EFFECT OF ANORDRIN ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MOUSE PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYOS IN-VITRO

Purpose: The in vitro effect of anordrin and anordiol on the developme nt of mouse two-cell embryos was studied. Method: Female mice were pri med with gonadotropins for superovulation and caged with male mice. Pr eimplantation embryos, at the two-cell stage, were recovered from the oviducts at 40 hr post-hCG. In the first experiment, two-cell embryos were exposed to culture medium containing different concentrations of anordrin for 3, 12, 24, and 80 hr and then grown in the anordrin-free culture medium and assessed for the formation of total and hatching bl astocysts at 80 hr In the second experiment two-cell embryos were grow n in culture medium containing different concentrations of anordiol an d assessed far the formation of total and hatching blastocysts at 80 h r in vitro. Results: Exposure of two-cell embryos to anordrin concentr ations of 2.5-7.5 mu g/ml for 12 hr; 2.5-5.0 mu g/ml for 24 hr; and 2. 5 mu g/ml for 80 hr caused significant inhibition of the formation of total blastocysts and to 2.5-7.5 mu g/ml for 12 hr 1.0-2.5 mu g/ml for 24 hr; and 1.0 mu g/ml for 80 hr caused significant inhibition of the formation of hatching blastocysts, in a exposure time-dependent and d ose-dependent manner Exposure of two-cell embryos to anordiol concentr ations of 15-25 mu g/ml for 80 hr caused significant inhibition of the formation of total blastocysts and to 15-20 mu g/ml for 80 hr caused significant inhibition of the formation of hatching blastocysts ill a dose-dependent manner. Conclusion: Anordrin and its metabolite anordio l inhibit the development of two-cell embryos in vitro.