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Effect of β‐mercaptoethanol and Cysteine Supplementation of Culture Medium on Development of One‐cell and Morula Stage Mouse Embryos
Author(s) -
Aksoy M,
Takahashi Y,
Hishinuma M,
Suzuki H,
Kanagawa H
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
reproduction in domestic animals
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.546
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1439-0531
pISSN - 0936-6768
DOI - 10.1046/j.1439-0531.2000.00249.x
Subject(s) - blastocyst , embryo , andrology , embryogenesis , ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid , cysteine , chemistry , embryo culture , bovine serum albumin , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , genetics , chelation , medicine , organic chemistry , enzyme
Contents Influence of β‐mercaptoethanol (β‐ME) in the presence or absence of ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and cysteine (CYS) on the development of early (one‐cell) and late (morula) stage mouse embryos was evaluated in two consecutive experiments conducted according to 2 × 2 × 2 factorial design. In experiment 1, one‐cell stage embryos were cultured in one of the eight factorial WM (Whitten's medium) containing 3 mg/ml bovine serum albumin (BSA) for 120 h to reach the blastocyst stage. No interaction was observed among EDTA (0.1 m m ), β‐ME (50 µ m ) and CYS (50 µ m ). EDTA was the main agent supporting development of one‐cell stage embryos to blastocyst stage (p < 0.01). The β‐ME and CYS had no influence on the development of one‐cell embryos to the blastocyst stage. In experiment 2, one‐cell stage embryos were cultured in WM containing 3 mg/ml BSA and 0.1 m m EDTA for 72 h. Embryos that developed to the morula stage were selected and further cultured for 48 h in one of the eight experimentally altered WM with 3 mg/ml BSA containing β‐ME (50 µ m ) and/or CYS (50 µ m ) in the presence or absence of EDTA (0.1 m m ). The β‐ME supplementation of the culture medium improved development of morulae to blastocyst stage (p < 0.05). No interaction was detected among the additives. These data indicate that some factors other than the proposed mechanism of action of β‐ME may be involved in its growth promoting activity on embryo development