Evaluation of foal production following intracytoplasmic sperm injection and blastocyst culture of oocytes from ovaries collected immediately before euthanasia or after death of mares under field conditions.
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OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficiency of foal production following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and blastocyst culture of oocytes from mares that died or were euthanized under field conditions. DESIGN: Prospective case series. ANIMALS: 16 mares (age, 3 to 19 years) that died or were euthanized for various causes. PROCEDURES: Ovaries were collected immediately before euthanasia (n = 10) or after death (6). Ovaries were transported to the laboratory for oocyte recovery (15 mares), or oocytes were recovered at a remote location and shipped to the laboratory (1). Oocytes underwent ICSI, and presumptive zygotes were cultured for 7 to 10 days. Blastocysts were shipped to embryo transfer facilities for transcervical transfer to recipient mares. RESULTS: Ovaries were processed 30 minutes to 12 hours (mean SD, 4.6 3.3 hours) after mares' deaths. A mean of 14.1 8.6 oocytes/mare were cultured, and 110 of 225 (49%) matured. Twenty-one blastocysts developed after ICSI and were transferred to recipient mares. Thirteen pregnancies were established; 10 healthy foals were produced from 6 donor mares. The number of blastocysts produced per mare and number of live foals produced per mare were significantly correlated with the number of oocytes recovered. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Foals were produced from mares after death or euthanasia under field conditions. Proportions of foals born overall (10 foals/16 mares) and mares from which 1 foal was produced (6/16) were greater than those reported following recovery and oviductal transfer of oocytes to inseminated recipients after death of donor mares under field conditions.
