Development of murine embryos following electroporation

Purpose: The objective was to establish the parameters for reversible electroporation of murine embryos. Methods: In Trial 1, murine presumptive zygotes received an electrical pulse of 5, 10, or 20-μs duration, and one of five voltages (100, 200, 250, 300, or 400 V). In Trial 2, embryo orientation within the electroporation chamber was evaluated with 250 or 400 V at a pulse period of 10 μs. Results: Presumptive zygotes that received 400 V at each pulse length and zygotes exposed to 20 μs at each voltage had the lowest embryonic development (P < 0.05). Presumptive zygotes that received 250 V had higher development compared to 400 V, irrespective of orientation (P < 0.01), but development was lower than the controls (P < 0.01). Conclusions: Electrical stimulation of presumptive zygotes can have a detrimental impact on early embryo development, but low amounts of stimulation may allow for potential gene transfer in transgenic experimentation.