title: Replacement of ether with alternate volatile anesthetics for collection of rat serum used in embryo culture.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The traditional anesthetic used for collection of the serum culture medium for whole rat embryo culture studies has been ether. However ethical concerns have been raised due to the irritant nature of the vapour and safety concerns due to the risk of fire.
  
  
  METHODS
  Growth and development of gestation day 9.5 rat embryos cultured for 48 h in serum collected from rats anesthetised with either ether, isoflurane or halothane were compared.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no differences in any of the parameters used to assess embryonic development when embryos were grown in serum collected using either ether or isoflurane anesthetics. However, when embryos grown in serum collected using ether or halothane were compared, embryonic development was similar in all respects, except for a reduced number of embryos turned to become fully dorsally convex in the halothane group (p <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data indicate that isoflurane is an appropriate alternative to ether for collection of the serum culture medium for whole rat embryo culture, while halothane may cause some delay of embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: School of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Sydney, P.O. Box 170, East Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141, Australia. p.woodman@fhs.usyd.edu.au
authors.forename: P D C
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Brown-Woodman
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Korabelnikoff
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Emmanuel
mesh_terms: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001800:Blood Specimen Collection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003470:Culture Media / Q000009:adverse effects; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D004986:Ether / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006221:Halothane; D007530:Isoflurane; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D044967:Serum
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D003470:Culture Media; D004986:Ether; D007530:Isoflurane; D006221:Halothane