Fibroblast growth factor requirements for in vitro development of XXXX embryos.

@entity7795 @entity291 @entity12270
The overall goal was to describe the importance of fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) during development of the @entity291 embryo. An inhibitor of FGF receptor kinase activity ( @entity7795 ) was used to examine whether FGF signaling is required for embryo development. Addition of 20  M @entity7795 on Day 0 (Day of IVF) reduced (P = 0.04) the percentage of oocytes becoming blastocysts on Day 7 compared to controls (5.9    2.1 vs 16.9    2.4; average    SEM). Also, Day-8 blastocysts placed into individual culture drops of medium containing @entity7795 tended to have decreased (P = 0.08) blastomere numbers at Day 11 (211.1    27.5 vs 297.8    25.0). A second series of studies determined if supplemental @entity12270 enhances development in vitro. There was no effect of @entity12270 on cleavage or blastocyst development rates when 5 or 100 ng/mL @entity12270 was provided immediately after fertilization. Also, @entity12270 supplementation beginning on Day 5 post-fertilization did not significantly affect blastocyst rates or the number of trophoblast and inner cell mass cells. However, addition of 500 ng/mL @entity12270 at both Day 0 and Day 4 increased (P = 0.03) the percentage of oocytes that became blastocysts on Day 7 compared with controls (27.4    1.3 vs 19.7    1.3). In a final study, the thermal-protective ability of @entity12270 was examined by adding @entity12270 1 h before exposing Day 5 embryos to heat shock. Addition of @entity12270 did not significantly influence embryo thermal-tolerance. In conclusion, FGF receptor activation was important for optimal blastocyst formation and @entity12270 supplementation increased @entity291 blastocyst formation when provided at high concentrations.
