In human IVF procedures objective and reliable biomarkers of oocyte and embryo quality are needed in order to increase the use of single embryo transfer (SET) and thus prevent multiple pregnancies. During folliculogenesis there is an intense bi-directional communication between oocyte and follicular cells. For this reason gene expression profile of follicular cells could be an important indicat...

OBJECTIVE To identify associations between presence of endometriosis and oocyte defects, embryo developmental potential, and cycle outcomes. METHODS This study looked into the impact of endometriosis on oocyte and embryo quality, and blastocyst formation probability. Endometriosis was also correlated with cycle characteristics. In order to avoid age-related bias, in the first analysis only pa...

We studied the effect of different storage conditions of porcine ovaries (time, temperature) on the characteristics of the follicular fluid, immature oocyte quality, meiotic competence and in vitro fertilization of oocytes. Ovaries were stored for 2, 4 or 6 h at 3 different temperatures (15 ̊C, 25 ̊C or 35 ̊C). As the storage time increased, pH and glucose concentration of the follicular fluid, pe...

Objective This study evaluated associations of basal serum and follicular fluid (FF) anti-Muüllerian hormone (AMH) levels with in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. Methods This prospective study included 179 consecutive women undergoing IVF, including 59 with PCOS and non-PCOS controls. Thirty PCOS cases had long gona-dotrophin-releasing hormone ag...

Background: Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the choice option for treatment of couples with severe male infertility. Recent studies indicate that the ICSI procedure or the technique itself cannot increase chromosomal abnormalities observed in born children. It maybe result of the Materialss used during ICSI procedure such as PVP and hyalorunidase. Activation of the oocytes might be c...

Oocytes are crucial cells for mammalian reproduction, yet the molecular principles underlying oocyte development are only partially understood. Therefore, contemporary proteomic approaches have been used increasingly to provide new insights into oocyte quality and maturation in various species such as mouse, pig, and cow. Especially, animal studies have helped in elucidating the molecular statu...

The recent surge of interest in oocyte development has been spurred in large part by the increasing implementation of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) to treat human infertility. What is becoming apparent is that 'egg quality' is a primary factor in the success of ART (Sauer 1998), and yet we know virtually nothing about the molecular signature of a 'high quality' oocyte, i.e., an oocyt...

During mammalian oocyte maturation there are marked changes in the distribution of mitochondria that supply the majority of the cellular ATP. Such redistribution of mitochondria is critical for oocyte quality, as oocytes with a poor developmental potential display aberrant mitochondrial distribution and lower ATP levels. Here we have investigated the dynamics of mitochondrial ATP production thr...