BIRTH OF PIGLETS DERIVED FROM INVITRO FERTILIZATION OF PIG OOCYTES MATURED INVITRO

Follicular oocytes collected from prepubertal gilts at a local slaught erhouse were matured for 36 hours in mTLP-PVA medium with pig follicul ar fluid (pFF) fraction and cysteine, and were fertilized (mTALP-PVA) in vitro. After 12 hours of insemination, a total of 78% (14/18) of th e oocytes was fertilized in vitro and the normal fertilization rate wa s 43% (6/14). Of the 356 embryos developed (mKRB) in vitro, 84 (24%) c leaved to the 2- to 4-cell stage by 36 hours after insemination. Of 84 the embryos, 75 were subsequently transferred into the oviducts of a recipient gilt. The recipient farrowed 3 healthy piglets 117 days afte r embryo transfer. The results indicate that pig embryos derived from in vitro fertilization of oocytes matured in vitro in medium with pFF fraction and cysteine can develop to term.