Development of 4-cell mouse embryos after re-vitrification

This paper reports studies on the effects of re-vitrification by the CPS (Closed Pulled Straw) method on the development of 4-cell stage mouse embryos. The procedure involved culturing 2-cell mouse embryos in G-1 medium until the 4-cell stage followed by the division of the normal 4-cell stage embryos into a control group (non-vitrified) and two experimental subgroups (vitrified and re-vitrified). Embryos in the vitrified subgroup were cryopreserved by the CPS vitrification method. In the second experimental subgroup (re-vitrified), embryos that were already vitrified were warmed and cryopreserved again by the same method. There was no significant reduction in the rate of blastocyst formation after vitrification and re-vitrification. However, re-vitrification reduced the total cell number, ICM (inner cell mass) percent and blastocyst diameter (P < 0.05). These results showed that vitrification and re-vitrification by the CPS method did not negatively affect the development of vitrified-warmed 4-cell mouse embryos, whereas re-vitrification significantly reduced both the cell number and diameter of blastocysts.