Comparison of strains and culture media used for mouse in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Abstract Success rates of superovulation in response to gonadotropic hormone treatment and in vitro fertilization (ie, mitotic cleavage following insemination) of mouse eggs from outbred CD‐1, hybrid CB6F l , or hybrid B6CBAF 1 , mice were compared using either a mouse inseminationmedium, modified Krebs‐Ringer‐bicarbonate (m‐KRB), or a human insemination medium, Ham's F10 nutrient mixture. Inseminations were performed in either organ culture dishes or screw‐top, flat‐side tissue culture tubes. Mean superovulation rates (± SD) were 24.2 (5.1) for CD‐1, 33.0 (5.8) for CB6F 1 , and 16.3 (6.6) for B6CBAF 1 mice. For in vitro cleavage the best combination of mouse strain, insemination medium, and culture container was achieved using CB6F 1 , mice, m‐KRB medium, and culture tubes. However, Ham's medium used with either hybrid mouse strain was shown to be employable for fertilization of mouse eggs in vitro as a quality control assay and/or experimental model system for testing the human in vitro fertilization procedure.