Addition of steroids to embryo-uterine monolayer co-culture enhances embryo survival and implantation in vitro.
Co-culture with a mixed cell monolayer established from trypsinized uterine tissue increased the numbers of embryos developing in a minimum essential medium beyond the hatching blastocyst stage in the 5-day period of culture to 56.0% (343/613) compared with 30.2% (93/308) for embryos cultured in medium alone. The inclusion of progesterone (3.2 x 10(-6), 3.2 x 10(-5), or 3.2 x 10(-4) M) or oestradiol (3.7 x 10(-5) M) to the co-cultures increased the mean percentage of embryos developing to the advanced stages to 72.7-78.4%. The addition of progesterone (3.2 x 10(-6) M) together with oestradiol (3.7 x 10(-5) M) resulted in additional improvement to a mean of 86.5% (787/910, P less than 0.001) but the combination was without significant effect on embryos cultured in media alone. Blastocyst viability was not impaired by co-culture as assessed in embryo survival following surgical transfer to pseudopregnant recipients. This study confirms the feasibility of establishing co-culture systems to facilitate investigation of pre-implantation events in vitro and highlights a role of steroid hormones in enhancing the capacity of uterine cells to support pre-implantation-stage embryos.
Lavranos
T C
TC
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Medical School, S.A.
Seamark
R F
RF
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009028:Morula / Q000187:drug effects; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*
D003470:Culture Media; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol