Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Using Hyperosmolar Stress To Measure Biologic And Stress-Activated Protein Kinase Responses In Preimplantation Embryos, Yufen Xie, W Zhong, Y Wang, A Trostinskaia, F Wang, Elizabeth E. Puscheck, D. A. Rappolee

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Publications

We used hyperosmolar stress to test blastocysts for their biologic and enzymatic responses to culture stress. Embryos mount dose- and time-dependent responses to hyperosmolar stress. Biological responses included slowed cavitation and cell accumulation and increased apoptosis at increasing doses. These responses were preceded by stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK) phosphorylation and nuclear translocation consistent with its causal role. For cavitation and new cell cycle initiation, 200 mM sorbitol caused stasis. Above 200 mM, sorbitol was ultimately lethal and below 200 mM, its embryos had milder effects. Phosphorylated SAPK was induced rapidly in embryos at 0.5 h in a dose-dependent manner from …