The mouse embryo culture system: improving the sensitivity for use as a quality control assay for human in vitro fertilization.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether the mouse embryo culture system can be sensitized to provide improved differentiation of suboptimal culture media for in vitro fertilization.

DESIGN

Mouse embryo development in media prepared from one of three water sources were compared using embryos from two mouse strains, culturing embryos from either zygote or two-cell stage, and pretreating with either zona removal and/or cryopreservation.

SETTING

Academic research department, tertiary care referral center.

RESULTS

Embryos from CD1 mice were able to develop in suboptimal culture conditions, even when pretreated with zona removal or cryopreservation. Embryos from B6CBA/F1J mice were more sensitive to suboptimal culture conditions when harvested at the zygote stage than at the two-cell stage, and this sensitivity was improved after zona removal before culture.

CONCLUSIONS

The mouse embryo culture system has deficiencies as an assay of culture medium quality, but the sensitivity of the assay can be optimized by harvesting at the zygote stage from an appropriate strain and by zona pellucida removal before culture.