INHIBITORY EFFECT OF HUMAN HYDROSALPINGEAL FLUID ON MOUSE PREIMPLANTATION EMBRYONIC-DEVELOPMENT IS SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCED BY THE ADDITION OFLACTATE

Implantation and pregnancy rates following in-vitro fertilization-embr yo transfer are reduced in the presence of hydrosalpinges, but the bas is of the inhibition is unknown. We examined the effect of hydrosalpin geal fluid on preimplantation development of mouse embryos. Embryos cu ltured in 100% hydrosalpingeal fluid were significantly inhibited deve lopmentally as compared to embryos cultured in 100% defined medium, wh ich served as controls. In contrast, embryos cultured in 50% hydrosalp ingeal fluid/50% defined medium reached the blastocyst stage at the sa me frequency as the controls. When lactate (final concentration 10 mM) was added to 100% hydrosalpingeal fluid, the percentage of cultured e mbryos that reached the blastocyst stage was significantly increased a s compared to 100% hydrosalpingeal fluid, although the percentage was slightly lower than that observed for embryos cultured in the 100% def ined medium. A similar but less pronounced effect occurred when pyruva te was added to hydrosalpingeal fluid. These results do not support th e concept that a potent embryotoxic agent is commonly present in hydro salpingeal fluid. Rather, they are consistent with the notion that the inhibitory effect of hydrosalpingeal fluid on embryonic development i s due to the absence of essential factors, and that this deficiency ca n be largely corrected by the addition of energy sources.