THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO

using the non-surgical technique was also tried.
Superovulation was carried out by the administration of 25
mg PGF 2 alpha followed by 2000 IU of PMSG 10 injection
days later. A second dose of PGF 2 alpha was given 48
hours after PMSG injection. Seventy two hours after the
PGF 2 alpha, all animals received 250 ug GnRH each and
were simultaneously inseminated. Follow-up insemination
was done 12 hour thereafter. Three out of 4 animals ovulated
with an average number of 3 corpus luteum each. Two
thirds of the ovulation occurred in the right ovaries. One
unfertilized egg and one embryo were collected on 4.5
days after AI from the animals and represented only 22.22%
(2/9) of the expected number. The embryos were on the
morula stage. In summary, the ovulatory response to the
treatments yielded an average of only 2.25 corpus luteum
per animals and 22.2% egg/embryo recovery efficiency.
Keywords: river and swamp buffaloes, superovulation,
non-surgical embryo collection
*Phil. J. Vet. Anim. Sci. 1990. 16 (1&2):76 (Abstr.).
R-50
EFFECT OF HYPODERMIC NEEDLE ACUPUNCTURE
ON THE REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY OF POST-
PARTUM ANESTRUS WATER BUFFALOES (Bubalus
bubalis)*
R. S. Pe, Undergraduate DVM student, CVM, UPLB
J. Acorda, Associate Professor, CVM, UPLB
C. A. Valdez, Associate Professor, CVM, UPLB
A. S. Sarabia, Supervising Science Research Specialist, PCC-UPLB, DA
The effect of hypodermic needle acupuncture on the
reproductive activity of eight (8) postpartum anestrus water
buffaloes was investigated. The eight animals were divided
into control and treatment groups with four animals each.
The treatment group received simultaneous acupuncture
stimulation at acupoints 31 and 52 for five minutes a day for
five consecutive days while the control group received no
treatment. Rectal palpations were performed on both groups
one day after acupuncture stimulation or start of observation
and repeated every five to seven days thereafter until 90
days. The presence of ovarian follicles and corpus luteum
and behavioral manifestations of heat were noted. All
animals, which showed signs of heat were artificially
inseminated and conception rate was recorded. For the
treatment groups, all water buffaloes subjected to
acupuncture therapy came into estrus twice; with two
animals each coming to two complete cycles (estrus to
corpus luteum formation) and two other animals reaching a
cycle once. For the control group, one animal came into
full cycle twice, one animal cycled completely once, one
animal came into heat once and one animal did not exhibit
82
ABSTRACT OF RESEARCHES ON
THE PHILIPPINE WATER BUFFALO
signs of heat. Compared to the control group, the treatment
group had shorter intervals for calving to first heat, calving
to first corpus luteum development, first follicular
development to first heat and first follicular development to
first corpus luteum development. The interval between
acupuncture or start of observation and first heat, first corpus
luteum development, second heat and second corpus
luteum development was shorter in the treatment group
than in the control group. Two animals and one animal
were artificially inseminated for the treatment and control
groups, respectively. No animal conceived successfully,
due to some factors beyond the conrol of the study. The
results showed that acupuncture has the potentials to be
used as an alternative method for therapy of postpartum
anestrus water buffaloes.
Keywords: hypodermic needle acupuncture, postpartum
anestrus water buffaloes
*PCC at UP Los Baños Annual Report. 1997. p. 23-32.
R-51
CRYOPERSERVATION OF IN-VITRO PRODUCED
SWAMP BUFFALO BLASTOCYSTS BY VITRIFI-
CATION METHOD USING ETHYLENE GLYCOL-
BASED SOLUTION*
P. B. Pedro, Senior Agriculturist, PCC-OED, DA
D. H. Duran, Science Research Specialisit II, PCC-CLSU, DA
F. P. Aquino, Training Officer III, PCC-CLSU, DA
R. de Vera, Laboratory Aide, PCC-CLSU, DA
M. Masahiko, JOVC Volunteer
L. C. Cruz, Executive Director, PCC-OED, DA
This study was conducted to examine the in vitro survival
of vitrified-thawed embryos of swamp buffalo produced in
vitro. In total, 15 embryos at the early blastocysts,
blastocyct, and expanded blastocysts were examined.
The vitrification solution used was, EFS40 and 10% EG;
these was 40% ethylene glycol, diluted in modified
phosphate-buffered saline (mPBS) containing 30% Ficoll
+ 0.5 M sucrose and 10% EG was prepared with 10%
ethylene glycol diluted in PB1 medium. The embryos
were exposed to the solutions in two-step at room
temperature; kept in the solutions for 0.5 or 1.0 min, vitrified
in liquid nitrogen, and warmed slowly. When early
blastocycsts were vitrified in EFS40 solution after 0.5 or 1
min of exposure, 66.7 – 75% of them were found to have
re-expanded blastocoels and 50% have the ability to hatch
from their zona pellucida within 72 hr of in vitro culture.
However, when the exposure time was extended to 1.0
minute, only 25% hatched from the zona. When the
embryos were vitrified at the blastocyst stage, the survival
was very low (0 – 33.3%) after 1.0 or 0.5 min of exposure.