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Handley S, Anwer AG, Knab A, Bhargava A, Goldys EM. AutoMitoNetwork: Software for analyzing mitochondrial networks in autofluorescence images to enable label-free cell classification. Cytometry A 2024. [PMID: 39078083 DOI: 10.1002/cyto.a.24889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
High-resolution mitochondria imaging in combination with image analysis tools have significantly advanced our understanding of cellular function in health and disease. However, most image analysis tools for mitochondrial studies have been designed to work with fluorescently labeled images only. Additionally, efforts to integrate features describing mitochondrial networks with machine learning techniques for the differentiation of cell types have been limited. Herein, we present AutoMitoNetwork software for image-based assessment of mitochondrial networks in label-free autofluorescence images using a range of interpretable morphological, intensity, and textural features. To demonstrate its utility, we characterized unstained mitochondrial networks in healthy retinal cells and in retinal cells exposed to two types of treatments: rotenone, which directly inhibited mitochondrial respiration and ATP production, and iodoacetic acid, which had a milder impact on mitochondrial networks via the inhibition of anaerobic glycolysis. For both cases, our multi-dimensional feature analysis combined with a support vector machine classifier distinguished between healthy cells and those treated with rotenone or iodoacetic acid. Subtle changes in morphological features were measured including increased fragmentation in the treated retinal cells, pointing to an association with metabolic mechanisms. AutoMitoNetwork opens new options for image-based machine learning in label-free imaging, diagnostics, and mitochondrial disease drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon Handley
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ayad G Anwer
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Aline Knab
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Akanksha Bhargava
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Ewa M Goldys
- ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics (CNBP), University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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Yildirim RM, Seli E. Mitochondria as determinants of reproductive senescence and competence: implications for diagnosis of embryo competence in assisted reproduction. Hum Reprod 2024:deae171. [PMID: 39066612 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria are commonly recognized as the powerhouses of the cell, primarily responsible for energy production through oxidative phosphorylation. Alongside this vital function, they also play crucial roles in regulating calcium signaling, maintaining membrane potential, and modulating apoptosis. Their involvement in various cellular pathways becomes particularly evident during oogenesis and embryogenesis, where mitochondrial quantity, morphology, and distribution are tightly controlled. The efficiency of the mitochondrial network is maintained through multiple quality control mechanisms that are essential for reproductive success. These include mitochondrial unfolded protein response, mitochondrial dynamics, and mitophagy. Not surprisingly, mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in infertility and ovarian aging, prompting investigation into mitochondria as diagnostic and therapeutic targets in assisted reproduction. To date, mitochondrial DNA copy number in oocytes, cumulus cells, and trophectoderm biopsies, and fluorescent lifetime imaging microscopy-based assessment of NADH and flavin adenine dinucleotide content have been explored as potential predictors of embryo competence, yielding limited success. Despite challenges in the clinical application of mitochondrial diagnostic strategies, these enigmatic organelles have a significant impact on reproduction, and their potential role as diagnostic targets in assisted reproduction is likely to remain an active area of investigation in the foreseeable future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raziye Melike Yildirim
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Emre Seli
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Parra A, Denkova D, Burgos-Artizzu XP, Aroca E, Casals M, Godeau A, Ares M, Ferrer-Vaquer A, Massafret O, Oliver-Vila I, Mestres E, Acacio M, Costa-Borges N, Rebollo E, Chiang HJ, Fraser SE, Cutrale F, Seriola A, Ojosnegros S. METAPHOR: Metabolic evaluation through phasor-based hyperspectral imaging and organelle recognition for mouse blastocysts and oocytes. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2315043121. [PMID: 38968128 PMCID: PMC11252780 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2315043121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 07/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Only 30% of embryos from in vitro fertilized oocytes successfully implant and develop to term, leading to repeated transfer cycles. To reduce time-to-pregnancy and stress for patients, there is a need for a diagnostic tool to better select embryos and oocytes based on their physiology. The current standard employs brightfield imaging, which provides limited physiological information. Here, we introduce METAPHOR: Metabolic Evaluation through Phasor-based Hyperspectral Imaging and Organelle Recognition. This non-invasive, label-free imaging method combines two-photon illumination and AI to deliver the metabolic profile of embryos and oocytes based on intrinsic autofluorescence signals. We used it to classify i) mouse blastocysts cultured under standard conditions or with depletion of selected metabolites (glucose, pyruvate, lactate); and ii) oocytes from young and old mouse females, or in vitro-aged oocytes. The imaging process was safe for blastocysts and oocytes. The METAPHOR classification of control vs. metabolites-depleted embryos reached an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 93.7%, compared to 51% achieved for human grading using brightfield imaging. The binary classification of young vs. old/in vitro-aged oocytes and their blastulation prediction using METAPHOR reached an AUC of 96.2% and 82.2%, respectively. Finally, organelle recognition and segmentation based on the flavin adenine dinucleotide signal revealed that quantification of mitochondria size and distribution can be used as a biomarker to classify oocytes and embryos. The performance and safety of the method highlight the accuracy of noninvasive metabolic imaging as a complementary approach to evaluate oocytes and embryos based on their physiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Parra
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Denitza Denkova
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Xavier P. Burgos-Artizzu
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
- Movumtech SL, Madrid28003, Spain
| | - Ester Aroca
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Marc Casals
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Amélie Godeau
