​Effects of osmolarity and vitamins on the in vitro development of bovine embryo in a chemically defined, protein-free culture medium. Kim, J.H., C.S. Lee and B.K. Kim​ 

Korean J. Animal Reprod. 20(1):77-84, 1996

Effects of Osmolarity and Vitamins on the In Vitro

Development of Bovine Embryo in a Chemically Defined,

Protein-free Culture Medium

J.H. Kim, S.C. Lee* and B.K. Kim**

Saewha Infertility Institute

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate effects of osmolarity and 

vitamins on the in vitro development of embryos. Bovine embryo that had 

been matured and fertilized in vitro were cultured in simple, chemically 

defined, protein-free medium(mTLP-PVA). When the osmolarity of the medium 

supplemented 0.35mM phosphate and 19 amino acid was changed by NaCl 

concentration, significantly(p<0.05) higher proportion of 1-cell embryos 

in the medium of 265 or 290mOsm developed to the morula(32-35%) and 

blastocyst(24-28%) stage. When embryos were transferred to fresh medium 

containing 5.56mM glucose at 120hrs post-insemination, the highest 

proportion of embryos developed to morula(40%) and blastocyst(32%) stages 

at 290mOsm(p<0.05), although the value in morulae was not significantly 

different with that(35%) at 315mOsm. Vitamins in presence of glutamine and 

amino acids had no beneficial effects on the development of 1-cell embryos 

to the blastocyst.