EFFECTS OF RILOPIROX ON RABBIT BLASTOCYSTS IN A PROTEIN-FREE IN-VITROCULTURE UNDER DIFFERENT CULTURE CONDITIONS

The effect of rilopirox (Hoe 351, CAS 104153-37-9) on rabbit blastocys ts in vitro was studied. Blastocysts of day 6 post coitum were culture d in Ham's F 10 medium supplemented with polyvinylpyrrolidone using di fferent concentrations of rilopirox with and without serum proteins. I n culture conditions without serum proteins there were no differences in the growth rates of the blastocysts after 24 h of culture in the pr esence of 1 mu g/ml of rilopirox. However, 5 mu g/ml of rilopirox resu lted in a significant reduction of the mean growth rate as well as in a serious morphological damage of the treated blastocysts. Purified hu man serum albumin could partly prevent this toxic effect, while comple te human serum and foetal calf serum did not show this characteristic. Analyses of the protein synthesis of the blastocysts treated with ril opirox by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and subsequent fluorogra phy did not show any differences in comparison to the untreated contro ls, despite of obvious morphological alterations.