Effects of stearic acid on the cryotolerance of the domestic cat (Felis silvestris catus) embryos

Abstract

The current work aimed to study the effect of domestic cat (Felissilvestris catus) embryosin vitroexposure to saturated stearic acid (SA) and to evaluate how the change in lipid content affects the cryopreservation results. The addition of SA to the culture medium did not affect the development of cat embryosin vitrobefore cryopreservation. The total lipid amount in the SA-treated embryos was not changed as well. However, the lipid unsaturation degree was lower in embryos afterin vitroexposure to SA. Moreover, the lipid phase transition onset temperature (T*) was higher in SA-treated embryos as compared with controls. These changes of intracellular lipids unsaturation degree andT*were associated with the impairment of embryo cryopreservation effectiveness. The results obtained may be of importance for the applying Genome Resource Banking concept to the Felinae species.