Culture with Matrigel inhibits development of mouse zygotes

• Published in: Journal of assisted reproduction and genetics Vol. 14; no. 9; pp. 543 - 548
• Main Authors: DAWSON, K. M, BALTZ, J. M, CLAMAN, P
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Kluwer/Plenum 01-10-1997; Kluwer Academic Publishers-Plenum Publishers
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Blastocyst - drug effects; Body Fluids - drug effects; Cell Division - drug effects; Cells, Cultured; Collagen - adverse effects; Collagen - analysis; Collagen - pharmacology; Culture Media - adverse effects; Culture Media - analysis; Culture Media - pharmacology; Drug Combinations; Early stages. Segmentation. Gastrulation. Neurulation; Embryology: invertebrates and vertebrates. Teratology; Embryonic and Fetal Development - drug effects; Embryonic and Fetal Development - physiology; Fallopian Tubes - drug effects; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Laminin - adverse effects; Laminin - analysis; Laminin - pharmacology; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Proteoglycans - adverse effects; Proteoglycans - analysis; Proteoglycans - pharmacology; Zygote - drug effects; Zygote - physiology; Culture medium; Embryonic development; Hatching; Rodentia; Blastocyst; Assisted procreation; Matrix product; Fecundation; In vitro; Vertebrata; Mixed cell culture; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal; Embryo culture
• ISSN: 1058-0468; 1573-7330
• DOI: 10.1023/A:1021135612118

It was reported that Matrigel improved hatching of mouse blastocysts produced in vitro from F1 hybrid-derived zygotes. We investigated whether Matrigel would be similarly beneficial with outbred strain-derived embryos, which exhibit a "two-cell" block similar to the developmental blocks of other species.
Mouse embryo development was assessed with or without Matrigel in KSOM medium, which supports the development of blocking strain zygotes in vitro, and in human tubal fluid (HTF) medium, which normally does not but which is used for human IVF.
Matrigel severely inhibited the development of zygotes to blastocysts in KSOM and did not improve culture in HTF. There was no effect on development from the two-cell stage. We were not able to replicate the previous finding of Matrigel's beneficial effect on hatching of F1-derived zygotes.
Matrigel may be a deleterious addition to embryo culture or coculture systems.