Effects of light on development of mammalian zygotes
- *Graduate School of Comprehensive Scientific Research, Prefectural University of Hiroshima, Shobara, Hiroshima 727-0023, Japan; and
- ‡Institute for Biogenesis Research, University of Hawaii School of Medicine, Honolulu, HI 96822
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Contributed by Ryuzo Yanagimachi, July 17, 2007 (received for review May 10, 2007)
Abstract
It is generally assumed that light has no effect on the physiology of oocytes, zygotes, or early embryos. Therefore, little or no attention has been paid to lighting conditions during the handling of these cells in vitro. Here we show that cool white fluorescent light, rich in short-wavelength visible light and commonly used in research and clinical laboratories, produces more reactive oxygen species in mouse and hamster zygotes than does warm white fluorescent light. Mouse blastocysts that developed from zygotes shielded from light best developed to term fetuses followed by those exposed to warm white fluorescent light and then by those exposed to cool white fluorescent light. We hypothesized that light is one of the physical factors affecting embryonic environment and that its effects on cultured mammalian zygotes and embryos should not be overlooked.
Footnotes
- †To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: toshi{at}pu-hiroshima.ac.jp
- §To whom correspondence may be addressed. E-mail: yana{at}hawaii.edu
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Author contributions: T.H. and R.Y. designed research; M.T. performed research; M.T., T.H., and R.Y. analyzed data; and M.T., T.H., and R.Y. wrote the paper.
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The authors declare no conflict of interest.
- Abbreviations:
- CZB,
- Chatot–Ziomet–Bavister medium;
- HECM-9,
- hamster embryo culture medium-9;
- KSOMaa,
- potassium simplex optimized medium with nonessential and essential amino acids;
- lx,
- lux;
- ROS,
- reactive oxygen species.
- © 2007 by The National Academy of Sciences of the USA
