BioOne.org will be down briefly for maintenance on 17 December 2024 between 18:00-22:00 Pacific Time US. We apologize for any inconvenience.
How to translate text using browser tools
1 November 2007 Assessment of the Long-Term and Transgenerational Consequences of Perturbing Preimplantation Embryo Development in Mice
B. Mahsoudi, A. Li, C. O'Neill
Author Affiliations +
Abstract

Perturbations of the development of preimplantation embryos may have long-term consequences for the health of progeny. There are no standardized methods for assessing such risks. The OECD/OCDE 416 Guideline for Testing of Chemicals (Two-Generation Reproduction Toxicity Study) is a standardized assay for detecting potential toxic effects of chemicals. The present study assessed the utility of this guideline for identifying long-term consequences of perturbing preimplantation development. Extended culturing of mammalian zygotes commonly results in retarded preimplantation development. Mouse zygotes were cultured in vitro for 96 h until the blastocyst stage (cultured blastocysts) or blastocysts were collected from the Day-3.5 uterus (in vivo blastocysts). The resulting blastocysts were transferred to the uteri of pseudopregnant recipients (P generation). Progeny from both treatments were mated for a further two generations (F1 and F2 generations). There was no effect of treatment group on gross fertility across the generations tested. Progeny of the cultured blastocysts had lower body weights to the time of weaning compared to in vivo blastocysts in the P and F1 generations, but not in the F2 generation. At maturity, there was no effect of treatment group on body weight, although thyroid weight was higher in the in vivo blastocyst group in the P generation, while the brain, pituitary, and kidneys were larger in the progeny of the cultured blastocysts of the F1 generation. The OECD/OCDE 416 assessment may have a role as a standardized test for the assessment of the biological consequences of perturbing the growth environment of the preimplantation embryo. Embryo culture influenced the somatometric parameters of the resulting progeny, some of which were maintained across a generation.

B. Mahsoudi, A. Li, and C. O'Neill "Assessment of the Long-Term and Transgenerational Consequences of Perturbing Preimplantation Embryo Development in Mice," Biology of Reproduction 77(5), 889-896, (1 November 2007). https://doi.org/10.1095/biolreprod.106.057885
Received: 16 October 2006; Accepted: 1 August 2007; Published: 1 November 2007
KEYWORDS
assisted reproductive technology
Embryo transfer
environment
epigenetics
in vitro fertilization
toxicity testing
RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS
Get copyright permission
Back to Top