Roles of growth factors in the development of bovine embryos fertilized in vitro and cultured singly in a defined medium. [Erratum: 1997, v. 9 (2), p. 279.]

• Published in: Reproduction fertility and development Vol. 8; no. 8; pp. 1199 - 1205
• Main Authors: Lim, J.M, Hansel, W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Australia 1996
• Subjects: animal breeding; animal genetics; Animals; Cattle; Cells, Cultured; Coculture Techniques; Culture Media - chemistry; Embryo, Mammalian - cytology; Embryo, Mammalian - drug effects; Embryonic and Fetal Development; Epithelial Cells; Fallopian Tubes - cytology; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - pharmacology; Glutathione - chemistry; Glutathione - pharmacology; Growth Substances - pharmacology; Growth Substances - physiology; Mercaptoethanol - chemistry; Mercaptoethanol - pharmacology; Osmolar Concentration; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - chemistry; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - pharmacology; Transforming Growth Factor beta - pharmacology
• ISSN: 1031-3613
• DOI: 10.1071/RD9961199

Bovine embryos at the 8- or 16-cell stage were cultured singly, or in groups (10-12 embryos), in the presence or absence of bovine oviduct epithelial cells (BOEC) in a defined medium which was used as a basic culture medium. A higher (P < 0.05) proportion of 8-cell embryos (48.3-50.8%) cultured singly developed beyond the 8-cell stage after the addition of platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-AB (1 ng mL-1) only, or with PDGF-AB + basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF; 1 ng ml-1) + transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta 1 beta 2 (1 ng mL-1) than in basic medium alone (30.3%). In contrast, a significantly (P < 0.02) higher percentage (62.6-65.8%) of 16-cell embryos developed to the morula stage after the addition of TGF-beta 1 beta 2 only, or the addition of TGF-beta 1 beta 2 + bFGF + PDGF-AB than in basic medium alone (30.2%). These proportions were not significantly (P > 0.05) different from the proportions obtained when embryos were cultured in groups, but were significantly (P < 0.005) lower than the proportions obtained when embryos were cultured in groups on BOEC monolayers. Arachidonic acid (50 ng mL-1), beta-mercaptoethanol (10 microM) and glutathione (10-1000 microM) stimulated the development of 8-cell embryos in the presence of PDGF and TGF-beta 1 beta 2; blastocyst formation was observed for the first time in 8-cell embryos cultured singly in the presence of these embryotrophic substances (2.2-6.2%).