BACKGROUND Approximately 20% of oocytes are classified as immature and discarded following intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) procedures. These oocytes are obtained from gonadotropin-stimulated patients, and are routinely removed from the cumulus cells which normally would mature the oocytes. Given the ready access to these human oocytes, they represent a potential resource for both clinic...

STUDY QUESTION Can the equilibration steps prior to embryo vitrification be automated? SUMMARY ANSWER We have developed the 'Gavi' system which automatically performs equilibration steps before closed system vitrification on up to four embryos at a time and gives in vitro outcomes equivalent to the manual Cryotop method. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Embryo cryopreservation is an essential componen...

The nutritional requirements of mammalian embryos changes throughout pre-implantation period, coincident with changes in the secretion of the female reproductive tract. Therefore, it has been suggested that sequential culture media may support nutritional requirements for optimal growth of the mammalian embryos. In this study, we investigated the effect of two different concentrations (10 or 10...

improvements on embryo micromanipulation techniques led to the use of embryo biopsy in commercial embryo transfer programs for genetic analysis of preimplantation bovine embryos. the aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of bovine blastocyst derived from embryos biopsied at different precompacted morulae stages by assessment of cryosurvivability of the resulting blastocysts. the in vitr...

Glucose is the most important energy substrate for mammalian blastocysts. Its uptake is mediated by glucose transporters (GLUT). In muscle and adipocyte cells insulin stimulates glucose uptake by activation of the insulin receptor (IR) pathway and translocation of GLUT4. GLUT4 is expressed in bovine preimplantation embryos. A new insulin-responsive isoform, GLUT8, was recently described in mous...

In an attempt to enhance embryo development, we have co-cultured 1-cell OF1 mouse embryos on bovine kidney epithelia (Madine-Darby bovine kidney; MDBK) cells in a complex medium called complex mouse tubal fluid (cMTF; based on the energy substrate levels found in the mouse oviduct, containing non-essential amino acids, glutamine and EDTA). To determine the quality of the blastocysts obtained, w...

BACKGROUND The process of implantation is mediated by various molecules, one of which is anandamide (AEA), a lipid signalling ligand belonging to the family of endocannabinoids. AEA exerts its effects on implantation by binding to the Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor (CB1-R), expressed in both blastocysts and uterus. We wanted to know whether the endocannabinoid signalling system was present also in...

Somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is considered to be a critical tool for propagating valuable animals. To determine the productivity calves resulting from embryos derived with different culture media, enucleated oocytes matured in vitro were reconstructed with fetal fibroblasts, fused, and activated. The cloned embryos were cultured in modified synthetic oviduct fluid (mSOF) or a chemically...

Research questionTo develop an automated sperm injection robot (ICSIA).DesignThe ICSIA the procedure, including pipette advancement, zona pellucida and oolemma penetration with piezo pulses, removal after release. The was first tested in mouse, hamster rabbit oocytes, subsequently using discarded human oocytes that were injected microbeads. Finally, we performed a small clinical pilot trial don...

Abstract Study question It is unknown whether using DNA methylation can improve the outcome of ART and exclude imprinted gene diseases. Summary answer Our study provides a criterion on selecting blastocyst according to methylome, which live birth rate decrease defect rate. What known already How select embryos one key factor that determine successful ART. As aneuploidy exists in 20-30% blastocy...