Storage media for rabbit ova

¹ Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington

Rabbit ova were stored at 10 or 20 C for 2–14 days. Basic storage media contained: a) 1 or 7% gelatine, b) 7% gelatine and antibiotics, c) 2, 5, or 7% glycerol, d) basic medium but nitrogen atmosphere and storage at 10 or 20C, e) previously frozen serum, f) reconstituted "freeze-dried" serum, g) blastocyst or allantoic fluid, h) egg yolk or egg white, or i) tranquilizer. Stored ova were transferred to appropriate recipients which were laparotomized to measure the implantation rate, then killed to measure embryonic survival. After storage in gelatine media containing 7% gelatine, the rate of implantation was 53% after storage for 7 days and gradually declined until it reached 3% after 14 days of storage. Survival time of ova during storage tended to be prolonged in gelled media, but the addition of antibiotics did not prolong survival time. A concentration of 5% glycerol had no significant effect on ova survival, but the addition of 7% glycerol was deleterious. At 10 C, but not at 20 C, the presence of nitrogen had a deleterious effect on storage of ova. Fresh blood serum could be substituted by: serum previously frozen, reconstituted freeze-dried serum, blastocyst fluid, or egg yolk citrate. Ova did not survive when stored in egg white with Tyrode solution.

Submitted on March 23, 1964