Responsiveness of rabbits to superovulation treatment by a single injection of follicle-stimulating hormone with aluminum hydroxide gel.

Aluminum hydroxide gel (Al-gel), which is used as an adjuvant, can absorb macromolecules. We investigated the applicability of Al-gel to the sustained release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) as a simplified method of superovulation (SOV) in rabbits. The responsiveness of rabbits to SOV by a single injection of FSH dissolved in Al-gel suspension (3.2 mg Al/ml) and in 10% (w/v) polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and by multiple injections of FSH in saline was examined. The numbers of total and fertilized eggs recovered from rabbits treated with FSH in Al-gel (40.5 and 26.3, respectively) were similar to multiple injections (47.4 and 28.6, respectively) and were significantly greater (P < 0.05) than single injection of FSH with PVP (17.3 and 11.5, respectively). We also compared the plasma FSH levels of rabbits which were induced SOV by multiple or a single injection of Al-gel. Al-gel provided sustained release of FSH to the blood stream at a high enough dose for SOV. Moreover, the developmental competence of the pups of DNA-injected embryos from rabbits treated with a single injection of FSH mixed with Al-gel (18%) was similar to that of DNA-injected embryos, recovered from rabbits treated with FSH dissolved in saline (21%). Two transgenic pups were obtained from embryos recovered from rabbits by a single injection of FSH with Al-gel. These results indicate that a single injection of FSH with Al-gel is an effective method for SOV of rabbit and that this technique is applicable to research requiring large numbers of rabbit embryos such as the production of transgenic rabbits.

Establishment and characterization of CAG/EGFP transgenic rabbit line.

Cell marking is a very important procedure for identifying donor cells after cell and/or organ transplantation in vivo. Transgenic animals expressing marker proteins such as enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in their tissues are a powerful tool for research in fields of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. The purpose of this study was to establish transgenic rabbit lines that ubiquitously express EGFP under the control of the cytomegalovirus immediate early enhancer/beta-actin promoter (CAG) to provide a fluorescent transgenic animal as a bioresource. We microinjected the EGFP expression vector into 945 rabbit eggs and 4 independent transgenic candidate pups were obtained. Two of them died before sexual maturation and one was infertile. One transgenic male candidate founder rabbit was obtained and could be bred by artificial insemination. The rabbit transmitted the transgene in a Mendelian manner. Using fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis, we detected the transgene at 7q11 on chromosome 7 as a large centromeric region in two F1 offspring (one female and one male). Eventually, one transgenic line was established. Ubiquitous EGFP fluorescence was confirmed in all examined organs. There were no gender-related differences in fluorescence. The established CAG/EGFP transgenic rabbit will be an important bioresource and a useful tool for various studies in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Refined porcine follicle stimulating hormone promotes the responsiveness of rabbits to multiple-ovulation treatment.

We investigated whether refined follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) with only a little contaminating LH can promote the responsiveness of rabbits to multiple-ovulation treatment. One group of female rabbits was stimulated with refined porcine FSH (pFSH), an FSH source with low LH activity, and another group was treated with pFSH. The mean number of eggs recovered from donors stimulated with refined pFSH (27 +/- 3) was significantly greater (P<0.05) than that with pFSH (20 +/- 2). Furthermore, the mean number of remaining follicles of donors stimulated with refined pFSH (19 +/- 4) was significantly greater (P<0.05) than that with pFSH (12 +/- 1). To decrease the number of remaining follicles in donors treated with refined pFSH, the dose of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) was increased from 75 to 150. However, there were no differences in the numbers of eggs and remaining follicles. The results of the present study suggest that refined pFSH with little contaminating LH promotes the responsiveness of rabbits to multiple-ovulation treatment compared with pFSH.

Catalase in manipulation buffer enhances the developmental competence of DNA-injected embryos.

To improve the efficiency of transgenesis, we investigated the effects of a radical scavenger during microinjection on the development to blastocysts or pups of mouse pronuclear embryos, microinjected with the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) transgene. When embryos were microinjected in medium containing 0-1,000 units/ml catalase, the developmental rate to blastocysts was significantly higher (P<0.01) in 100-units/ml catalase (81%) than those in 0 and 1,000 units/ml (56 and 65%). To investigate the ontogenetic ability of DNA-injected embryos, EGFP-injected embryos manipulated under 0 or 100 units/ml catalase were transferred separately to recipient mice. The proportion of fetuses derived from EGFP-injected embryos manipulated under 100 units/ml catalase (29%) was significantly higher (P<0.05) than that manipulated under 0 units/ml catalase (19%). Furthermore, the numbers of transgenic pups were 17 in 100 units/ml catalase and 14 in 0 units/ml catalase. The results of the present study indicate that scavenging reactive oxygen species during in vitro micromanipulation is beneficial for the development of DNA-injected embryos.