BACKGROUND Conflicting results have been reported regarding the technique of brief insemination used in IVF. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine if better clinical outcomes of IVF are associated with a brief co-incubation of gametes than with a standard overnight co-incubation. METHODS A computerized search was conducted of the published literature of four databases, using search ter...

The early events of fertilization that precede and cause activation of an egg have not been fully elucidated. The earliest electrophysiological change in the sea urchin egg is a sperm-evoked increase of the egg's membrane conductance. The resulting depolarization facilitates entry of the fertilizing sperm and precludes the entry of supernumerary sperm. The sequence of the increase in the egg's ...

The present review aims to analyse (i) the molecular, biochemical and cellular changes that accompany oocyte and sperm ageing in any of the internal or external environments where they can reside, and (ii) the consequences of the abnormal function in ageing gametes on pre- and post-implantation development and later life of offspring. This review also aims to propose and discuss cellular/molecu...

Animal experiments have shown that cryopreservation of the ovarian cortex, containing primordial follicles, could be used to preserve gametes thereby restoring fertility in humans and animals. During the last 100 years, many hundreds of species have been lost, and a third of the breeding animals are threatened with extinction. To preserve genetic diversity, notably for the conservation of endan...

During in vitro embryo production, chromosome screening is essential to prevent pregnancy losses caused by embryonic chromosome aberrations. When the chromosome screening is completed before fertilization, gametes are effectively utilized as genetic resources. The aim of this study was to investigate whether chromosome screening of gametes accompanied by fertilization would be feasible using a ...