title: Positive effect of taurine on preimplantation development of mouse embryos in vitro.
abstract: The effect of various taurine concentrations in modified Tyrode's medium on in vitro fertilization of mouse oocytes was examined. No significant difference in fertilization rate was found at concentrations of 0, 0.1, 1, 5, 10 and 20 mM taurine. In a second series of experiments, the effect of taurine on preimplantation embryonic development after fertilization in vitro was studied. At concentrations of 1, 5, 10 and 20 mM taurine, significantly more two-cell embryos reached the blastocyst stage compared with medium without taurine. Culture in the presence of 5 mM or 10 mM taurine resulted in blastocysts with the highest mean number of cells. The positive effect of taurine on embryonic development was found to be more pronounced both in a second medium (human tubal fluid medium) which has a higher potassium concentration than Tyrode's medium, and in a modified Tyrode's medium with an increased potassium concentration. In addition to these in vitro studies, it is reported that taurine comprised about 59% of the total free amino acid content in mouse oviduct flushings, compared with 17% in mouse serum.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Academic Hospital Maastricht, University of Limburg, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Evers
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bras
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Pieters
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Geraedts
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects*; D001826:Body Fluids / Q000378:metabolism; D003470:Culture Media; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000187:drug effects*; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism; D013654:Taurine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D003470:Culture Media; D013654:Taurine; D011188:Potassium