LIU Hejie, Nahaya, XIE Wangwei, Jimusi, Hasigaowa, SODNOMPIL Tserennadmid, Molimei, Narenhua, HERRID Muren, ELSHAZLY Mohamed, NIASARI-NASLAJI Amir, Jirimutu, Manduhu, Mengkebayier
Life Science Research. 2023, 27(4): 324-329.
Through cryopreservation, 35 h-stored embryos of high-milk yield dromedary camels, were trans-planted into bactrian camels, which have lower milk yield and are adapted to cold areas, to breed dromedary lambs. A group of 15 dromedary camels were selected as embryo donors, and within 8 days after mating, a total of 114 embryos were collected. Of these embryos, 83 were subjected to testing the efficacy of low-tem-perature preservation, while the rest 31 were transported for 35 hours to a camel field for subsequent trans-plantation with recipient bactrian camels. The results showed that, after cultured in vitro for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, there was no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) in survival rates between the 24 h-cryopreser-ved embryos (75%, 68%, and 64%, respectively) and the control embryos (88%, 80%, and 80%, respectively). However, survival rates of 48 h-cryopreserved embryos (67%, 60%, and 57%, respectively) were significantly lower (P<0.05) than those of the control embryos after cultured in vitro for 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, but had no significant difference (P>0.05) compared with those of 24 h-cryopreserved embryos. Within the first month after embryo transplantation, 4 recipient bactrian camels became pregnant (4/9, 44%), and 2 of them success-fully gave birth to healthy male camel offspring on days 382 and 389, respectively, after pregnancy (2/9, 22%). The results demonstrated that 35 h-cryopreserved embryos of dromedary camels can be transplanted into bactrian camels for breeding and production. The successful interspecies embryo transplantation offers refe-rences to introduce highly productive dromedary camels from their arid and hot native habitats to other parts of the world with different climates.