DEVELOPMENTAL POTENTIAL OF SUPEROVULATED RABBIT OVA

Abstract

The ability of transferred ova to develop normally during the pre-natal and early post-natal periods has received only limited attention in the rabbit (Venge, 1950, 1953). This investigation was undertaken: (1) to determine the pre-natal survival of transferred ova obtained from superovulated and normally ovulated does, and (2) to compare early post-natal development of young rabbits resulting from transferred and non-transferred ova. Superovulated ova obtained from ten does receiving follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone (fsh—lh treatment) and from ten does receiving pregnant mares serum and human chorionic gonadotrophin (pmsg— hcg treatment) were compared with ova recovered from ten does receiving only lh (Maurer, Hunt & Foote, 1968). Ova were collected in vivo from anaesthetized does 26 to 32 hr after the injection of lh or hcg and transferred to the recipients within 30