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Effect of red light on the development and quality of mammalian embryos

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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess irradiance and total energy dose from different microscopes during the in-vitro embryonic developmental cycle in mouse and pig and to evaluate its effect on embryonic development and quality in pig.

Method

Spectral scalar irradiance (380–1050 nm) was measured by a fiber-optic microsensor in the focal plane of a dissection microscope, an inverted microscope and a time-lapse incubation system. Furthermore, the effect of three different red light levels was tested in the time-lapse system on mouse zygotes for 5 days, and on porcine zona-intact and zona-free parthenogenetically activated (PA) embryos for 6 days.

Results

The time-lapse system used red light centered at 625 nm and with a lower irradiance level as compared to the white light irradiance levels on the dissection and inverted microscopes, which included more energetic radiation <550 nm. Even after 1000 times higher total energy dose of red light exposure in the time-lapse system, no significant difference was found neither in blastocyst development of mouse zygotes nor in blastocyst rates and total cell number of blastocysts of porcine PA embryos.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that red light (625 nm, 0.34 W/m2) used in the time-lapse incubation system does not decrease the development and quality of blastocysts in both mouse zygotes and porcine PA embryos (both zona-intact and zona-free).

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Anette M. Pedersen, Janne Adamsen, Klaus Villemoes and Ruth Kristensen for excellent technical assistance. Part of this work was supported by grants from the Danish National Advanced Technology Foundation and the Danish Council of Independent Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, DK-8830, Tjele, Denmark

    Rong Li, Ying Liu, Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen & Henrik Callesen

  2. Unisense FertiliTech A/S, Tueager 1, DK-8200, Aarhus N, Denmark

    Kamilla Sofie Pedersen & Mette Lægdsmand

  3. Division of Life Science, Medical Biotechnology, Danish Technological Institute, Kongsvang allé 29, DK-8000, Aarhus, Denmark

    Kamilla Sofie Pedersen

  4. Marine Biological Section, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Strandpromenaden 5, DK-3000, Helsingør, Denmark

    Lars Fledelius Rickelt & Michael Kühl

Authors
  1. Rong Li
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  2. Kamilla Sofie Pedersen
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  3. Ying Liu
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  4. Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen
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  5. Mette Lægdsmand
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  6. Lars Fledelius Rickelt
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  7. Michael Kühl
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  8. Henrik Callesen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rong Li.

Additional information

Capsule Our results indicate that red light (625 nm, 0.34 W/m2) used in the time-lapse incubation system does not decrease the development and quality of blastocysts in both mouse zygotes and porcine PA embryos (both zona-intact and zona-free).

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Li, R., Pedersen, K.S., Liu, Y. et al. Effect of red light on the development and quality of mammalian embryos. J Assist Reprod Genet 31, 795–801 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0247-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-014-0247-7

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