Korean J Anesthesiol.  1997 Sep;33(3):416-421. 10.4097/kjae.1997.33.3.416.

The Effects of Narcotics on the Mouse Two-Cell Embryo Development

• Kim JH
• Lee CH

• KMID: 2091150
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4097/kjae.1997.33.3.416

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The use of anesthesia during assisted reproductive technology (ART) such as TEST (Tubal Embryo Stage Transfer) may expose early embryo to anesthetics in tubal fluid. The effects of anesthetic agents on the development of early embryo in ART are yet unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of narcotics on mouse two-cell embryo development using in vitro growth model of mouse embryo.
METHODS
Mouse two-cell embryos were exposed to narcotics, fentanyl (6.0 nM; 30.0 nM) and meperidine (1.0 M; 3.6 M) respectively. Mouse two-cell embryos unexposed to any drugs were served as controls. In vitro developmental patterns were observed on the third and fifth day of culture.
RESULTS
There were no significant differences in the rates of embryos arrested at 2~8 cell stage on the third day after culture and blastocysts development and their hatching on the fifth day after culture among three groups.
CONCLUSION
We conclude that fentanyl and meperidine in clinical therapeutic concentration have no detrimental effects on the in vitro two-cell mouse embryo development. But further investigations are required to determine whether narcotics have any adverse toxic effects in human reproductive medicine.

Keyword

Anesthetics, intravenous, fentanyl, meperidine; Animals, mouse; Toxicity, embryo development

MeSH Terms

Anesthesia
Anesthetics
Animals
Blastocyst
Embryonic Development*
Embryonic Structures*
Female
Fentanyl
Humans
Meperidine
Mice*
Narcotics*
Pregnancy
Reproductive Medicine
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
Anesthetics
Fentanyl
Meperidine
Narcotics