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Volume 8, Issue 4 (Suppl) J Vet Sci Technol, an open access journal
ISSN: 2157-7579 Veterinary 2017
September 04-05, 2017
Page 60
Notes:
conferenceseries.com
September 04-05, 2017 | Paris, France
7th International Veterinary Congress
Julian L Skidmore, J Vet Sci Technol 2017, 8:4(Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7579-C1-024
Advanced techniques for embryo transfer in dromedary camels
As the reproductive efficiency of camels is low under natural pastoral conditions the use of embryo transfer is becoming
much more popular to increase the reproductive potential of female camels. Good pregnancy rates of 65-75% are achieved
after transfer of fresh day 7 embryos into day 5 or 6 recipients. Synchronizing ovulation between donors and recipients, however,
poses problems as camels lack the cyclical corpus luteum of spontaneous ovulators. This means that conventional methods
used in cattle that involve giving two injections of prostaglandin 11 days apart are unsuitable for use in camels. More recent
studies have shown that pregnancy rates of between 50-70% can be achieved in recipients that ovulate too early (i.e. before the
donor is mated) if they are treated with meclofenamic acid to maintain the CL, and in recipients that ovulate too late if they are
maintained on progesterone from two days before transfer to five days post transfer. However, pregnancy rates are dramatically
reduced to <40% after transfer of frozen/thawed embryos. Several factors could contribute to this reduced embryo viability
post-thaw, including size of embryo, physical injuries caused by intracellular and extracellular ice formation, cryoprotectant
toxicity, osmotic stress and chilling injuries. In addition, freezing and thawing can irreversibly disrupt the organization of an
embryo’s cytoskeleton and thereby reduce its ability to subsequently develop, so further work is required to improve slow-
freezing and vitrification techniques so that pregnancy rates increase after transfer of frozen/thawed embryos.
Biography
Julian L Skidmore has completed her Graduation from University of Cambridge (UK) with a PhD in “Reproduction of the dromedary camel” in 1994. After completing her
PhD in 1994 she has remained at the Camel Reproduction Centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, as Scientific Director leading a team of scientists covering all aspects
of camel reproduction physiology with particular emphasis on embryo transfer of fresh, cooled and frozen embryos, artificial insemination of fresh and frozen semen and
hybridization of New and Old-World camelids.
Julian L Skidmore
Camel Reproduction Centre, UAE