ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate mouse embryos development in conventional medium IVF-20 versus vero cell coculture. METHODS: Female ICR mice aged 6 to 8 weeks, were stimulated with 5IU PMSG and 48 hours later were injected 5IU of hCG, then female and male mice were mated. At 48 hour post-hCG injection, oviducts were dissected out and 2-cell embryos were flushed. The 2-cell embryos were cultured in IVF-20 media or media containing vero cell (African green monkey kidney epithelial cell lines) for 120 hours. Coculture techniques have been applied in mouse 2-cell embryos culture used vero cell lines. RESULTS: 1. After 48 hours culture, 60.7% and 55.7% of 2 cell embryos developed to 4 cell and morulae stage, respectively, in IVF-20 culture medium, but significantly less embryos developed to 4 cell (47.6%, p<0.05) and momlae (42.9%, p<0.05) in vero cell coculture. 2. After 72 hours culture, 51.6% of 2 cell embryos developed to blastocyst and expanded blastocyst in IVF-20 culture medium, but significantly less embryos developed to blastocyst and expanded blastocyst (25.9%, p<0.01) in vero cell coculture. 3. After 96 hours culture, 37.7% and 32.6% of 2 cell embryos similar developed to expanded blastocyst and hatching in IVF-20 culture medium and vero cell coculture, respectively. 4. After 120 hours culture, 36.9% and 37.4% of 2 cell embryos similar developed to expanded blastocyst and hatching in IVF-20 culture medium and vero cell coculture, respectively. CONCLUSION: There was no difference of embryo development rates between the two culture groups. IVF-20 medium alone gives a benefit to the viability of an embryo compared with a vero cell coculture.