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Embryo Coculture and the Regulation of Blastocyst Formation In Vitro

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In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer in Primates

Part of the book series: Serono Symposia, USA ((SERONOSYMP))

Abstract

In most mammalian species embryos grown in vitro undergo developmental arrest at the approximate time of genomic activation. Moreover, despite improvements in embryo culture conditions, embryo metabolism is obviously depressed in simple culture media (1), even if enriched with serum. In vitro culture leads to loss of viability (2) except in certain cases (3). In order to overcome this block or to maintain viability, several coculture systems have been designed. In farm animals, overcoming blocks to embryo development is especially important because embryo transfer cannot be performed before the morula/ blastocyst stage, when the embryo would normally be in the uterus. Otherwise, if embryos are transferred earlier, they are rapidly expelled. The motility effect, leading to expulsion, may in some cases be associated with uterine hostility. This contrasts with the situation in humans where embryos can be successfully transferred early in development. The first system that resulted in living calves starting from the 1-cell stage resulted from coculture of embryos with trophoblastic cells, presumably working through a paracrine effect (4, 5).

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Authors
  1. Yves Menezo
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  2. Laurent Jany
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  3. Chaque Khatchadourian
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Reproductive Sciences, Oregon Regional Primate Research Center, 505 N.W. 185th Avenue, Beaverton, Oregon, 97006, USA

    Don P. Wolf Ph.D. , Richard L. Stouffer Ph.D.  & Robert M. Brenner Ph.D. ,  & 

  2. Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Don P. Wolf Ph.D.

  3. Division of Reproductive Sciences, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA

    Richard L. Stouffer Ph.D.

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© 1993 Springer-Verlag New York, Inc

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Menezo, Y., Jany, L., Khatchadourian, C. (1993). Embryo Coculture and the Regulation of Blastocyst Formation In Vitro. In: Wolf, D.P., Stouffer, R.L., Brenner, R.M. (eds) In Vitro Fertilization and Embryo Transfer in Primates. Serono Symposia, USA. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2716-8_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4612-2716-8_16

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4612-7640-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4612-2716-8

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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