Abstract
The objectives of this study were to test the effects of four levels of bovine serum albumin (BSA) on the development of ovine embryos cultured in Brinster's and Whitten's media and to examine the extent of in vitro development of ovine embryos cultured from various cell stages. Two hundred and forty-three one- to 16-cell ovine embryos were cultured in Brinster's medium (BMOC-2 plus .1% w/v dextrose) or Whitten's medium (WM) supplemented with one of four concentrations (.1, .5, 1.5 or 2.0%) of BSA. Embryos were grouped according to cell stage (one- to four-cell, five- to eight-cell and nine-to 16-cell) at outset of culture. In vitro development was based on completion of two cleavages and(or) development into a blastocyst. Percentages of embryos developing in culture were analyzed by least-square means for effects of media, BSA concentrations and cell stage at outset of culture. No differences in rate of development were observed between BMOC-2 and WM at any of the four BSA concentrations or at any of the three beginning developmental stages. Media with high BSA levels (1.5 and 2.0%) were superior (P<.01) to those with low BSA levels (.1 and .5%) in supporting two cleavages at all three stages. In media with low BSA concentrations (.1 and .5%), two or more cleavages occurred in 42, 40, and 63% of the one- to four-cell, five- to eight-cell and nine- to 16-cell embryos, while in media with high BSA concentrations (1.5 and 2.0%) similar development occurred in 75, 63, and 75% of the embryos, respectively. An interaction (P<.01) was observed between cell stage and BSA concentration in promoting blastocyst development; a higher percentage of embryos placed into high BSA-supplemented media at the five-cell stage or greater developed to blastocysts. Results of this study indicate that BMOC-2 and WM with similar concentrations of BSA are equally effective for culture of preimplantation ovine embryos. High BSA concentrations were superior to low BSA concentrations in supporting two cleavages of one- to four-cell embryos and blastocyst development of five- to eight-cell and nine- to 16-cell embryos. Development of a few premorula ovine embryos to hatched blastocyst did occur in these simple chemically defined media containing BSA. Copyright © 1983. American Society of Animal Science. Copyright 1983 by American Society of Animal Science.