Progesterone and 17beta-estradiol, but not follicle stimulating hormone, alter the sex ratio of murine embryos fertilized in vitro.
The objective was to determine the effects of adding progesterone, 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E2), and FSH during in vitro fertilization on development and sex ratio of murine embryos. Progesterone (33-330 pg/mL), 17beta-estradiol (17beta-E2); 10-70 pg/mL), and FSH (0.01-0.05 IU/mL), were added to human tubal fluid (HTF); this medium (with or without hormones) was used to pre-incubate sperm (2h) and to co-incubate sperm and oocytes (6h). Thereafter, the ova were washed and incubated in mM16 medium and embryo sex was determined (by PCR) on Day 4 (insemination=Day 0). There was no effect (P>0.05) of hormone treatments on rates of cleavage (6 h after cessation of co-incubation with sperm). The only significant effects of added hormones on development were a decrease in the rate of development to at least the morula stage in 165 pg/mL progesterone (0.46+/-0.03 vs. 0.54+/-0.05 in the control, mean+/-S.D.; P<0.05) and a decrease in the blastocyst rate in 0.03 IU/mL FSH (0.34+/-0.00 vs. 0.42+/-0.04 in the control, P<0.05). However, the ratio of male to female embryos was 1.61 and 2.90 following the addition of 99 pg/mL progesterone and 70 pg/mL 17beta-E2, respectively; both of these ratios were different (P<0.01) than in the control group (1.20). In contrast, the addition of FSH to the medium had no significant effect on this ratio (range, 0.78-1.02). We concluded that the addition of progesterone and estradiol to the media during in vitro fertilization did not enhance embryonic development, but significantly increased the proportion of male murine embryos.
Zhang
L
L
Institute of Animal Science, China Academy of Agricultural Science, 2 Yuanmingyuan Xi Road, Beijing 100094, China.
Du
W
W
Lin
X
X
Zhang
A
A
Chen
H
H
D000818:Animals; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D004247:DNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012744:Sex Ratio; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics
D007377:Interleukin-3; D051876:Sex-Determining Region Y Protein; C497746:Sry protein, mouse; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D004247:DNA