Effect of anti‐sperm antibody on the in vitro development of rat embryos

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Abstract
Since we previously proved that the fertilized rat eggs in early developmental stage have antigen(s) cross‐reacting to spermatozoa, the effect of antibody to spermatozoa on the cleavage of fertilized rat eggs was examined in vitro. Fertilized eggs from Fisher rats in the morula stage were cultured in vitro for 15 to 39 hr in the medium containing antibody to rat spermatozoa and rabit complement, and the developmental rates of morulae to blastocysts were compared with those cultured in the presence of either antibody or the complement alone. When rat morulae were cultured in the medium containing rabbit complement and IgG from rabbit antiserum to rat spermatozoa (heteroantibody) or from rat antiserum to rat spermatozoa (isoantibody), the development of moralae to blastocysts was markedly suppressed, whereas those cultured in the medum containing rabbit complement and IgG from the control rabbit serum or rabbit antibody IgG to rat spermatozoa alone without complement normally developed to the blastocysts. These results indicate that the antibody to spermatozoa in presence of complement can impair the in vitro development of fertilized rat eggs.