title: Effects of low oxygen condition on the generation of reactive oxygen species and the development in mouse embryos cultured in vitro.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To elucidate the relationship between intracellular H2O2 production and embryo development in different oxygen culture conditions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pronuclear stage embryos were obtained from C57BL/CBA F1 and ICR mice. Measurement of H2O2 level was performed with 2',7'-dichlorodihydroflourescein diacetate and the number of blastomeres was counted after staining with 4',6'-diamidino-2-phenylindole.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regardless of strains, H2O2 level reached a peak at the 2-cell stage in 20% O2. But in embryos cultured in 5% O2 it was significantly lower at the 2-cell and 4-cell stages compared to those from 20% O2. The embryos cultured in 20% O2 showed developmental delay or block, but in 5% O2 these phenomena were overcome and the development was significantly increased with an infrequent fragmentation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data suggest that the 5% O2 decreases the relative concentration of H2O2 and results in improved embryo development in terms of quantity and quality without regard to type of strains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Ryu
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Oh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005260:Female; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010100:Oxygen / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide; D010100:Oxygen