Effects of clinostat rotation on mouse meiotic maturation in vitro.
The effects of microgravity on meiosis, fertilization, and early embryonic development in mammals are being examined by using a clinostat to reorient the cells with respect to the gravity vector.  A clinostat capable of supporting mammalian cells in tissue culture has been developed.  Initial studies have focused on examining the effects of clinostat rotation on meiotic maturation in mouse oocytes.  Oocytes recovered from ovarian follicles were subjected to clinostat rotation on a horizontal or vertical axis or to static conditions for a 16 hr period.  No gross morphological changes and no effects on germinal vesicle breakdown were observed under any rotation conditions (1/4, 1, 10, 30, 100 RPM).  Success of meiotic progression to Metaphase II was comparable among experimental and control groups except at 100 RPM, where a slight inhibition was observed.
Wolgemuth
D J
DJ
Department of Human Genetics, Columbia University, New York 10032, USA.
Grills
G S
GS
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology; D006112:Gravitation; D008540:Meiosis / Q000502:physiology*; D008677:Metaphase / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D012399:Rotation; D018474:Weightlessness Simulation / Q000295:instrumentation*