Rat embryo culture using rabbit serum as a medium for developmental toxicity studies.
The usefulness of rabbit serum as a culture medium for postimplantation rat embryos was examined. Rat embryos at day 9.5 of gestation were cultured in a mixture of rat and rabbit sera at various ratios (v/v) for 48 h. In 100% rat serum, a usual medium, rat embryos grew well. On the contrary, rat embryos died with little growth in 100% rabbit serum. In 75% rabbit and 25% rat sera, rat embryos grew but were morphologically abnormal. In 50% rabbit and 50% rat serum, however, rat embryos grew well showing no morphological abnormalities, as in 100% rat serum. It was concluded from these results that rabbit serum could be used at a proportion up to 50% as a medium for postimplantation rat embryo culture in a mixed form with rat serum. The rat embryo culture using rabbit serum as a medium would be useful in developmental toxicity studies, especially those involving species differences and toxicokinetics.
Nakajima
M
M
Laboratory for Toxicological Research, Asahi Chemical Industry Co., Ltd, Shizuoka, Japan.
Sasaki
M
M
Kobayashi
Y
Y
Ohno
Y
Y
Usami
M
M
D000818:Animals; D001769:Blood; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018675:Toxicity Tests / Q000379:methods
D003470:Culture Media