title: A Simple Method for Transportation of Mouse Embryos Using Microtubes and a Warm Box.
abstract: Generally, transportation of preimplantation embryos without freezing requires incubators that can maintain an optimal culture environment with a suitable gas phase, temperature, and humidity. Such incubators are expensive to transport. We reported previously that normal offspring were obtained when the gas phase and temperature could be maintained during transportation. However, that system used plastic dishes for embryo culture and is unsuitable for long-distance transport of live embryos. Here, we developed a simple low-cost embryo transportation system. Instead of plastic dishes, several types of microtubes-usually used for molecular analysis-were tested for embryo culture. When they were washed and attached to a gas-permeable film, the rate of embryo development from the 1-cell to blastocyst stage was more than 90%. The quality of these blastocysts and the rate of full-term development after embryo transfer to recipient female mice were similar to those of a dish-cultured control group. Next, we developed a small warm box powered by a battery instead of mains power, which could maintain an optimal temperature for embryo development during transport. When 1-cell embryos derived from BDF1, C57BL/6, C3H/He and ICR mouse strains were transported by a parcel-delivery service over 3 days using microtubes and the box, they developed to blastocysts with rates similar to controls. After the embryos had been transferred into recipient female mice, healthy offspring were obtained without any losses except for the C3H/He strain. Thus, transport of mouse embryos is possible using this very simple method, which might prove useful in the field of reproductive medicine.
authors.affiliation: Asada Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Asada Ladies Clinic Medical Corporation, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tokoro
authors.affiliation: Asada Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Asada Ladies Clinic Medical Corporation, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Noritaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Mouse Genetic Engineering, Quantitative Biology Center RIKEN, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamanaka
authors.affiliation: Asada Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Asada Ladies Clinic Medical Corporation, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Itoi
authors.affiliation: Kanazawa University School of Medicine, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Terashita
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kamada
authors.affiliation: Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Sayaka
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wakayama
authors.affiliation: Asada Institute for Reproductive Medicine, Asada Ladies Clinic Medical Corporation, Kasugai, Aichi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Asada
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan; Advanced Biotechnology Center, University of Yamanashi, Kofu, Yamanashi, Japan.
authors.forename: Teruhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wakayama
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D007185:Incubators; D008297:Male; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013045:Species Specificity; D013048:Specimen Handling / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*