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Enhancement of in vitro murine embryo development by recombinant leukemia inhibitory factor
M H Mitchell1, R J Swanson, G D Hodgen
1Department of Biological Sciences, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia, USA.
Objective:
Human recombinant leukemia inhibitory factor (rLIF) has been shown to stimulate hatching of murine and ovine embryos in vitro. The temporal and dose-dependent effects of murine rLIF (mrLIF) and human rLIF (hrLIF) on embryo development in two different mouse strains were investigated in this work.
Methods:
Two-cell embryos were recovered from the fallopian tubes of superovulated/mated females and cultured in Krebs medium plus bovine serum albumin in microdroplets under oil.
Results:
In the B6CBF1 strain, mrLIF significantly stimulated blastocyst formation and decreased embryo fragmentation/degeneration when added simultaneously at the initiation of culture or 24 hours thereafter. Human rLIF also had a positive effect on development. In the CD1 strain (lower fecundity), mrLIF dose-dependent effects were observed, with enhanced developmental stimulation achieved with higher doses.
Conclusions:
These findings confirm that hrLIF stimulates mouse embryo development in vitro and that different mouse strains show distinct responses to the cytokine. In addition, mrLIF enhances blastocyst formation and decreases embryo fragmentation when added to the embryo culture as early as the two-cell stage.
Insights
Human leukemia inhibitory factor (hLIF) and murine leukemia inhibitory factor (mLIF) enhance mouse embryo development and blastocyst formation in vitro. Different mouse strains exhibit varied responses to these growth factors.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive biology
- Developmental biology
- Cell signaling
Background:
- Leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a cytokine known to influence embryonic development.
- Previous studies indicated LIF's role in stimulating embryo hatching in certain species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of murine rLIF (mrLIF) and human rLIF (hrLIF) on mouse embryo development.
- To determine the temporal and dose-dependent effects of mrLIF and hrLIF in two different mouse strains.
Main Methods:
- Murine embryos at the two-cell stage were collected from superovulated females.
- Embryos were cultured in vitro using Krebs medium supplemented with bovine serum albumin.
Main Results:
- mrLIF significantly improved blastocyst formation and reduced embryo fragmentation in the B6CBF1 strain.
- hrLIF also demonstrated a positive impact on embryo development.
- In the CD1 strain, higher doses of mrLIF resulted in greater developmental stimulation.
Conclusions:
- hrLIF effectively stimulates mouse embryo development in vitro.
- Mouse strains display differential responses to LIF.
- Early addition of mrLIF (two-cell stage) enhances blastocyst formation and reduces embryo fragmentation.