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Miguel Ares
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Anna Ferrer-Vaquer
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Ot Massafret
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | | | - Enric Mestres
- Embryotools SL, R&D department, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Mònica Acacio
- Embryotools SL, R&D department, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | | | - Elena Rebollo
- Advanced Fluorescence Microscopy Unit, Molecular Biology Institute of Barcelona (IBMB - CSIC), Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Hsiao Ju Chiang
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Scott E. Fraser
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Department of Biological Sciences, Division of Molecular and Computational Biology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Francesco Cutrale
- Translational Imaging Center, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
- Alfred Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA90089
| | - Anna Seriola
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Samuel Ojosnegros
- Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona08028, Spain
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Chow DJX, Tan TCY, Upadhya A, Lim M, Dholakia K, Dunning KR. Viewing early life without labels: optical approaches for imaging the early embryo†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:1157-1174. [PMID: 38647415 PMCID: PMC11180623 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioae062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2024] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Embryo quality is an important determinant of successful implantation and a resultant live birth. Current clinical approaches for evaluating embryo quality rely on subjective morphology assessments or an invasive biopsy for genetic testing. However, both approaches can be inherently inaccurate and crucially, fail to improve the live birth rate following the transfer of in vitro produced embryos. Optical imaging offers a potential non-invasive and accurate avenue for assessing embryo viability. Recent advances in various label-free optical imaging approaches have garnered increased interest in the field of reproductive biology due to their ability to rapidly capture images at high resolution, delivering both morphological and molecular information. This burgeoning field holds immense potential for further development, with profound implications for clinical translation. Here, our review aims to: (1) describe the principles of various imaging systems, distinguishing between approaches that capture morphological and molecular information, (2) highlight the recent application of these technologies in the field of reproductive biology, and (3) assess their respective merits and limitations concerning the capacity to evaluate embryo quality. Additionally, the review summarizes challenges in the translation of optical imaging systems into routine clinical practice, providing recommendations for their future development. Finally, we identify suitable imaging approaches for interrogating the mechanisms underpinning successful embryo development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren J X Chow
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Tiffany C Y Tan
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Avinash Upadhya
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Megan Lim
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Kishan Dholakia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Scottish Universities Physics Alliance, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Kylie R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
- Centre of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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Venturas M, Racowsky C, Needleman DJ. Metabolic imaging of human cumulus cells reveals associations with pregnancy and live birth. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:1176-1185. [PMID: 38719791 PMCID: PMC11145010 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deae087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/04/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) detect associations between the metabolic state of cumulus cell (CC) samples and the clinical outcome of the corresponding embryos? SUMMARY ANSWER FLIM can detect significant variations in the metabolism of CC associated with the corresponding embryos that resulted in a clinical pregnancy versus those that did not. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY CC and oocyte metabolic cooperativity are known to be necessary for the acquisition of developmental competence. However, reliable CC biomarkers that reflect oocyte viability and embryo developmental competency have yet to be established. Quantitative measures of CC metabolism could be used to aid in the evaluation of oocyte and embryo quality in ART. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION A prospective observational study was carried out. In total, 223 patients undergoing IVF with either conventional insemination or ICSI at a tertiary care center from February 2018 to May 2020 were included, with no exclusion criteria applied. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS This cohort had a mean maternal age of 36.5 ± 4.4 years and an average oocyte yield of 16.9 (range 1-50). One to four CC clusters from each patient were collected after oocyte retrieval and vitrified. CC metabolic state was assessed using FLIM to measure the autofluorescence of the molecules NAD(P)H and FAD+, which are essential for multiple metabolic pathways. CC clusters were tracked with their corresponding oocytes and associated embryos. Patient age, Day 3 and Day 5/6 embryo morphological grades, and clinical outcomes of embryos with traceable fate were recorded. Nine FLIM quantitative parameters were obtained for each CC cluster. We investigated associations between the FLIM parameters and patient maternal age, embryo morphological rank, ploidy, and clinical outcome, where false discovery rate P-values of <0.05 were considered statistically significant. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE A total of 851 CC clusters from 851 cumulus-oocyte complexes from 223 patients were collected. Of these CC clusters, 623 were imaged using FLIM. None of the measured CC FLIM parameters were correlated with Day 3 morphological rank or ploidy of the corresponding embryos, but FAD+ FLIM parameters were significantly associated with morphological rank of blastocysts. There were significant differences for FAD+ FLIM parameters (FAD+ fraction engaged and short lifetime) from CC clusters linked with embryos resulting in a clinical pregnancy compared with those that did not, as well as for CC clusters associated with embryos that resulted in a live birth compared those that did not. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Our data are based on a relatively low number of traceable embryos from an older patient population. Additionally, we only assessed CCs from 1 to 4 oocytes from each patient. Future work in a younger patient population with a larger number of traceable embryos, as well as measuring the metabolic state of CCs from all oocytes from each patient, would provide a better understanding of the potential utility of this technology for oocyte/embryo selection. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS Metabolic imaging via FLIM is able to detect CC metabolic associations with maternal age and detects variations in the metabolism of CCs associated with oocytes leading to embryos that result in a clinical pregnancy and a live birth versus those that do not. Our findings suggest that FLIM of CCs may be used as a new approach to aid in the assessment of oocyte and embryo developmental competence in clinical ART. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) National Institutes of Health grant NIH R01HD092550-03 (to C.R., and D.J.N.). Becker and Hickl GmbH and Boston Electronics sponsored research with the loaning of equipment for FLIM. D.J.N. and C.R. are inventors on patent US20170039415A1. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Venturas
