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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 71/6/1974    most recent biolreprod.104.032839v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Jiang, J.-Y. Articles by Tsang, B. K. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Jiang, J.-Y. Articles by Tsang, B. K. Agricola Articles by Jiang, J.-Y. Articles by Tsang, B. K.

Optimal Conditions for Successful In Vitro Fertilization and Subsequent Embryonic Development in Sprague-Dawley Rats¹

Reproductive Biology Unit and Division of Reproductive Medicine, Departments of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Cellular & Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa; Hormones, Growth and Development Program, Ottawa Health Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital (Civic Campus), Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Y 4E9

The present study was conducted to determine the optimal conditions for successful in vitro fertilization (IVF) in Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. The IVF of oocytes from SD and Wistar rats was compared in different fertilization media (mR1ECM, IVF-20, and modified Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate solution [mKRB]), and IVF conditions were then optimized for oocytes of the SD strain. Results showed that in mR1ECM medium, fertilization rates were markedly lower in SD rats (15%) than in the Wistar strain (73%), although this response was significantly improved by increasing the NaCl concentration. In addition, fertilization rates in SD rats were higher in modified IVF-20 (73%) than in IVF-20 (18%) and mKRB (53%). In contrast, fertilization rates in Wistar rats were higher in IVF-20 and modified IVF-20 than in mKRB (78%, 74%, and 36%, respectively). Further investigation concerning the effects of the NaCl supplementation (10– 40 mM) in IVF-20 on the fertilization of oocytes in the SD strain indicated that significantly higher percentages of oocytes were fertilized in IVF-20 supplemented with 30 mM NaCl (66%) and developed to the blastocyst stage (47%) in vitro. After transfer, embryos derived from this IVF system developed to term at a percentage comparable to that of in vivo-fertilized controls. In conclusion, differences exist in optimal IVF conditions between rat strains, and a modified culture medium has been successfully developed for assessment of the developmental competence of oocytes in SD rats.

¹ Supported in part by a grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-15691). In addition, the studies described were part of the Program on Oocyte Health (http://www.ohri.ca/oocyte) funded under the Healthy Gametes and Great Embryos Strategic Initiative of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (IHDCYH), grant number HGG62293. J.Y.J. is a recipient of a CIHR-STIRRHS Postdoctoral Fellowship.

² Correspondence: Benjamin K Tsang, Hormones, Growth, and Development Program, Ottawa Health Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital (Civic Campus), 725 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa, ON K1Y 4E9, Canada. FAX: 613 761 4403; btsang{at}ohri.ca