Development of murine embryos following electroporation

The objective was to establish the parameters for reversible electroporation of murine embryos. In Trial 1, murine presumptive zygotes received an electrical pulse of 5, 10, or 20-micros 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 micros. Presumptive zygotes that received 400 V at each pulse length and zygotes exposed to 20 micros 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). 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.