title: Free radical scavengers ameliorate the 2-cell block in mouse embryo culture.
abstract: Mouse zygotes from a strain combination which fails to undergo cleavage in vitro (the 2-cell block) were cultured in a variety of media, using either low (5%) or normal (20%) oxygen tension in the gas phase. Development beyond the 4-cell stage was only achieved in medium containing serum and with normal oxygen tension. When serum-free medium was supplemented with free radical scavengers, reduced glutathione (1 mM), but not histidine, catalase or superoxide dismutase, development to the morula or blastocyst stage was promoted in 50% of zygotes cultured with normal oxygen tension. These data suggest that the 2-cell block is a consequence, at least in part, of free radical damage incurred by embryos during collection and culture, and that medium supplementation with the radical scavenger, reduced glutathione, can improve embryo development in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Legge
authors.forename: M H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Sellens
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015687:Cell Hypoxia; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000502:physiology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D046508:Culture Techniques; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology*; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D051379:Mice; D015053:Zygote / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers