• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제27권1호
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• pp.1-7
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• 2012

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) for miniature pig has been developed for xenotransplantation and many other biomedical experiments. However, the efficiency of SCNT is still very low due to many factors. To optimize the surrogate mother condition for improvement of cloned miniature pigs efficiency, we investigated the effect of the status of surrogate mother on pregnancy, farrowed rate in SCNT pigs. After SCNT with mesenchymal stem cells as donor cells, the SCNT embryos were surgically transferred into the oviduct of surrogated pigs. To compare the effects of status of surrogate pigs on pregnancy, surrogate pigs were prepared by artificial abortion at day 20~29 (Group 1), 30~39 (Group 2), and 40~45 (Group 3) of gestation. After SCNT embryos transfer in three different status of surrogate pigs, Group 2 (56.3%) and 3 (55.6%) had significantly ($p$ <0.05) higher the pregnancy rate than group 1 (0%) at day 30 of gestation. The status of ovulation in surrogate pig also was investigated. Post-ovulation status (54.8%) had higher proportion than pre-ovulation status (38.7%) and ovulation status (6.5%). We obtained 19 cloned miniature piglets from seven surrogate gilts and five piglets are living healthy but fourteen piglets died soon after birth or stillbirth. The weights of piglets greatly differ from 254 to 1,296 g. Microsatellite analysis showed that cloned piglets were genetically different from the surrogate mother and cloned piglets were genetically equal to the donor cell. In conclusion, the present result indicates that artificially abortion method can improve the efficiency of pregnancy after SCNT in pigs. This study will provide available method for the further study and application in the field of xenotransplantation.

• 한국수정란이식학회지
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• 제25권4호
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• pp.215-219
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to examine the reproductive characteristics of cloned miniature piglets produced from surrogate domestic pigs. Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) miniature pig embryos were transferred into domestic pigs. As controls, domestic pigs of the same breed with surrogates for SCNT embryos and miniature pigs of the same breed with the somatic cell donor were bred by artificial insemination and natural mating, respectively. Surrogate domestic pigs that farrowed cloned miniature piglets had a significantly longer gestation length (118.1 days) than conventionally bred domestic (115.4 days) and miniature (115.5 days) pigs. Furthermore, the birth weight of cloned miniature piglets produced from domestic pigs (743 g) was significantly greater than that of miniature piglets produced by natural breeding (623 g). Also, cloned miniature piglets had a significantly lower weaning rate (49.7%) than conventionally produced domestic (91.5%) and miniature (100%) piglets. No differences were observed between female and male cloned piglets in gestation length, litter size, birth weight, or weaning rate. Our results demonstrate that gestation length is extended in domestic pigs that are transferred with SCNT miniature pig embryos and that cloned miniature piglets have increased birth weight and high pre-weaning mortality.

• 한국발생생물학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국발생생물학회 2005년도 제5회 발생공학 국제심포지엄 및 학술대회
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• pp.82-83
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• 2005

• 한국수정란이식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국수정란이식학회 2005년도 제5회 발생공학 국제심포지엄 및 학술대회
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• pp.82-83
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• 2005

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• 제66권1호
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• pp.156-166
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• 2024

Pigs are genetically, anatomically, and physiologically similar to humans. Recently, pigs are in the spotlight as a suitable source animal for xenotransplantation. However, to use pigs as source animals, pigs should be raised in designated pathogen-free facilities. There is abundant data from embryo transfer (ET) experiments using farm pigs as surrogates, but data on ET experiments using minipigs are scarce. Eighty minipigs were used for ET experiments and after transplantation, the implantation and delivery rates were investigated. It was also confirmed whether the pregnancy rate could be increased by changing the condition or surgical method of the surrogate. In the case of minipigs that gave birth, the size of the fetal sac on the 28th day of ET was also measured. The factors that can affect the pregnancy rate such as estrus synchronization program, ovulation status at the time of ET, the number of repeated ET surgeries, and the ET sites, were changed, and the differences on the pregnancy rate were observed. However there were no significant differences in pregnancy rate in minipigs. The diameter of the implanted fetal sac on the 28th day after ET in the minipigs whose delivery was confirmed was calculated to be 4.7 ± 0.5 cm. In conclusion, there were no significant differences in pregnancy rate of minipigs in the comparative experiment on various factors affecting the pregnancy rate. However, additional experiments and analyses are needed due to the large individual differences of the minipigs.

