title: Improvement of in vitro co-culture systems for bovine embryos using a low concentration of carbon dioxide and medium supplemented with beta-mercaptoethanol.
abstract: Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) gas atmosphere and beta-mercaptoethanol on the development of bovine embryos in an in vitro co-culture system. In Experiment 1, in vitro-matured bovine oocytes were inseminated and then co-cultured with cumulus cells in culture medium (CM; 25 mM HEPES buffered TCM-199 supplemented with 5% superovulated cow serum and 0.5 mM sodium pyruvate). Oocytes matured and fertilized in 2 or 5% CO2 in air exhibited similar cleavage rates, but the proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage was higher for embryos co-cultured in 2 versus 5% CO2 in air. In Experiment two, 4- to 8-cell embryos produced under the condition of 2% CO2 in air were co-cultured with cumulus cells in CM supplemented with various levels of beta-mercaptoethanol (0, 5, 10, 50 microM). The percentage of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage in CM with 10 microM beta-mercaptoethanol was higher (P<0.05) than that of embryos co-cultured with 0 or 50 microM beta-mercaptoethanol. These results indicate that cumulus cell co-culture in an atmosphere of 2% CO2 in air has a marked stimulatory effect on in vitro development of bovine embryos and that addition of beta-mercaptoethanol to the co-culture medium 2 d after insemination improved the in vitro development of bovine 4- to 8-cell embryos to the blastocyst stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Production, Tohoku National Agricultural Experiment Station, Morioka, Iwate, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geshi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yonai
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nagai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000187:drug effects; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D002417:Cattle / Q000196:embryology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D008623:Mercaptoethanol