[Study of cryoprotective properties of antifreeze glycoproteins from the white sea cod Gadus morhua on low temperature freezing of mouse embryos].

The effect of antifreeze glycoproteins on morphological preservation and viability of mouse embryos cryopreserved in liquid nitrogen was studied. Cryomicroscopic observations indicated that as distinct from the cryoprotector dimethylsulfoxide antifreeze glycoproteins cause phenomena typical of vitrification (absence of visible crystallization, transparency of medium). The embryos frozen in the presence of freeze glycoproteins had after thawing a higher morphological preservation (87.5%) than those frozen with 1M and 3M dimethylsulfoxide (53.8 and 71.1%, respectively). However, they were nonviable and did not develop in culture. A high viability after cryoconservation was achieved only when antifreeze glycoproteins (20 mg/ml) were used together with dimethylsulfoxide (3M). In this case, the number of viable embryos, which developed in culture to the stage of compact morula and blastocyst, was 65.0%, i.e. two and four times higher than in the presence of 3 M and 1 M dimethylsulfoxide, respectively.