Pathology of bovine neonates generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer: Cloning

Abstract

The death mechanisms in cloned animals are not well elucidated. There are few cases describing organ malformation, size and weight alterations in these animals. Pathologic studies are necessary to understand the high level of unsuccessful results using the NTSC (nuclear transfer somatic cell) technique. The present study was carried out to describe alterations present in a group of animals generated by NTSC technique that deceased between 0 to 19 days of life, using anatomopathologic examination. This experiment was conducted at Tambaú Farm in São Paulo State between years 2004 and 2008. Initially there were twenty one Nelore breed Bos indicus animals, but 11 of them deceased and ten survived and showed satisfactory clinical evolution in perinatal period. Animals necropsies and histopathologic analyses where performed. The results revealed a high prevalence of cardiopulmonary alterations, which were predominantly lung hypertension and hemodynamic profile changes, revealed by histopathologic analyses.