title: Longevity of donor serum.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the viability of long-term, stored serum, which is used in human in vitro production as a source of energy substrates, amino acids, vitamins, growth factors, and other nutrients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two-cell mouse embryos were used in this prospective, cohort study. Serum stored for 1-, 5-, 10-, and 12-year intervals was subjected to four replications of mouse-embryo testing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in blastocyst rates between any of the replicates by year (80-100% blastocyst rate; P > 00.1) or between pooled replicate means by time period.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Serum may be frozen up to 12 years.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Greenville Hospital System, South Carolina 29605-5601, USA.
authors.forename: Jennifer E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Graves
authors.forename: H Lee
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Higdon
authors.forename: Jane E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Dawn W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Blackhurst
authors.forename: William R
authors.initials: WR
authors.lastname: Boone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection; D003470:Culture Media; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D047108:Embryonic Development; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044967:Serum / Q000737:chemistry*; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media