EFFICACY OF VITAMIN-E AND GLUTATHIONE FOR THERMOPROTECTION OF MURINE MORULAE

The objective of this study was to determine whether vitamin E and glutathione could limit deleterious effects of elevated temperature on viability and development of murine morulae. Exposure of morula-stage embryos to heat shock (42 degrees C for 1 h or 43 degrees C for 2 h) decreased the proportion of live embryos at the end of culture and the proportion that developed to the blastocyst stage. In two experiments, administration of vitamin E reduced adverse effects of heat shock on viability as determined by dye exclusion. Vitamin E did not, however, block the inhibitory effect of heat shock on the proportion of embryos that developed to the blastocyst stage. In 2 other experiments, glutathione reduced the effects of heat shock on viability but did not have any consistent beneficial effect on the proportion of heat-shocked embryos that became blastocysts. Vitamin E and glutathione can partially protect embryos from detrimental effects of heat shock. This protective effect is not sufficient, however, to allow for continued development under the conditions utilized.