Improved development of head fold rat embryos in culture resulting from low oxygen and modifications of the culture serum

Abstract

The authors describe modifications of culture technique which allow a better development of the embryos explanted at the head-fold stage. They use 'immediately centrifuged', heat-inactivated (56°C for 30 min) sera and the culture bottles are gassed with 5% O2/5% CO2/90% N2 followed by 20% O2/5% CO2/75% N2 after 24 hr. In these conditions the embryos develop better and synthesized more protein. Each modification is beneficial in this respect. Moreover, reducing the oxygen of the gas phase to 5% results in decreased number of embryos with neural tubes failure to close. (Roux - Paris)