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Boston IVF-TheEugin Group, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - C Racowsky
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Medicine, Hospital Foch, Suresnes, France
| | - D J Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, USA
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Ardestani G, Martins M, Ocali O, Sanchez TH, Gulliford C, Barrett CB, Sakkas D. Effect of time post warming to embryo transfer on human blastocyst metabolism and pregnancy outcome. J Assist Reprod Genet 2024; 41:1539-1547. [PMID: 38642271 PMCID: PMC11224190 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-024-03115-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study is aiming to test whether variation in post warming culture time impacts blastocyst metabolism or pregnancy outcome. METHODS In this single center retrospective cohort study, outcomes of 11,520 single frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles were analyzed from January 2015 to December 2020. Patient treatments included both natural and programmed cycles. Time categories were determined using the time between blastocyst warming and embryo transfer: 0 (0- <1h), 1 (1-<2h), 2 (2-<3h), 3(3-<4h), 4 (4-<5), 5 (5-<6), 6 (6-<7) and 7 (7-8h). Non-invasive metabolic imaging of discarded human blastocysts for up to 10h was also performed using Fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to examine for metabolic perturbations during culture. RESULTS The mean age of patients across all time categories were comparable (35.6 ± 3.9). Live birth rates (38-52%) and miscarriage rate (5-11%) were not statistically different across post-warming culture time. When assessing pregnancy outcomes based on the use of PGT-A, miscarriage and live birth rates were not statistically different across culture hours in both PGT-A and non-PGT cycles. Further metabolic analysis of blastocysts for the duration of 10h of culture post warming, revealed minimal metabolic changes of embryos in culture. CONCLUSION Overall, our results show that differences in the time of post warming culture have no significant impact on miscarriage or live birth rate for frozen embryo transfers. This information can be beneficial for clinical practices with either minimal staffing or a high number of patient cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Goli Ardestani
- Boston IVF - IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA.
| | - Marion Martins
- Boston IVF - IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
- Kinderwunsch im Zentrum, Tulln, Austria
| | - Olcay Ocali
- Boston IVF - IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
| | | | | | - C Brent Barrett
- Boston IVF - IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
| | - Denny Sakkas
- Boston IVF - IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Waltham, MA, 02451, USA
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Pasquariello R, Bogliolo L, Di Filippo F, Leoni GG, Nieddu S, Podda A, Brevini TAL, Gandolfi F. Use of assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs) to shorten the generational interval in ruminants: current status and perspectives. Theriogenology 2024; 225:16-32. [PMID: 38788626 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2024.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
The challenges posed by climate change and increasing world population are stimulating renewed efforts for improving the sustainability of animal production. To meet such challenges, the contribution of genomic selection approaches, in combination with assisted reproductive technologies (ARTs), to spreading and preserving animal genetics is essential. The largest increase in genetic gain can be achieved by shortening the generation interval. This review provides an overview of the current status and progress of advanced ARTs that could be applied to reduce the generation time in both female and male of domestic ruminants. In females, the use of juvenile in vitro embryo transfer (JIVET) enables to generate offspring after the transfer of in vitro produced embryos derived from oocytes of prepubertal genetically superior donors reducing the generational interval and acceleration genetic gain. The current challenge is increasing in vitro embryo production (IVEP) from prepubertal derived oocytes which is still low and variable. The two main factors limiting IVEP success are the intrinsic quality of prepubertal oocytes and the culture systems for in vitro maturation (IVM). In males, advancements in ARTs are providing new strategies to in vitro propagate spermatogonia and differentiate them into mature sperm or even to recapitulate the whole process of spermatogenesis from embryonic stem cells. Moreover, the successful use of immature cells, such as round spermatids, for intracytoplasmic injection (ROSI) and IVEP could allow to complete the entire process in few months. However, these approaches have been successfully applied to human and mouse whereas only a few studies have been published in ruminants and results are still controversial. This is also dependent on the efficiency of ROSI that is limited by the current isolation and selection protocols of round spermatids. In conclusion, the current efforts for improving these reproductive methodologies could lead toward a significant reduction of the generational interval in livestock animals that could have a considerable impact on agriculture sustainability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolando Pasquariello
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | - Luisa Bogliolo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Francesca Di Filippo
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy
| | | | - Stefano Nieddu
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Andrea Podda
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Tiziana A L Brevini
- Laboratory of Biomedical Embryology and Tissue Engineering, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Milan, Lodi, Italy
| | - Fulvio Gandolfi
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Milan, Milano, Italy.
