Morphological, total nucleic acid and total protein analyses of rat embryos cultured in supplemented and unsupplemented human serum.
Culture of explanted 9 1/2 day rat conceptuses for 48 hours (i.e. until 11 1/2 days) in 100% human serum supplemented only with glucose does not result in growth and development comparable to those conceptuses cultured for the same period in 100% rat serum. Significant differences were observed in the yolk sac diameter, crown-rump length, morphological score and total embryonic nucleic acid content. No difference was observed in the total embryonic protein content. A large proportion of the embryos cultured in glucose-supplemented human serum (100%) exhibited abnormalities of the neural tube. Supplementation of the human serum with glucose and 10% rat serum resulted in embryos showing higher indices of embryonic growth and differentiation (in all criteria of assessment) than those cultured in pure rat serum; no abnormalities were observed. The significance of better growth and differentiation of the conceptuses in human serum supplemented with glucose and 10% rat serum is discussed.
D000818:Animals; D001699:Biometry; D001769:Blood; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009696:Nucleic Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains
D003470:Culture Media; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D011506:Proteins