Survival of pig morula and blastocyst after exposure to vitrification media or vitrification

The aim of this experiment was to examine the survival of porcine embryos f ollowing exposure to vitrification solutions and vitrification. The work wa s carried out on non-cultured and cultured morulae and blastocysts. The via bility of treated embryos was assessed by their ability to develop in in vi tro culture. The results showed that the most detrimental step in the vitri fication of pig embryos is exposing them specifically to a vitrification me dium rather than the vitrification process itself. Moreover, we demonstrate d the beneficial effect of culture on the viability of pig embryos after vi trification.