Korean J Obstet Gynecol.  1999 Dec;42(12):2792-2799.

The Effect of Coculture on In Vitro Fertilization of Oocytes and Development of Early Stage Embryos in Mice

• Kim HM
• Son YS

Abstract

OBJECTIVES
Our objective was to investigate the effect of coculture system on in vitro fertilization and development of mice embryos.
METHODS
F1 hybrid mice were superovulated with PMSG/hCG. Recruited oocytes were divided into three subgroups which are control(subgroup a), Vero cell coculture(subgroup b) and human amniocyte coculture subgroup (subgroup c) respectively. For 3 subgroups, we observed fertilization after 24 hours of incubation. In vitro fertilized early 2-cell stage embryos were allocated to Group I and in vivo fertilized early 2-cell stage embryos were allocated to Group II. Also, each group was divided into control (subgroup a), Vero cell coculture(subgroup b) and human amniocyte coculture subgroup(subgroup c) respectively. For 6 subgroups, we observed in vitro development to blastocyst and that to hatching blastocyst after 120 hours of incubation.
RESULTS
As to recruited oocytes, the in vitro fatilization rate of subgroup a was significantly higher than that of subgroup b and subgroup c (P<0.05). In Group I, the developmental rates were not significantly different between the three subgroups. But in Group II, the developmental rates to hatching blastocysts of subgroup b and c were significantly higher than that of subgroup a (p<0.05).
CONCLUSION
The development of the in vitro fertilized mouse embryos seemed to be independent of physiologic condition which we think coculture system may give to the embryos. The independent developmental capability of the in vitro fertilized embryos might be obtained through a certain intracellular mechanism for which there should be the need of many more investigations to be verified.

Keyword

coculture; in vitro fertilization; mouse embryos; Vero cell; Vero

MeSH Terms

Animals
Blastocyst
Coculture Techniques*
Embryonic Structures*
Fertilization
Fertilization in Vitro*
Humans
Mice*
Oocytes*
Vero Cells