T T Olar1, A S Potts. 1. Fertility Institute of New Orleans, Louisiana 70128.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Murine two-cell embryos (n = 5573) were cultured for 96 hr in human tubal fluid (HTF) medium (n = 2709) or alpha modification of minimum essential medium (MEM; n = 2864) through the hatched blastocyst stage from mid-1990 to mid-1991. An additional 373 embryos were cultured in MEM or HTF with 0, 1, 5, or 10 ng/ml E. coli endotoxin. A total of 17 patients had supernumerary embryos simultaneously cultured in HTF (n = 48) or MEM (n = 61). Additionally, pregnancy rates were compared for July to December 1990, when MEM was used as growth medium, and for July to December 1989, when HTF was used. RESULTS: Blastocyst formation was higher (P < 0.001) for murine embryos cultured in MEM (blasts = 95%) compared to HTF (blasts = 70%). When cultured with endotoxin, blastocyst formation was higher (P < 0.01) for embryos cultured in MEM compared with HTF for controls and at each endotoxin level. No difference in human blastocyst development was observed in HTF and MEM. However, more MEM-cultured blastocysts were cryopreserved (P < 0.05). There also was a lower spontaneous abortion rate and a higher multiple gestation rate when embryos were cultured in MEM. CONCLUSION: Thus, MEM may result in healthier blastocyst development, especially when culture conditions are substandard, although this is not an acceptable substitution for meticulous technique.
PURPOSE:Murine two-cell embryos (n = 5573) were cultured for 96 hr in human tubal fluid (HTF) medium (n = 2709) or alpha modification of minimum essential medium (MEM; n = 2864) through the hatched blastocyst stage from mid-1990 to mid-1991. An additional 373 embryos were cultured in MEM or HTF with 0, 1, 5, or 10 ng/ml E. coli endotoxin. A total of 17 patients had supernumerary embryos simultaneously cultured in HTF (n = 48) or MEM (n = 61). Additionally, pregnancy rates were compared for July to December 1990, when MEM was used as growth medium, and for July to December 1989, when HTF was used. RESULTS:Blastocyst formation was higher (P < 0.001) for murine embryos cultured in MEM (blasts = 95%) compared to HTF (blasts = 70%). When cultured with endotoxin, blastocyst formation was higher (P < 0.01) for embryos cultured in MEM compared with HTF for controls and at each endotoxin level. No difference in humanblastocyst development was observed in HTF and MEM. However, more MEM-cultured blastocysts were cryopreserved (P < 0.05). There also was a lower spontaneous abortion rate and a higher multiple gestation rate when embryos were cultured in MEM. CONCLUSION: Thus, MEM may result in healthier blastocyst development, especially when culture conditions are substandard, although this is not an acceptable substitution for meticulous technique.