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Sakkas D, Gulliford C, Ardestani G, Ocali O, Martins M, Talasila N, Shah JS, Penzias AS, Seidler EA, Sanchez T. Metabolic imaging of human embryos is predictive of ploidy status but is not associated with clinical pregnancy outcomes: a pilot trial. Hum Reprod 2024; 39:516-525. [PMID: 38195766 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/dead268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Does fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-based metabolic imaging assessment of human blastocysts prior to frozen transfer correlate with pregnancy outcomes? SUMMARY ANSWER FLIM failed to distinguish consistent patterns in mitochondrial metabolism between blastocysts leading to pregnancy compared to those that did not. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY FLIM measurements provide quantitative information on NAD(P)H and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD+) concentrations. The metabolism of embryos has long been linked to their viability, suggesting the potential utility of metabolic measurements to aid in selection. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION This was a pilot trial enrolling 121 IVF couples who consented to have their frozen blastocyst measured using non-invasive metabolic imaging. After being warmed, 105 couples' good-quality blastocysts underwent a 6-min scan in a controlled temperature and gas environment. FLIM-assessed blastocysts were then transferred without any intervention in management. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Eight metabolic parameters were obtained from each blastocyst (4 for NAD(P)H and 4 for FAD): short and long fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence intensity, and fraction of the molecule engaged with enzyme. The redox ratio (intensity of NAD(P)H)/(intensity of FAD) was also calculated. FLIM data were combined with known metadata and analyzed to quantify the ability of metabolic imaging to differentiate embryos that resulted in pregnancy from embryos that did not. De-identified discarded aneuploid human embryos (n = 158) were also measured to quantify correlations with ploidy status and other factors. Statistical comparisons were performed using logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves with 5-fold cross-validation averaged over 100 repeats with random sampling. AUC values were used to quantify the ability to distinguish between classes. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE No metabolic imaging parameters showed significant differences between good-quality blastocysts resulting in pregnancy versus those that did not. A logistic regression using metabolic data and metadata produced an ROC AUC of 0.58. In contrast, robust AUCs were obtained when classifying other factors such as comparison of Day 5 (n = 64) versus Day 6 (n = 41) blastocysts (AUC = 0.78), inner cell mass versus trophectoderm (n = 105: AUC = 0.88) and aneuploid (n = 158) versus euploid and positive pregnancy embryos (n = 108) (AUC = 0.82). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The study protocol did not select which embryo to transfer and the cohort of 105 included blastocysts were all high quality. The study was also limited in number of participants and study sites. Increased power and performing the trial in more sites may have provided a stronger conclusion regarding the merits of the use of FLIM clinically. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS FLIM failed to distinguish consistent patterns in mitochondrial metabolism between good-quality blastocysts leading to pregnancy compared to those that did not. Blastocyst ploidy status was, however, highly distinguishable. In addition, embryo regions and embryo day were consistently revealed by FLIM. While metabolic imaging detects mitochondrial metabolic features in human blastocysts, this pilot trial indicates it does not have the potential to serve as an effective embryo viability detection tool. This may be because mitochondrial metabolism plays an alternative role post-implantation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study was sponsored by Optiva Fertility, Inc. Boston IVF contributed to the clinical site and services. Becker Hickl, GmbH, provided the FLIM system on loan. T.S. was the founder and held stock in Optiva Fertility, Inc., and D.S. and E.S. had options with Optiva Fertility, Inc., during this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER The study was approved by WCG Connexus IRB (Study Number 1298156).
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Affiliation(s)
- Denny Sakkas
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Olcay Ocali
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Jaimin S Shah
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alan S Penzias
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emily A Seidler
- Boston IVF, Research Department, Waltham, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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9
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Fluks M, Collier R, Walewska A, Bruce AW, Ajduk A. How great thou ART: biomechanical properties of oocytes and embryos as indicators of quality in assisted reproductive technologies. Front Cell Dev Biol 2024; 12:1342905. [PMID: 38425501 PMCID: PMC10902081 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2024.1342905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) have revolutionized infertility treatment and animal breeding, but their success largely depends on selecting high-quality oocytes for fertilization and embryos for transfer. During preimplantation development, embryos undergo complex morphogenetic processes, such as compaction and cavitation, driven by cellular forces dependent on cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-cell interactions. These processes are pivotal in dictating an embryo's capacity to implant and progress to full-term development. Hence, a comprehensive grasp of the biomechanical attributes characterizing healthy oocytes and embryos is essential for selecting those with higher developmental potential. Various noninvasive techniques have emerged as valuable tools for assessing biomechanical properties without disturbing the oocyte or embryo physiological state, including morphokinetics, analysis of cytoplasmic movement velocity, or quantification of cortical tension and elasticity using microaspiration. By shedding light on the cytoskeletal processes involved in chromosome segregation, cytokinesis, cellular trafficking, and cell adhesion, underlying oogenesis, and embryonic development, this review explores the significance of embryo biomechanics in ART and its potential implications for improving clinical IVF outcomes, offering valuable insights and research directions to enhance oocyte and embryo selection procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Fluks
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Rebecca Collier
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Agnieszka Walewska
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Alexander W. Bruce
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czechia
| | - Anna Ajduk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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10
