Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of six-and ten-day-old chick embryo amniotic fluid (CEAF) on the development of two-cell mouse embryos. Six- and ten-day-old CEAF (6-AF, 10-AF) were aspirated separately from the amniotic cavity and two experiments were performed. In the first experiment, two-cell mouse embryos were cultured in different supplements of heat-inactivated 6-AF, pure heat-inactivated 6-AF and pure active 6-AF. The second experiment was also carried out in the same manner using the 10-AF. The rate of the development of embryos in all groups were daily determined and statistically compared with that of control (Ham's F-10 supplemented with 5 mg/ml human serum albumin). During the cultivation period, more embryos reached to the blastocyst stage in all groups of CEAF compared to the control. The result hatched blastocysts embryos also increased from days 3 till 5 of cultivation in all groups of CEAF. The developmental potential of embryos appears to be almost identical in six- and ten-day-old CEAF. In conclusion, CEAF as a supplement or a natural medium could support the development of two-cell mouse embryos.