• 한국임상수의학회지
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• 제23권2호
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• pp.123-128
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• 2006

Production of cloned pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has unlimited value for developing critical biotechnology such as xenotransplantation. Various efforts have been made to establish this technology, and several litters of live piglets have been produced after transfer of SCNT embryos. However, the efficiency is very low compared to piglet production by artificial insemination or natural mating. So far, most studies have been limited to in vitro production of SCNT embryos. This study was conducted to standardize a surrogate recipient (gilts) for transfer of SCNT embryos to improve pregnancy rate. Potential surrogate gilts over 7 months of age were checked for their estrous status by observing external signs; vaginal fluid, vulva redness, vulva swelling, and standing response to back pressure. Viscosity of vaginal fluid was evaluated and classified as none (0), medium (1), and strong (2). Vulva redness and swelling was respectively assessed by none or shrink (0), medium (1), strong (2). Back pressure was estimated by an immediate move (0), standing less than 10 sec (1), and standing over 10 see (2). And then ovulation status of each surrogate was classified as pre-ovulation (PO-17 surrogates), just prior to ovulation (JPO-20 surrogates), in ovulation (IO-12 surrogates), just after ovulation (JAO-14 surrogates) and after ovulation (AO-24 surrogates) at the time of surgery for embryo transfer (ET). Real-time ultrasonographic scanners have been used for pregnancy diagnosis by observing amniotic vesicles. The first pregnancy diagnosis was done on Day 30 after ET and then repeated 2-week interval. In the results, SCNT embryos transferred into JPO surrogates gave better pregnancy rates (45%) than others (4% to 11%) on Day 30 after ET. These result indicates that surrogate gilts in a status just prior to ovulation can offer optimal condition to establish pregnancy by transfer of SCNT pig embryos.

• 한국동물생명공학회지
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• 제35권3호
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• pp.258-264
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• 2020

This study investigated the effect of variation in the number of somatic-cell-cloned embryos and their developmental stage at transfer on pregnancy, as well as the influence of the estrus status of recipient pigs on in vivo development of cloned porcine embryos after embryo transfer. For somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), fibroblast cells were obtained from a male porcine fetus. Recipient oocytes were collected from prepubertal gilts at a local abattoir and then cultured. After SCNT, reconstructed embryos of different numbers and developmental stages were transferred into recipient pigs. The developmental stage of the cloned embryos and the number of transferred embryos per surrogate showed no significant differences in terms of the resulting cloning efficiency. However, the pregnancy rate improved gradually as the number of transferred cloned embryos was increased from 100-150 or 151-200 to 201-300 per recipient. In pre-, peri-, and post-ovulation stages, pregnancy rates of 28.6%, 41.8%, and 67.6% and 16, 52, and 74 offspring were recorded, respectively. The number of cloned embryos and estrus status of the recipient pig at the time of transfer of the cloned embryo affect the efficiency of pig production; therefore, these variables should be particularly considered in order to increase the efficiency of somatic cell pig cloning.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제30권4호
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• pp.585-592
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• 2017

Objective: The present study investigates pre- and post-implantation developmental competence of nuclear-transferred porcine embryos derived from male and female fetal fibroblasts. Methods: Male and female fetal fibroblasts were transferred to in vitro-matured enucleated oocytes and in vitro and in vivo developmental competence of reconstructed embryos was investigated. And, a total of 6,789 female fibroblast nuclear-transferred embryos were surgically transferred into 41 surrogate gilts and 4,746 male fibroblast nuclear-transferred embryos were surgically transferred into 25 surrogate gilts. Results: The competence to develop into blastocysts was not significantly different between the sexes. The mean cell number of female and male cloned blastocysts obtained by in vivo culture ($143.8{\pm}10.5$ to $159.2{\pm}14.8$) was higher than that of in vitro culture of somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) groups ($31.4{\pm}8.3$ to $33.4{\pm}11.1$). After embryo transfer, 5 pregnant gilts from each treatment delivered 15 female and 22 male piglets. The average birth weight of the cloned piglets, gestation length, and the postnatal survival rates were not significantly different (p<0.05) between sexes. Conclusion: The present study found that the sex difference of the nuclear donor does not affect the developmental rate of porcine SCNT embryos. Furthermore, postnatal survivability of the cloned piglets was not affected by the sex of the donor cell.

• 한국동물번식학회:학술대회논문집
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• 한국동물번식학회 2003년도 학술발표대회 발표논문초록집
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• pp.33-33
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• 2003

This study was conduct to compare the efficacy to produce male and female somatic cloned piglets. Maturation of porcine COCs was accomplished by incubation in NCSU-23 medium supplemented with 0.6 mM cysteine, 10% porcine follicular fluid, 1mM dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbc-AMP, Sigma, USA), and 0.1 IU/ml human menopausal gonadotrophin (hMG, Teikokuzoki, Japan) for 20h and then cultured without dbcAMP and hMG for another 18 to 24 h. Female and male fetal cells were isolated from each fetus, cultured in ES-DMEM medium containing 10% FCS. Enucleated oocytes were fused with fetal fibroblasts (passage 4 to 15). Reconstructed embryos were cultured in NCSU-23 with 4 mg/ml BSA under mineral oil at 39$^{\circ}C$ in 5% $CO_2$ in air. A total of 12,328 nuclear-transferred embryos (1- to 4-cell stage) were surgically transferred into 69 surrogate gilts. Three recipients aborted during the period of conception. Three gilts delivered eleven female piglets, and five recipients gave rise to birth 22 male piglets. The average birth weigh of the cloned piglets was 1.52 kg (1.38~1.83 kg) in female piglets and 0.84 kg (0.45~1.25 kg) in male piglets. Alive cloned pigs was seven in female piglets (63.6%) and four in male piglets (18.2%). The other two recipients is ongoing. This study suggests that female-derived fetal cell as a nuclear donor has more capability on production of cloned piglets than male.