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A microfluidic in vitro cultivation system for mechanical stimulation of bovine embryos
Author(s) -
Kim Minseok S.,
Bae Chae Yun,
Wee Gabbine,
Han YongMahn,
Park JeKyun
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
electrophoresis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.666
H-Index - 158
eISSN - 1522-2683
pISSN - 0173-0835
DOI - 10.1002/elps.200900157
Subject(s) - blastocyst , embryo , hatching , constriction , embryogenesis , microfluidics , in vitro , anatomy , biomedical engineering , chemistry , biology , biophysics , andrology , materials science , microbiology and biotechnology , nanotechnology , biochemistry , medicine , zoology , endocrinology
This work demonstrates a novel microfluidic in vitro cultivation system for embryos that improves their development using a partially constricted channel that mimics peristaltic muscle contraction. Conventional photolithography and a PDMS replica molding process were used to make straight or constricted microchannels. To investigate the effects of constriction geometry on embryonic development, different constriction widths of the channel were designed. Bovine embryos were loaded and incubated by simply placing them on a tilting machine to provide embryo movement via gravity. The fertilized embryos were cultivated on the microfluidic in vitro cultivation system until the blastocyst, hatching, or hatched blastocyst stages. To confirm the quality of blastocysts in the microfluidic channel, double staining was performed and compared with bovine embryos cultivated by the conventional droplet method. The proportion of eight‐cell development among total embryos in the constricted channel (56.7±13.7%; mean±SD) was superior to that in the straight channel (23.9±11.0%). This suggests that the effect of constriction is vital for the early development of bovine embryos in assisted‐reproduction research.