The study was performed to investigate the effect of human follicular fluid (HFF) on development of mouse embryos, for evaluating the suitability of HFF as a substitutive material of human fetal cord serum in ART program. The various
concentration
of
HFF were added into the culture medium and the effects of HFF concentrations were examined to identify the optimal concentration of HFF for embryo development. The potency of HFF in improving embryos development was compared to that of other
protein
supplements. Collected HFFs were classified with the maturity of the containing oocytes; mature, immature, atretic, and then the effects of the classified HFFs on embryo development were examined. Also, HFF was separated into the low (<30,000 Da)
and
high (>30,000 Da( molecular weight fractions and the effects of the fractions on embryo development were investigated. The highest development rate was found in culture medium supplemented with 20% HFF, but this rate was reversely reduced at the
concentrations of HFF higher than 20%. The development rates to the blastocyst, hatching blastocyst, attachment and outgrowth cultured in mature HFF was significantly higher than those in immature and atretic HFF, and mean cell number in
blastocyst
was
higher in mature HFF than in immature and atretic HFF. The development rates of mouse embryos according to protein sources were significantly higher in HFF than in fetal cord serum (FCS), maternal serum (MS) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), and
mean
cell
number in blastocyst cultured in HFF was higher than that in FCS, MS and BSA. The development rates of embryo and mean cell number in blastocyst cultured in high molecular weight fraction of HFF were higher than those in low molecular weight
fraction,
but he results of high molecular weight fraction were lower than those of whole HFF. Therefore, these results indicated than human mature follicular fluid was useful for improving the development of mouse embryos, which suggests a possibility
that
HFF
also may be used efficiently for improving the culture condition in human ART program as a protein supplement.
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