Effects of different concentrations of bovine follicular fluid and estrous cow serum on development of murine 2-cell embryos

Abstract

Murine 2-cells embryos were isolated from murine oviducts at laboratory and transferred into Ham's F-10 medium containing 0.1 mg mL-1 streptomycin and 100 IU mL-1 penicillin G and supplemented with 3 mg mL-1 bovine serum albumin (BSA) or different concentrations of bovine follicular fluid (bFF) and estrous cow serum (ECS). Significantly higher (p<0.05) ?4-cell embryos were developed when embryos were cultured 20% bFF (84.33%) comparing to 10 and 15% bFF (48.33 and 69.33%) as well as 3 mg mL -1 BSA (65.66%). Morula rates were also lower in 10% bFF (22.33%) comparing to the other groups and were similar in 15 and 20% bFF (62.66 and 72.33% morula rates) as well as BSA containing media (55.33%). The highest (p<0.05) blastocyst rates were obtained in medium containing 20% bFF (64.33%) and the lowest belonged to 10% bFF (15%) comparing to 15% bFF (33.66%) or 3 mg mL-1 BSA. When embryos were cultured in ECS, no significant different was observed in different culture media (76.66, 72.33, 82.5 and 65.66% ?4-cell embryos in 10, 15 and 20% bFF and 3 mg mL-1 BSA, respectively). Morula and blastocyst rates were also similar in all groups (32.33, 41.66 and 66.25 and 55.33% morula rates and 15.33, 27, 44.50 and 29.66% blastocyst rates for 10, 15 and 20% bFF and 3 mg mL-1 BSA, respectively). The results of the present study demonstrated that 20% bFF could be substituted for BSA when in vitro culture of murine embryos is carried. © 2008 Asian Network for Scientific Information.