Isolation of Inner Cell Masses From Mouse Blastocysts by Immunosurgery or Exposure to the Calcium Ionophore A23187

Abstract

Two techniques have been evaluated for their use in routinely isolating inner cell masses from mouse blastocysts by destroying the trophectoderm. The most efficient method of immunosurgery was a 15-min incubation in a 1 : 50 dilution of rabbit anti-mouse spleen antiserum followed by a 30-60-min incubation in guinea pig complement (1: 10). Alternatively, inner cell masses were isolated by incubating blastocysts in 1O-5M calcium ionophore A23187 in medium devoid of calcium and magnesium ions.