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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Culture and Co-Culture of Mouse Ovaries and Ovarian Follicles
Published on: March 17, 2015
Short-Term Exposure to Culture Media Used in Human ART Shapes Early Calcium Oscillations in ICSI-Fertilized Mouse
Bernadette Banrezes1,2, Thierry Sainte Beuve1,2, Anne Frambourg1,2
1UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Université Paris-Saclay Jouy-en-Josas France.
Purpose:
The influence of culture media used during in vitro fertilization (IVF) on offspring phenotype remains controversial. However, specific effects of short exposure time after fertilization remain underexplored. By evaluating Ca2+ oscillations as a readout of the first response of eggs to their microenvironment, we aim to investigate if early differences correlate with later adult phenotypes.
Methods:
Oocytes fertilized by ICSI were cultured for 4 h in three different media (Cook and Vitrolife, used in human IVF, and KSOM, used for mouse embryos). They were either measured for Ca2+ oscillations or transferred into pseudo-pregnant females. After birth, growth curves of pups were measured up to adulthood and various organs were weighed.
Results:
Culture media significantly modulate Ca2+ oscillations during oocyte activation. ICSI-fertilized oocytes cultured in Cook and Vitrolife exhibited fewer oscillations, lower frequency, and reduced variability compared to KSOM. These early differences correlated with long-term developmental outcomes: females from Cook and Vitrolife cultures were heavier throughout growth and had larger adult organ sizes compared to those from KSOM.
Conclusions:
Brief exposure to media immediately after ICSI shapes Ca2+ dynamics and adult phenotypes. Optimizing embryo culture protocols in assisted reproductive technologies may improve IVF outcomes by modulating metabolic pathways linked to development.