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Morizet J, Chow D, Wijesinghe P, Schartner E, Dwapanyin G, Dubost N, Bruce GD, Anckaert E, Dunning K, Dholakia K. UVA Hyperspectral Light-Sheet Microscopy for Volumetric Metabolic Imaging: Application to Preimplantation Embryo Development. ACS PHOTONICS 2023; 10:4177-4187. [PMID: 38145166 PMCID: PMC10739996 DOI: 10.1021/acsphotonics.3c00900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Cellular metabolism is a key regulator of energetics, cell growth, regeneration, and homeostasis. Spatially mapping the heterogeneity of cellular metabolic activity is of great importance for unraveling the overall cell and tissue health. In this regard, imaging the endogenous metabolic cofactors, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) (NAD(P)H) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), with subcellular resolution and in a noninvasive manner would be useful to determine tissue and cell viability in a clinical environment, but practical use is limited by current imaging techniques. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of phasor-based hyperspectral light-sheet (HS-LS) microscopy using a single UVA excitation wavelength as a route to mapping metabolism in three dimensions. We show that excitation solely at a UVA wavelength of 375 nm can simultaneously excite NAD(P)H and FAD autofluorescence, while their relative contributions can be readily quantified using a hardware-based spectral phasor analysis. We demonstrate the potential of our HS-LS system by capturing dynamic changes in metabolic activity during preimplantation embryo development. To validate our approach, we delineate metabolic changes during preimplantation embryo development from volumetric maps of metabolic activity. Importantly, our approach overcomes the need for multiple excitation wavelengths, two-photon imaging, or significant postprocessing of data, paving the way toward clinical translation, such as in situ, noninvasive assessment of embryo viability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josephine Morizet
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
| | - Darren Chow
- Robinson
Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5501, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5505, Australia
- Institute
for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The
University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5505, Australia
| | - Philip Wijesinghe
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
| | - Erik Schartner
- Robinson
Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5501, Australia
- Institute
for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The
University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5505, Australia
- Centre
of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
| | - George Dwapanyin
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
| | - Nicolas Dubost
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
| | - Graham D. Bruce
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
| | - Ellen Anckaert
- Faculty of
Medicine and Pharmacy, Vrije Universiteit
Brussel, Brussels 1070, Belgium
| | - Kylie Dunning
- Robinson
Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5501, Australia
- Australian
Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5505, Australia
- Institute
for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The
University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5505, Australia
| | - Kishan Dholakia
- SUPA,
School of Physics and Astronomy, University
of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews Fife KY16, U.K.
- Centre
of Light for Life, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
- School
of Biological Sciences, The University of
Adelaide, Adelaide 5005, Australia
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11
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Horta F, Salih M, Austin C, Warty R, Smith V, Rolnik DL, Reddy S, Rezatofighi H, Vollenhoven B. Reply: Artificial intelligence as a door opener for a new era of human reproduction. Hum Reprod Open 2023; 2023:hoad045. [PMID: 38033328 PMCID: PMC10686939 DOI: 10.1093/hropen/hoad045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- F Horta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Monash Data Future Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- City Fertility, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - M Salih
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - C Austin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - R Warty
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - V Smith
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - D L Rolnik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Women’s and Newborn Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - S Reddy
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - H Rezatofighi
- Monash Data Future Institute, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - B Vollenhoven
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- Women’s and Newborn Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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12
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Salih M, Austin C, Warty RR, Tiktin C, Rolnik DL, Momeni M, Rezatofighi H, Reddy S, Smith V, Vollenhoven B, Horta F. Embryo selection through artificial intelligence versus embryologists: a systematic review. Hum Reprod Open 2023; 2023:hoad031. [PMID: 37588797 PMCID: PMC10426717 DOI: 10.1093/hropen/hoad031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION What is the present performance of artificial intelligence (AI) decision support during embryo selection compared to the standard embryo selection by embryologists? SUMMARY ANSWER AI consistently outperformed the clinical teams in all the studies focused on embryo morphology and clinical outcome prediction during embryo selection assessment. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY The ART success rate is ∼30%, with a worrying trend of increasing female age correlating with considerably worse results. As such, there have been ongoing efforts to address this low success rate through the development of new technologies. With the advent of AI, there is potential for machine learning to be applied in such a manner that areas limited by human subjectivity, such as embryo selection, can be enhanced through increased objectivity. Given the potential of AI to improve IVF success rates, it remains crucial to review the performance between AI and embryologists during embryo selection. STUDY DESIGN SIZE DURATION The search was done across PubMed, EMBASE, Ovid Medline, and IEEE Xplore from 1 June 2005 up to and including 7 January 2022. Included articles were also restricted to those written in English. Search terms utilized across all databases for the study were: ('Artificial intelligence' OR 'Machine Learning' OR 'Deep learning' OR 'Neural network') AND ('IVF' OR 'in vitro fertili*' OR 'assisted reproductive techn*' OR 'embryo'), where the character '*' refers the search engine to include any auto completion of the search term. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS SETTING METHODS A literature search was conducted for literature relating to AI applications to IVF. Primary outcomes of interest were accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the embryo morphology grade assessments and the likelihood of clinical outcomes, such as clinical pregnancy after IVF treatments. Risk of bias was assessed using the Modified Down and Black Checklist. