Table 2:

Effects on female reproductive endpoints in vitro

Model	In vitro effects	Pregnancy outcome	Ref
RWV versus static controls, alginate encapsulated isolated cultured secondary follicles or ovarian fragments	Decreased proliferation of granulosa cells and oocyte GDF9 in fragments; growth of secondary follicle oocytes in alginate, but abnormal oocyte ultrastructure	ND	41
RCCS with high aspect ratio culture vessels versus static controls, mouse GV oocytes matured in vitro	Inhibited oocyte maturation, abnormal meiotic spindles with abnormal tubulin localization in both meiosis I and II	ND	55
Mouse oocytes and sperm IVF and cultured to blastocyst stage in 3D clinostat versus static 1g controls	Minimal effect fertilization rate NS development to 2-cell stage at 24h; ↓development to blastocyst at 96h	↓Birth rate of implanted 2-cell embryos and blastocysts	57
RCCS with high aspect ratio culture vessels and rotation and static culture control groups; 2-cell (1.5 dpc), 8-cell (2.5 dpc), and morula or early blastocyst (3.5 dpc) embryos harvested from mice and cultured for 24 h in simulated microgravity, then for 48 h in static culture. Static culture control group	2-cell and 8-cell arrested development at 24h and 70% and 100% death by 72h, respectively; 40% of 3.5 dpc embryos progressed to late blastocyst stage; ↑SAPK phosphorylation after 24h culture of 3.5 dpc embryos; rotational controls had similar but less severe effects	ND	58
High aspect ratio vessel RCCS with spinner flask rotational controls or clinostat with static controls; Cultured luteal cells from corpora lutea of pregnant rats	↓progesterone secretion both microgravity groups; ↑increased DNA damage, apoptosis, ↓active mitochondria in clinostat group	ND	42,43

Abbreviations: dpc: days post coitum; GV: germinal vesicle stage prior to completion of first meiotic division; IVF: in vitro fertilization; ND: not determined; NS: not statistically significant; RWV: rotating wall vessel; RCCS: rotary cell culture system