Skip Navigation

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Lopata, A.
Right arrow Articles by Hay, D. L.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Lopata, A.
Right arrow Articles by Hay, D. L.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Human Reproduction, Vol. 4, No. suppl_1, pp. 87-94, 1989
© 1989 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

The potential of early human embryos to form blastocysts, hatch from their zona and secrete HCG in culture

Alexander Lopata1 and David Lachlan Hay

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne, and Reproductive Biology Unit, Royal Women's Hospital Carlton, Victona 3053, Australia

Correspondence: 1To whom correspondence should be addressed

Early embryos assessed to be unsuitable for transfer to patients or for cryopreservation were cultured either in minimum essential medium (MEM) or in synthetic human tubal fluid (HFT). A significantly higher percentage of embryos developed to blastocysts in MEM (26.5%) than in HTF (14.5%). Serum was not required for blastocyst formation nor for hatching in MEM. HTF containing 1% human cord serum failed to support blastocyst hatching. Haploid (monopronucleate) and diploid (bipronucleate) embryos formed blastocysts and hatched with a similar frequency but triploid (tripronucleate) embryos developed poorly. Human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) released by hatched and intrazonal blastocysts was detected between days 7 and 8 after fertilization. The mean total HCG produced by hatched blastocysts by day 14 was 19 500 mIU, but embryos trapped inside their zonae released a mean level of 1550 mIU. Serum was shown to stimulate the output of HCG from both hatched and intrazonal blastocyst tissues. Free beta- and alpha-subunits of HCG were not released by developing blastocysts, but low levels of beta-HCG were produced by some embryonic tissues between days 12 and 14 when degenerative changes were observed.

Key words: embryonic tissue/HCG secretion/human blastocysts/in-vitro culture/zona pellucida


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.