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Twenty articles were included in this review. There was no specific embryo assessment day across the studies-Day 1 until Day 5/6 of embryo development was investigated. The types of input for training AI algorithms were images and time-lapse (10/20), clinical information (6/20), and both images and clinical information (4/20). Each AI model demonstrated promise when compared to an embryologist's visual assessment. On average, the models predicted the likelihood of successful clinical pregnancy with greater accuracy than clinical embryologists, signifying greater reliability when compared to human prediction. The AI models performed at a median accuracy of 75.5% (range 59-94%) on predicting embryo morphology grade. The correct prediction (Ground Truth) was defined through the use of embryo images according to post embryologists' assessment following local respective guidelines. Using blind test datasets, the embryologists' accuracy prediction was 65.4% (range 47-75%) with the same ground truth provided by the original local respective assessment. Similarly, AI models had a median accuracy of 77.8% (range 68-90%) in predicting clinical pregnancy through the use of patient clinical treatment information compared to 64% (range 58-76%) when performed by embryologists. When both images/time-lapse and clinical information inputs were combined, the median accuracy by the AI models was higher at 81.5% (range 67-98%), while clinical embryologists had a median accuracy of 51% (range 43-59%). LIMITATIONS REASONS FOR CAUTION The findings of this review are based on studies that have not been prospectively evaluated in a clinical setting. Additionally, a fair comparison of all the studies were deemed unfeasible owing to the heterogeneity of the studies, development of the AI models, database employed and the study design and quality. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS AI provides considerable promise to the IVF field and embryo selection. However, there needs to be a shift in developers' perception of the clinical outcome from successful implantation towards ongoing pregnancy or live birth. Additionally, existing models focus on locally generated databases and many lack external validation. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS This study was funded by Monash Data Future Institute. All authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42021256333.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Salih
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - C Austin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - R R Warty
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - C Tiktin
- School of Engineering, RMIT University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - D L Rolnik
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Women’s and Newborn Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - M Momeni
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - H Rezatofighi
- Department of Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Data Future Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - S Reddy
- School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
| | - V Smith
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - B Vollenhoven
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Women’s and Newborn Program, Monash Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Monash IVF, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - F Horta
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Data Future Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
- City Fertility, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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13
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Dwivedi SK, Arachchige DL, Olowolagba A, Mahmoud M, Cunnien J, Tucker DR, Fritz D, Werner T, Luck RL, Liu H. Thiophene-based organic dye with large Stokes shift and deep red emission for live cell NAD(P)H detection under varying chemical stimuli. J Mater Chem B 2023; 11:6296-6307. [PMID: 37249441 PMCID: PMC10524713 DOI: 10.1039/d3tb00645j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
We report a novel method for synthesizing red and deep red cyanine dyes with large Stokes shifts, probes A and B, for live cell NAD(P)H detection. The probes were prepared using thiophene-based organic dyes featuring a π-conjugated bridge of thiophene and 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene units linking the 1-methylquinolinium acceptor and formyl acceptor, respectively. These probes display weak absorption peaks at 315 nm (A) and 334 nm (B) and negligible fluorescence in the absence of NADH. However, upon the presence of NADH, new absorption and fluorescence peaks appear at 477 nm and 619 nm for probe A and at 486 nm and 576 nm for probe B, respectively. This is due to the NADH-facilitated reduction of the 1-methylquinolinium unit into 1-methyl-1,4-dihydroquinoline, which then acts as the electron donor for the probes, leading to the formation of well-defined electron donor-acceptor dye systems. Probe A has a large Stokes shift of 144 nm, which allows for better separation between the excitation and emission spectra, reducing spectral overlap and improving the accuracy of fluorescence measurements. The probes are highly selective for NAD(P)H, water-soluble, biocompatible, and easily permeable to cells. They are also photostable and were successfully used to monitor changes in NADH concentration in live cells during glycolysis in the presence of glucose, lactate, and pyruvate, treatment of FCCP and cancer drug cisplatin, and under hypoxia triggered by CoCl2. Furthermore, the probes were able to image NAD(P)H in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. Notably, cisplatin treatment increased the NAD(P)H concentration in A459 cells over time. Overall, this work presents a significant advancement in the field of live cell imaging by providing a simple and cost-effective method for detecting changes in NAD(P)H concentration under varying chemical stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sushil K Dwivedi
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
- Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Dilka Liyana Arachchige
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
- Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Adenike Olowolagba
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
- Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Mohamed Mahmoud
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
- Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Jenna Cunnien
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
- Health Research Institute, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Daniel R Tucker
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
| | - Delaney Fritz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Thomas Werner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Rudy L Luck
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
| | - Haiying Liu
- Department of Chemistry, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA.
