Effects of glucose and serum from streptozotocin-diabetic and nondiabetic rats on the in vitro development of preimplantation mouse embryos

The effects of D-glucose and serum from nondiabetic and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats on the in vitro development of preimplantation mouse embryos have been studied. It was shown that supplementation of the essential culture medium with D-glucose in concentrations of 2 to 5 mg/ml inhibited development of 43 to 74% of blastocysts in a dose-response fashion. Addition to the medium of serum from nondiabetic rats in concentrations of 10 and 20% disturbed their subsequent development in 44 and 32%, respectively. Addition to the culture medium of serum from STZ-diabetic rats in the same concentrations (10 and 20%) inhibited 53 and 54% of embryos from further development. Addition of 80% of control or of STZ-diabetic serum almost completely inhibited blastocyst development. It is suggested that both control and STZ-diabetic serum are embryotoxic to preimplantation embryos cultured in vitro. Therefore, the possible additional embryotoxic effect of STZ-diabetic rat serum on preimplantation embryos cannot be tested by this method.