Enhancement of mammalian embryo development

Abstract

A method of enhancing in vitro development of a mammalian embryo is disclosed which comprises supplementing the culture medium with a prostaglandin, or a prostaglandin analog, in an amount effective to promote complete hatching of the embryo (i.e., freeing of the embryo from the zona pellucida). The quality of human blastocysts is enhanced in vitro by culturing with a prostacyclin agonist, Iloprost. The in vivo implantation potential and live birth potential of an in vitro fertilization embryo is thereby enhanced and establishment of a viable pregnancy is facilitated.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of PCT / US04 / 029167 filed Sep. 8, 2004, from which priority under 35 U.S.C. §120 is claimed. This application also claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60 / 708,291 filed Aug. 15, 2005. The disclosures of those applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference.STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT[0002] This invention was made in part, with funding from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Contract No. HD01277. Accordingly, the United States Government has certain rights in this invention.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] 1. Field of the Invention [0004] The present invention generally relates to compositions and methods for in vitro culturing of mammalian embryos and for enhancing achievement of pregnancy after implantation of the cultured embryo in the uterus of a suitable mammali...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008] It was recently discovered that the human oviduct synthesizes abundant prostacyclin (PGI2) and PGE2 [Huang, 2002]. Gene knockout studies suggest that endometrium-derived PGI2 is essential to endometrial decidualization, but the effects of PGI2 on the development of pre-implantation embryos have not been reported. Employing the hypothesis that optimal development of preimplantation embryos might require PGI2, the effects of PGI2 on mouse embryos were examined based on the rates of complete hatching. The expression of PGI2 receptor (IP) was evaluated by Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry. The binding of PGI2 to embryos was confirmed by radioligand binding assay. Our results demonstrate that the hatching of mouse embryos is enhanced by supplementation of Iloprost (ED50 6.7 nM), a stable PGI2 synthetic analog. Exposure to Iloprost during eight-cell to morulae or morulae to early blastocyst stages was critical to enhanced hatching. This stage-specific response to PGI2 coincided with the developmental stage-specific expression of IP. Further studies were conducted in an attempt to correlate the enhanced embryo hatching with increased implantation and live births, mouse embryos cultured in media supplemented with Iloprost were transferred to gestational carriers. The number of gestation sacs and live pups was compared with that of control embryos. Because additives in culture media reportedly increased fetal weights [DeBaun, 2002; Thompson, 1995; Sinclair, 1999], the weights of the pups and the placentae were also compared. Our results indicate that culturing embryos in media supplemented with Iloprost enhances the implantation and live birth of mouse embryos without affecting the weights of the pups or the placentae.

Problems solved by technology

As a result, transferred wild type embryos could not implant in the female mice deficient in COX-2.

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