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Embryo-initiated oviductal transport in mares

Summary. The hypothesis that equine embryos initiate oviductal transport in mares was tested by placing day 6 uterine embryos in the oviducts of day 2 (n = 10) or day 5 (n = 10) recipient mares and attempting to collect the embryos from the uterus 48 h later. To determine whether the surgical transfer procedure initiated oviductal transport, medium alone was placed in the oviducts of day 2 (n = 10) inseminated mares (sham transfer), and uterine embryo collections were attempted 48 h later.

Embryos were transported through the oviduct of day 2 recipients by day 4 (instead of day 5 to 6) in six of ten mares, which was not significantly less (P > 0·1) than in day 5 recipients (9 of 10). Oviductal transport was not primarily initiated by the surgical transfer procedure, since oviductal transport occurred in only one sham transfer.

There was no significant difference (P > 0·1) in the diameter of embryos placed in the oviducts of day 2 and day 5 recipient mares (180 ± 13·8 versus 187 ± 11·3 µm, respectively). However, embryos collected from the uterus were significantly smaller (P < 0·05) in day 2 than in day 5 recipients (375 ± 85·4 versus 659 ± 43·6 µm, respectively). One uterine embryo had shed its zona pellucida before being placed in, and transported through, the oviduct of the recipient mare.

Keywords: horse; embryo; oviductal transport

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