title: The effect of melatonin on in vitro fertilization and embryo development in mice.
abstract: To examine the effect of melatonin on in vitro fertilization and embryonic development, mouse embryos after insemination in vitro were cultured in a physiological medium with or without melatonin. Melatonin increased the fertilization rate significantly at a concentration between 10(-6) and 10(-4) M (27.6 vs. 43.9 or 40.4%, P < 0.01). Furthermore, a significant increase in the rate of embryos reaching the four-cell stage (16.0 vs. 26.7%, P < 0.01), the eight-cell stage (12.1 vs. 25.8 or 23.5%, P < 0.01), and blastulation (8.9 vs. 23.5 or 17.5%, P < 0.01) was observed when the embryos were cultured in a medium containing 10(-8) or 10(-6) M melatonin. These results demonstrate that melatonin supports fertilization and early embryo development after in vitro fertilization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University School of Medicine, Kawasaki, Japan. ishizuka@marianna-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ishizuka
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kuribayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murai
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amemiya
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D016166:Free Radical Scavengers / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D016166:Free Radical Scavengers; D008550:Melatonin