Oxygen sensing in embryo culture. Mus musculus

This series compares the effects that two pharmacologically distinct ligands at the mitochondrial peripheral-type benzodiazepine receptor (Bzrp) has on gene expression in early mouse embryos cultured under different oxygen levels. Mouse embryos averaging 16-18 somite pairs were explanted on 9 d.p.c. and grown in culture under optimal oxygenation (21% oxygen, hyperbaric with respect to arterial blood = 80-100 mmHg). Most embryos (>90%) develop normally in over a 24h culture period. When embryos receive suboptimal oxygenation for 2.0h (5% oxygen, similar to venous blood = 38-40 mmHg) a high percentage of them (>60%) go on to develop abnormally or else fail. These hypoxic embryos are remediated with 5 uM PK11195 to ~25% malformation rate. Cultured embryos were exposed to different oxygen levels (5% or 21%) in the presence of the Bzrp ligands PK11195 (Bzrp antagonist) versus Ro5-4864 (Bzrp agonist). The sampling time was guided by p53 protein induction with hypoxia, and remediation with PK11195, at 4.0h of culture and exposures. Thus all measurements were on RNA from the prosencephalon collected 2.0h after start of the test period on 9 d.p.c. Keywords = peripheral benzodiazepine receptor Keywords = oxygen sensing Keywords = Bzrp ligands Keywords = PK11195 Keywords = Ro5-4864 Keywords = embryo Keywords = p53 protein induction Keywords: ordered