BIRTH OF RHESUS-MONKEY INFANT AFTER INVITRO FERTILIZATION AND NONSURGICAL EMBRYO TRANSFER

The birth of a rhesus monkey resulting from in-vitro fertilization is reported. Oocytes recovered at laparoscopy from 5 gonadotropin-stimulated donors were inseminated in vitro with sperm preincubated with caffeine and dibutyryl cyclic AMP. After insemination, oocytes were cultured for 33-46 h. Embryos (22) were transferred nonsurgically into 11 recipient females. One recipient showed signs of implantation but did not carry to term. A 2nd female became pregnant after receiving one 4-cell and one 6-cell embryo fertilized in vitro. The subsequent course of early pregnancy and embryonic and fetal development were characteristic of normal singleton pregnancies. A healthy term male infant was delivered by Cesarean section 176 days after fertilization. This birth validated this procedure for in-vitro fertilization of rhesus monkey gametes and provides an experimental model for studies of primate early embryonic development.