Intracellular pH of the preimplantation mouse embryo: Effects of extracellular pH and weak acids

Abstract

Although intracellular pH (pHi), is a regulator of numerous biological processes, it has received relatively little attention with regard to the physiology of the mammalian preimplantation embryo. Interestingly, there is some controversy as to whether the early embryo can recover from an acid load. The significance of this is that two constituents of mouse embryo culture media are pyruvate and lactate. These carboxylic acids are utilised by the early mouse embryo for energy production. However, as weak acids, pyruvate and lactate may induce perturbations in the phi and thus alter the physiology of the embryo. The aims of this study were therefore to measure the phi of the mouse preimplantati..