title: Prostacyclin enhances mouse embryo development and hatching but not increased embryonic cell number and volume.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate in vitro effects of prostacyclin (PGI2), we cultured mouse embryos with a PGI2 analogue, because human fallopian tube cells synthesize abundant amounts of PGI2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal model.
  
  
  METHODS
  Animal study in a private infertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mouse embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro effects of PGI2 analogue on mouse embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Development rate, blastocyst volume, rate of complete hatching, and cell number of hatched blastocysts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exposure to PGI2 analogue during the four-cell to morula stages was critical to enhanced embryo development and hatching but did not increase blastocyst volume or cell number of hatched blastocysts. The effects of PGI2 analogue were statistically significant at 1.0 micromol/L and 2.0 micromol/L in human tubal fluid medium, with or without 1% bovine serum albumin.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prostacyclin analogue enhanced embryo development and hatching, but PGI2 did not increase number of cells in hatched blastocysts or blastocyst volume.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, College of Medicine, Chung-Shan Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chung-Hsien
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Maw-Sheng
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ching-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Chun-Chia
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Hui-Mei
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Tsao
authors.forename: Yih-Shou
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Hsieh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001826:Body Fluids; D002417:Cattle; D002452:Cell Count; D048429:Cell Size / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D011464:Epoprostenol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000502:physiology*; D005187:Fallopian Tubes / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016285:Iloprost / Q000494:pharmacology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009028:Morula / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D046509:Tissue Culture Techniques
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D012710:Serum Albumin, Bovine; D011464:Epoprostenol; D016285:Iloprost