Fertilizability of ova ovulated and recovered from rabbit ovaries perfused in vitro.

ABSTRACT

Ovaries removed from New Zealand White rabbits were perfused and exposed to gonadotropin in vitro. The ova ovulated in vitro (N = 56) were recovered and cultured and then transferred to the oviducts of six previously mated Dutch Belted hosts. Twelve of the resulting 36 offspring (33.3 percent) were white. In control matings between 12 Dutch Belted females (six randomly selected and the six hosts) and New Zealand White males, only one of 80 (1.2 percent) offspring was white. These data indicate that ova ovulated in vitro can be transferred to the oviduct of a host rabbit where they may be fertilized and after implantation may develop into viable embryos.