title: Long-term effects of culture of preimplantation mouse embryos on behavior.
abstract: Many procedures used in assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to treat human infertility entail culture of preimplantation embryos. Moreover, there is an increasing trend to culture embryos for longer periods of time before uterine transfer to identify the "best" embryos for transfer and to minimize multiple pregnancies. Embryo culture, however, can perturb embryo metabolism and gene expression, and the long-term consequences of culture are unknown. We have explored the behavioral consequences of embryo culture by using a 129S6/SvEvTac/C57BL/6J F(1) mouse model and find that adults derived from cultured embryos exhibit specific behavioral alterations in the elevated zero maze and Morris water maze tasks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, 415 South University Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Ecker
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stein
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Carmen J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Gregory S
authors.initials: GS
authors.lastname: Kopf
authors.forename: Warren B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Bilker
authors.forename: Ted
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: Richard M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schultz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy