[Ultroser-G and 5-azacytidine prolong the development of parthenogenetic mouse embryos]

We studied the effects of Ultroser-G, a substitute of embryonal serum, and 5-azacytidine, a DNA-demethylating compound, on development of diploid parthenogenetic embryos of the mouse inbred strain CBA and hybrids (CBA x C57BL/6)F1. Addition of Ultroser-G to the nutrient medium for in vitro cultivation of the embryos to a final concentration of 0.5% leads after their transplantation into the uterus of pseudopregnant females to development of parthenogenetic postimplantation embryos to a stage of 30-33 somites with the buds of fore- and hindlimbs. Additional introduction of 5-azacytidine at 0.24 mg/kg to the females on day 8 of gestation prolonged development of some parthenogenetic embryos treated with Ultroser-G during the preimplantation period to the stage of 45 somites. The control embryos developed to the stage of 25 somites. The mechanism of genomic imprinting and influence of the embryonal serum components and demethylating compounds on viability of the parthenogenetic embryos are discussed.