Coculture cells that express leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) enhance mouse blastocyst development in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
Leukemia inhibitory factor is a cytokine that plays an important role in implantation and enhances mouse preimplantation embryo development in vitro. Since leukemia inhibitory factor enhances early embryo development, we tested the hypothesis that coculture cells that express leukemia inhibitory factor would enhance mouse blastocyst development in vitro. In this study, Northern analysis for leukemia inhibitory factor was performed on total RNA extracted from Vero cells, human embryonic fibroblasts, and human placental fibroblasts.


METHODS
Two-cell mouse embryos were cultured to blastocyst in Ham's F-10 with 15% human cord serum (control) or with the coculture cells. Northern analysis demonstrated expression of LIF mRNA in Vero cells and embryonic fibroblasts but not in placental fibroblasts. Development to blastocyst was significantly enhanced in two-cell embryos cultured with Vero cells (86%, 140/163) and embryonic fibroblasts (83%, 118/142) when compared to controls (71%, 67/94, P < 0.05) or placental fibroblasts (71%, 95/134), P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that coculture cells that express leukemia inhibitory factor may be superior to nonleukemia inhibitory factor expressing cells for early preimplantation embryo development.
Kauma
S W
SW
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond 23298, USA.
Matt
D W
DW
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000235:genetics; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010920:Placenta / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014709:Vero Cells
D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015850:Interleukin-6; C507837:LIF protein, human; D053605:Leukemia Inhibitory Factor; C507838:Lif protein, mouse; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger