI sessions performed in our facility in 2021, a mean of 25.9 antral follicles were aspirated yielding an average 13.8 immature oocytes, which were shipped overnight to a specialized ICSI laboratory (Avantea). One or more blastocysts (range: 0-13 blastocysts) were produced from 78% of procedures with a mean of 2.12 blastocysts per session; the likelihood of pregnancy after transfer of a cryopreserved thawed IVP blastocysts in 2021 (n = 781) was 77.7%. Several donor mare, recipient mare, stallion and embryonic factors influence the likelihood of producing an in vitro blastocyst or achieving pregnancy. Approximately 60% of the transferred IVP blastocysts yield a foal; moreover, neither gestation length nor the health of foals is noticeably influenced by IVEP. On the other hand, a skewed sex ratio towards colts is apparent among IVEP foals resulting from day 7 but not day 8 embryos, suggesting that male embryos develop more rapidly in vitro. Although serious complications after OPU are uncommon, owners should be aware of their existence, because some complications can be life-threating.