Study on Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and Expression of EGF-Receptor (EGF-R) in Mouse IVF/IVC Embryo. I. Additive Effect of EGF and Expression of EGF-R on Mouse IVF Embryo Development.

Kim,  E Y; Uhm,  S J; Kim,  M K; Yoon,  S H; Park,  S P; Chung,  K S; Lim,  J H

Original Article

Korean Journal of Fertility and Sterility 1997;24(1):13-20.
Published online January 1, 2001.

Study on Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) and Expression of EGF-Receptor (EGF-R) in Mouse IVF/IVC Embryo. I. Additive Effect of EGF and Expression of EGF-R on Mouse IVF Embryo Development.

E Y Kim, S J Uhm, M K Kim, S H Yoon, S P Park, K S Chung, J H Lim

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of EGF on the preimplantation development of mouse IVF embryos and their ICM and TE cell number. And also, we examined the expression of EGF-R protein on embryonic development by indirect immunofluorescence. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows; Croup culture (5 embryos/ 25 microliter) showed more improved development rate to blastocyst than singly culture. This inferior development of singly cultured 2-cell embryos improved by the addition of EGF. Especially, 2-cell embryos cultured singly in 10 ng/ml of EGF (62.4%) indicated significant difference in development to blastocyst compared with control group (47.9%). Also, cell number of ICM and TE by differential labelling showed the increased pattern in the EGF treatment group. The stimulating effect of EGF with the development level was significantly increased after 4-cell stage (p<0.05). ICM proportion also showed the increased pattern with the developmental level in the EGF treatment group. In addition, expression of EGF-R by indirect immunofluorescence detected after 4-cell stage. Therefore, EGF could stimulate preimplantation mouse embryo development by binding with expressed EGE-R after 4-cell stage and produce the more increased ICM and TE cell number of blastocyst.