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14
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Tan TCY, Dunning KR. Non-invasive assessment of oocyte developmental competence. Reprod Fertil Dev 2022; 35:39-50. [PMID: 36592982 DOI: 10.1071/rd22217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte quality is a key factor influencing IVF success. The oocyte and surrounding cumulus cells, known collectively as the cumulus oocyte complex (COC), communicate bi-directionally and regulate each other's metabolic function to support oocyte growth and maturation. Many studies have attempted to associate metabolic markers with oocyte quality, including metabolites in follicular fluid or 'spent medium' following maturation, gene expression of cumulus cells and measuring oxygen consumption in medium surrounding COCs. However, these methods fail to provide spatial metabolic information on the separate oocyte and cumulus cell compartments. Optical imaging of the autofluorescent cofactors - reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (phosphate) [NAD(P)H] and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) - has been put forward as an approach to generate spatially resolved measurements of metabolism within individual cells of the COC. The optical redox ratio (FAD/[NAD(P)H+FAD]), calculated from these cofactors, can act as an indicator of overall metabolic activity in the oocyte and cumulus cell compartments. Confocal microscopy, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) and hyperspectral microscopy may be used for this purpose. This review provides an overview of current optical imaging techniques that capture the inner biochemistry within cells of the COC and discusses the potential for such imaging to assess oocyte developmental competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Y Tan
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Kylie R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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15
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Heo G, Sun MH, Jiang WJ, Li XH, Lee SH, Guo J, Zhou D, Cui XS. Rotenone causes mitochondrial dysfunction and prevents maturation in porcine oocytes. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0277477. [PMID: 36441709 PMCID: PMC9704683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Rotenone is a commonly used insecticidal chemical in agriculture and it is an inhibitor of mitochondrial complex Ⅰ. Previous studies have found that rotenone induces the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) by inhibiting electron transport in the mitochondria of somatic and germ cells. However, there is little precise information on the effects of rotenone exposure in porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation, and the mechanisms underlying these effects have not been determined. The Cumulus-oocyte complexes were supplemented with different concentrations of rotenone to elucidate the effects of rotenone exposure on the meiotic maturation of porcine oocytes during in vitro maturation for about 48 hours. First, we found that the maturation rate and expansion of cumulus cells were significantly reduced in the 3 and 5 μM rotenone-treated groups. Subsequently, the concentration of rotenone was determined to be 3 μM. Also, immunofluorescence, western blotting, and image quantification analyses were performed to test the rotenone exposure on the meiotic maturation, total and mitochondrial ROS, mitochondrial function and biogenesis, mitophagy and apoptosis in porcine oocytes. Further experiments showed that rotenone treatment induced mitochondrial dysfunction and failure of mitochondrial biogenesis by repressing the level of SIRT1 during in vitro maturation of porcine oocytes. In addition, rotenone treatment reduced the ratio of active mitochondria to total mitochondria, increased ROS production, and decreased ATP production. The levels of LC3 and active-caspase 3 were significantly increased by rotenone treatment, indicating that mitochondrial dysfunction induced by rotenone increased mitophagy but eventually led to apoptosis. Collectively, these results suggest that rotenone interferes with porcine oocyte maturation by inhibiting mitochondrial function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geun Heo
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Ming-Hong Sun
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Wen-Jie Jiang
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Xiao-Han Li
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Song-Hee Lee
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
| | - Jing Guo
- Joint Laboratory of the Modern Agricultural Technology International Cooperation, Ministry of Education, Jilin Agricultural University, Jilin, Changchun, 130118, China
| | - Dongjie Zhou
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (DZ); (X-SC)
| | - Xiang-Shun Cui
- Department of Animal Science, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail: (DZ); (X-SC)
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16
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The effect of discrete wavelengths of visible light on the developing murine embryo. J Assist Reprod Genet 2022; 39:1825-1837. [PMID: 35737174 PMCID: PMC9428105 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-022-02555-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE A current focus of the IVF field is non-invasive imaging of the embryo to quantify developmental potential. Such approaches use varying wavelengths to gain maximum biological information. The impact of irradiating the developing embryo with discrete wavelengths of light is not fully understood. Here, we assess the impact of a range of wavelengths on the developing embryo. METHODS Murine preimplantation embryos were exposed daily to wavelengths within the blue, green, yellow, and red spectral bands and compared to an unexposed control group. Development to blastocyst, DNA damage, and cell number/allocation to blastocyst cell lineages were assessed. For the longer wavelengths (yellow and red), pregnancy/fetal outcomes and the abundance of intracellular lipid were investigated. RESULTS Significantly fewer embryos developed to the blastocyst stage when exposed to the yellow wavelength. Elevated DNA damage was observed within embryos exposed to blue, green, or red wavelengths. There was no effect on blastocyst cell number/lineage allocation for all wavelengths except red, where there was a significant decrease in total cell number. Pregnancy rate was significantly reduced when embryos were irradiated with the red wavelength. Weight at weaning was significantly higher when embryos were exposed to yellow or red wavelengths. Lipid abundance was significantly elevated following exposure to the yellow wavelength. CONCLUSION Our results demonstrate that the impact of light is wavelength-specific, with longer wavelengths also impacting the embryo. We also show that effects are energy-dependent. This data shows that damage is multifaceted and developmental rate alone may not fully reflect the impact of light exposure.
