Can Sequential Human Embryo Culture Media Be Used in Bovine in Vitro Embryo Culture?

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate potential use of sequential human embryo culture media in culture of bovine embryos. Bovine oocytes were matured in Tissue Culture Medium-199 (TCM-199) for 22 h at 38.5°C and fertilized in modified Tyrode-Albumine-Lactate-Pyruvate medium (mTALP). The putative zygotes were randomly allocated to two embryo culture media groups; (1) Synthetic Oviduct Fluid (SOF) supplemented with fatty-acid free bovine serum albumin (FAF-BSA) (8 mg/ml) and (2) sequential human embryo culture media [Quinn's Advantage Medium-(QAM)] supplemented with FAF-BSA (8 mg/ml). Zygotes were cultured in SOF and sequential QAM for 9 days (5% CO<inf>2</inf>, 5% O<inf>2</inf>, and 90% N<inf>2</inf>) at 38.5°C. Cleavage (73.3% and 72.2%), morula (37.6% and 33.2%) and blastocysts rates (23.9% and 22.9%) were similar among groups (P>0.05), but the total blastocyst cell number were significantly higher in blastocysts developed in SOF (101.6±4.0) than those in sequential QAM (87.4±3.2) (P<0.05). QAM may be suggested to use in culture as an alternative media in terms of supporting embryo development, but low cell number in blastocysts produced in QAM may suggest a possible low pregnancy rate.