A quantification model for apoptosis in mouse embryos in the early stage of fetation.

Apoptosis is the most important inducement and modulator for embryos in the early stage of fetation, i.e. after the 8-cell stage, mostly the morula and blastula stage, to proceed to the stage of nonlinear development. Using a two-photon laser scanning microscopy (TPLSM) system, we obtained 3-dimensional (3D) fluorescent images of preimplantation mouse embryos. A model for quantification was established. The statistical results for the spatial location of apoptosis bodies in embryos was obtained following image processing, as well as investigation of the kinetics of apoptosis. It was found that most (70%) apoptosis occurred in the trophectoderm, and the departure between the centroid and geometric center of embryos had a step transition when embryos developed into the 32-cell stage, which was consistent with the theoretical prediction that the blastocele would induce a symmetry break of the distribution of cells in embryos.