SUMMARY The development of fresh mouse embryos in Modified PBS without adding C02 was compared to the development in Modified Whitten supplemented with 5% de C02 in order to establish a parameter to assess the viability after thawing. One thousand and four hundred and fifty eight morulae were collected from Strain CF1 Swiss Albino Mus musculus females which had been previously superovulated with 6-8UI of PMSG and 6-8UI of HCG 48h apart. One thousand and fifty one morulae were cultured in Modified PBS + 20% FCS, at 37°C and 95% of humidity. The others 407 were cultured in Modified Whitten's medium + 3% BSA, at 37 °C, 95% of humidity and 5% of C02. At the evaluation, performed after 24h of culture, were considered developed the embryos that reached early blastocyst, expanded blastocyst, hatching blastocyst and hatched blastocyts stages. After 48h of culture were considered developed the embryos that reached at least the expanded blastocyst stage. The results obtained after 24h (87.9 and 89.4%) and 48h of culture (95.2 and 93.8%) in PBS and Whitten, respectively, were similar (p < 0,05).
culture media; mouse; morulae; phosphate buffer; bicarbonate buffer
