Uterine proteins and development in vitro of rabbit preimplantation embryos

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Abstract
The effects of isolated protein fractions from rabbit uteri (prealbumin, albumin, uteroglobin and .beta.-glycoprotein), unfractionated uterine proteins, progesterone, estradiol-17.beta. and prostaglandin F-2.alpha. on the development of rabbit embryos in vitro were investigated. When exposed to individual protein fractions obtained from Day 6 uteri, 8-cell embryos did not develop into early blastocysts; morulae readily developed into early blastocysts, but further development was retarded. Progesterone (10-5-1011 M) and prostaglandin F-2.alpha. (0.1-10 ng/ml) added to the medium slowed development of blastocysts to advanced stages. Growth of 8- to 16-cell embryos, morulae and Day 4 blastocysts was stimulated by unfractionated uterine proteins obtained from Day 5 uterine flushings. Although embryos cultured in medium containing bovine serum albumin had similar rates of blastocyst formation and, ultimately, similar blastocyst expansion as did the embryos cultured in medium with unfractionated proteins, the radial and immediate expansion of the early blastocysts cultured in the latter approximated that found in utero.

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