Fatty Acid Compositions of Mouse Embryo, Oviduct and Uterine Fluid

Abstract

Eleven main fatty acids in oocytes and embryos of mice were identified by gas chromatography and compared with those in oviduct fluid, uterine fluid and blood serum. In oocytes and 1-cell embryos, arachidonic acid content was very high, 30.4 and 60.5%, respectively. Myristic acid concentrations in 2-, 8-cell embryos and blastocysts were higher (26.0 to 36.1%) than those in other cell stages (1.8 to 11.2%). Palmitic and oleic acid in oocytes and embryos were significantly high among different cell stages (P<0.05), but the proportions clearly varied from stage to stage. Besides the above-mentioned fatty acids, the other fatty acid proportions also showed significant differences (P<0.05) among different cell stages. Palmitic, oleic, palmitoleic, docosahexenoic, arachidic and lignoceric acid contents in mouse embryos were basically similar to those in oviduct and uterine fluid at each corresponding cell stage (P>0.05).