Influence of storage time and nutrient medium on recovery of fibroblast-like cells from refrigerated collared peccary (Pecari tajacu Linnaeus, 1758) skin.

Animal cloning is a promising technology for biodiversity conservation, and its success depends on the recovery of nucleus donor cells. Specifically for collared peccaries, found sometimes in regions that are difficult to access, the storage at 4-6°C of skin tissues would be an alternative for the conservation of genetic material. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate different storage periods and the presence of a nutrient medium at 4-6°C on the recovery of somatic cells from the skin of collared peccaries. To analyze cell recovery rates, ear explants were distributed in non-refrigerated samples and samples refrigerated for 10, 30, and 50 d in the absence or presence of nutrient medium. All explants were analyzed by histologically and cultured. Only the fragments stored for 50 d without medium showed an increase in the total thickness of skin. Moreover, increased storage period, regardless of the presence of medium, increased the halo number and reduced the metabolic activity. After culture, only the fragments stored without medium for 50 d did not yield any somatic cells. Cells recovered from explants stored for 10 d showed similar characteristics to these recovered from non-refrigerated explants, regardless of the presence of medium, including the day at which explants achieved attachment and the total time to reach subconfluence. In conclusion, viable cells can be recovered from somatic tissues of collared peccaries stored for up to 50 d in the presence of medium, and tissues refrigerated for up to 10 d in the presence of medium yielded more viable cells.