Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of female and male pre-hatching embryo metabolites at the embryo-maternal interface.

INTRODUCTION: Bovine female and male embryos differentially release metabolites with signalling effects to culture media. However, it is unknown if the embryo-maternal interface (EMI) metabolome is modified by embryonic sex. OBJECTIVE: To analyse using a combination of 1H NMR and a co-culture of endometrial cells the EMI. RESULTS: Twenty-six metabolites were identified and quantified in the EMI, nine metabolites reflected the sex of the embryo rather than their presence. CONCLUSIONS: 1H NMR is sensitive enough to perform quantitative analysis of sex-induced differences in the EMI. These results may help to understand the embryo-maternal dialogue on the basis of embryonic sex.