The inclusion of specific amino acids in conventional culture media has been shown to enhance mammalian embryo development in vitro. Amino acids have been shown to confer their benefits to the preimplantation embryo in a number of different ways. However, their ability to buffer intracellular pH (pHi) has not been investigated. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine if amino acids regulat...

BACKGROUND Genetic testing of preimplantation embryos has been used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) and preimplantation genetic screening (PGS). Microarray technology is being introduced in both these contexts, and whole genome sequencing of blastomeres is also expeted to become possible soon. The amount of extra information such tests will yield may prove to be beneficial for embry...

We have established a model that shows cooperative interaction among preimplantation embryos and the role of growth factors on their development and growth. Two-cell mouse embryos cultured singly in 25-microliters microdrops had inferior development to blastocysts and lower cell numbers per blastocyst compared with those cultured in groups of 5 or 10. The inferior development of singly cultured...

Abstract Study question Our aim was to analyse the embryo-maternal-interaction, focusing on insulin/IGF-system and lipid metabolism day 6 of pregnancy in reproductive young old rabbits. Summary answer Advanced maternal age has a decisive effect embryonic insulin/IGF-signalling metabolism, leading higher embryo loss already during preimplantation period. What is known The potential women decline...

It has been 25 years since the introduction of in vitro fertilization (IVF) for treatment of infertility. During this time very dynamic advances have taken place in all aspects of assisted reproductive technology (ART). The rapid improvement in embryological methods, especially these related to preimplantation embryo evaluation are of great importance. This article is a review of embryo classif...

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis allows to test the genetic status of embryos prior to implantation. In order to obtain genetic material, on which carry out a genetic diagnosis, a procedure named embryo biopsy is required. In the last two decades, embryo biopsy at the cleavage stage has been the mostly performed procedure. However, recently, alternative methods allowing the retrieval of a larg...

To perform preimplantation genetic diagnosis for women carrying heteroplasmic mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations, it is necessary to ensure that the proportion of mutant mtDNA diagnosed in the biopsied cell gives an accurate indication of the mutant load in the remaining embryo. A heteroplasmic mouse model, carrying NZB and BALB mtDNA genotypes, was used to study the relative proportions of ea...

The expression of glucose transporters 1, 2, 3 and 4 was evaluated in human oocytes and polyploid preimplantation embryos. Only glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) isoform was detected in oocytes and in 2-12-cell stage embryos. Glucose uptake was markedly increased in embryos as compared to oocytes (19.7 +/- 3.4 pmol/min/embryo and 2.3 +/- 0.3 pmol/min/oocyte), and GLUT-1 was inhibited by cytochalas...

The randomized clinical trial (RCT) is a powerful experimental design that when properly executed produces generalizable results. Conducting a RCT becomes complex when technical skills are required. Without requisite skills, a RCT may yield misleading results, an elegant RCT unwittingly generating spurious results due to technical inexperience. This pitfall is applicable to procedures used to e...

background: this study was designed to develop a new co-culture system, assess the effect of luteinizing hormone (lh) using sequential media to promote development and increase the quality of 2-cell murine embryos through the 8-16 cell stage to morula and blastocyst stages. materials and methods: monolayers for co-culture were prepared from ovine oviduct epithelial cells (ooec) in dmem/f12 medi...