[Improvement of mouse early embryo development in vitro by co-culture with human oviductal epithelial cells in serum-free medium].
OBJECTIVE
To examine the effect of human oviductal epithelial cells on early mouse embryonic cleavage and growth in vitro.


METHODS
Ninety 2-cell mouse embryos were co-cultured with human oviductal epithelial cells in DMEM/Ham's F12 + 0.3% bovine serum albumin(BSA) + estradiol (E2) and ninety embryos cultured in DMEM/F12 + 0.3% BSA + E2 alone as control.


RESULTS
Among the embryos co-cultured with oviductal epithelial cells, 82% developed to the morulae stage, 77% cavitated to blastocysts with 63% hatching, as compared with 45% to morulae stage, 13% to blastocysts and none hatching in the controls. Co-cultured embryos cleaved significantly faster than control and showed no or less fragmentation than those in the control.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggested that human oviductal epithelial cells can support early embryonic development and yield a reasonable number of embryos with good quality up to the blastocyst stage.
Zeng
W
W
Zhujiang Hospital, First Military Medical College, Guanghzou.
Feng
Z
Z
D000818:Animals; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009924:Organ Culture Techniques
D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free