Comparison of media used for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer programs--a new method of serum preparation.

Two-cell ICR-mouse embryos were cultured to compare media used for human in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) programs. When delayed centrifuged (DC, a general method of serum preparation) adult woman's serum (WS) was used as a medium supplement, Whitten's modified Krebs-Ringer-bicarbonate solution (m-KRB) was significantly better in both rate of development to blastocysts (D. R. to b1) and hatching rate (H.R.) than modified Ham's F-10 medium (m-HF10), irrespective of the commercial source of the HF10 powder. As for medium supplements when m-KRB was used as the medium base, immediately cooled and centrifuged (ICC, a new method of serum preparation) WS was significantly better in D.R. to bl. and H.R. than either DC-WS or DC-cord blood serum (CBS). There was no significant difference between DC-WS and DC-CBS. Moreover, ICC-WS gave a much higher H.R. than either bovine serum albumin (BSA) or human serum albumin (HSA), although D.R. to bl. was similar in all three. There was no significant difference between BSA and HSA. In clinical assessment of a human IVF-ET program, both the fertilization rate and the cleavage rate were higher in m-KRB containing ICC-patient's serum (PS) than in m-HF10 containing DC-PS, although the differences were not statistically significant.