This experiment was carried out to investigate effects of DMSO or ethylene glycol as a cryopotectant and of freezing methods on survival rate of forozen-thawed rat 2-cell embryos by morphological observation. 2-cell embryos were recovered from oviducts of Sprague Dawley females mated with males of same strain on day 2 of pregnancy after inducing superovulation by intrapertioneal injection of PMSG and HCG. In slow freezing and thawing groups, embryos were frozen to -79$^{circ}C$ or -196$^{circ}C$ in a glass test tube containing 0.2ml PBI with 1.5M DMSO or 1.2M ethylene glycol at a rate of 0.3-1.0C/min. and thawed slowly. When samples were frozen to -79$^{circ}C$, higher survival rate was obtained in the medium containing DMSO (43.9%) than ethylene glycol (41%). And similar result was obtained (32.5% in DMSO vs. 31.4% in ethylene glycol) when samples were frozen. In rapid freezing and thawing groups, embryos were frozen to -79 or -196$^{circ}C$ in a glass test tube containing 0.2ml of PBI with 1.5M DMSO or 1.2M ethylene glycol by rapid cooling, and thawed rapidly. When samples were frozen to -79$^{circ}C$, 1.5M DMSO (13.2%) was more effective than 1.2M ethylene glycol (6.1%). When the storage temperature was -196$^{circ}C$, survival rates were 9.8% in 1.5M and 5.4% in 1.2M ethylene glycol.