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17
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Tan TCY, Brown HM, Thompson JG, Mustafa S, Dunning KR. Optical imaging detects metabolic signatures associated with oocyte quality. Biol Reprod 2022; 107:1014-1025. [PMID: 35863764 PMCID: PMC9562116 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte developmental potential is intimately linked to metabolism. Existing approaches to measure metabolism in the cumulus oocyte complex (COC) do not provide information on the separate cumulus and oocyte compartments. Development of an assay that achieves this may lead to an accurate diagnostic for oocyte quality. Optical imaging of the autofluorescent cofactors NAD(P)H and FAD provides a spatially resolved indicator of metabolism via the optical redox ratio ($\mathrm{FAD}/\left[\mathrm{NAD}\left(\mathrm{P}\right)\mathrm{H}+\mathrm{FAD}\right]$). This may provide an assessment of oocyte quality. Here, we determined whether the optical redox ratio is a robust methodology for measuring metabolism in the cumulus and oocyte compartments compared with oxygen consumption in the whole COC. We also determined whether optical imaging could detect metabolic differences associated with poor oocyte quality (etomoxir-treated). We used confocal microscopy to measure NAD(P)H and FAD, and extracellular flux to measure oxygen consumption. We found that the optical redox ratio was an accurate reflection of metabolism in the oocyte compartment when compared with oxygen consumption (whole COC). Etomoxir-treated COCs showed significantly lower levels of NAD(P)H and FAD compared to control. While confocal imaging demonstrated the premise, we validated this approach using hyperspectral imaging, which is clinically compatible due to its low energy dose. This confirmed lower NAD(P)H and FAD in etomoxir-treated COCs. When comparing imaged vs non-imaged COCs, subsequent preimplantation development and post-transfer viability were comparable. Collectively, these results demonstrate that label-free optical imaging of metabolic cofactors is a safe and sensitive assay for measuring metabolism and has potential to assess oocyte developmental competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Y Tan
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Hannah M Brown
- Victorian Heart Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jeremy G Thompson
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Fertilis Pty Ltd, Adelaide, South Australia, 5005, Australia
| | - Sanam Mustafa
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Kylie R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, School of Biomedicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale Biophotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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18
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PTEN expression in human cumulus cells is associated with embryo development competence. ZYGOTE 2022; 30:611-618. [DOI: 10.1017/s096719942200003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Summary
Embryo quality determines the success of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. Biomarkers for the evaluation of embryo quality have some limitations. Apoptosis in cumulus cells (CCs) is important for ovarian function. PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog) is a well known tumour suppressor gene that functions as a mediator of apoptosis and is crucial for mammalian reproduction. In the present study, we analyzed the expression level of PTEN in human CCs and aimed to investigate its association with embryo developmental competence in IVF treatment cycles. The PTEN mRNA level in CCs was measured using real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. The association of the differential expression of PTEN with embryo quality was analyzed. Our data showed that PTEN mRNA levels were significantly decreased in CCs surrounding mature oocytes compared with immature oocytes. Similar changes were found in the analysis of fertilization and blastocyst formation. The speculation that the measurement of PTEN mRNA levels in human CCs would provide a useful tool for selecting oocytes with greater chances to implant into the uterus needs to be further verified through single-embryo transfer in the future. The proapoptotic mechanism of PTEN in human reproduction needs to be further studied.
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19
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Sequential IVM by CNP preincubation and cooperating of PGE2 with AREG enhances developmental competence of SCNT reconstructs in goat. Sci Rep 2022; 12:4243. [PMID: 35273320 PMCID: PMC8913792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-08238-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental competence of in vitro matured cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) in conventional IVM (C.IVM) is lower than in vivo maturated COCs and is related to unsynchronized nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation. To overcome this dearth, COCs can be exposed to granulosa secreted factors in a two-step system. Therefore, in the first experiment, 1000 nM of C-type natriuretic peptide for 8 h was determined (CAPA), as the best time and concentration to retain oocytes in germinal vesicle stage. This condition, also reduces lipid droplets and increases the expression of ATGL and PLIN2 involved in lipolysis and lipogenesis, respectively. In the second experiment, maturation was stimulated with prostaglandin E2 and amphiregulin for 18 h (CAPA-IVM), and their optimal concentrations based on blastocyst formation rates through in vitro fertilization (IVF) were determined as 1 and 600 nM, respectively. In the third experiment, the in vitro and in vivo developmental competency of SCNT embryos in CAPA-IVM group were determined. Despite similar blastocyst formation rates in IVF and SCNT between CAPA-IVM and C.IVM, the quality of blastocysts were quality was higher in CAPA-IVM, which reflected itself, as higher ICM/TE ratio and also expression of NANOG in SCNT blastocysts. Pregnancy rate, live births rate and SCNT efficiency were not significant between CAPA-IVM and C.IVM groups. Therefore, CAPA-IVM can improve the developmental competency of SCNT derived embryos.
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20
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Campbell JM, Mahbub SB, Bertoldo MJ, Habibalahi A, Goss DM, Ledger WL, Gilchrist RB, Wu LE, Goldys EM. Multispectral autofluorescence characteristics of reproductive aging in old and young mouse oocytes. Biogerontology 2022; 23:237-249. [PMID: 35211812 PMCID: PMC9023381 DOI: 10.1007/s10522-022-09957-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Increasing age has a major detrimental impact on female fertility, which, with an ageing population, has major sociological implications. This impact is primarily mediated through deteriorating quality of the oocyte. Deteriorating oocyte quality with biological age is the greatest rate-limiting factor to female fertility. Here we have used label-free, non-invasive multi-spectral imaging to identify unique autofluorescence profiles of oocytes from young and aged animals. Discriminant analysis demonstrated that young oocytes have a distinct autofluorescent profile which accurately distinguishes them from aged oocytes. We recently showed that treatment with the nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) restored oocyte quality and fertility in aged animals, and when our analysis was applied to oocytes from aged animals treated with NMN, 85% of these oocytes were classified as having the autofluorescent signature of young animals. Spectral unmixing using the Robust Dependent Component Analysis (RoDECA) algorithm demonstrated that NMN treatment altered the metabolic profile of oocytes, increasing free NAD(P)H, protein bound NAD(P)H, redox ratio and the ratio of bound to free NAD(P)H. The frequency of oocytes with simultaneously high NAD(P)H and flavin content was also significantly increased in mice treated with NMN. Young and Aged + NMN oocytes had a smoother spectral distribution, with the distribution of NAD(P)H in young oocytes specifically differing from that of aged oocytes. Identifying the multispectral profile of oocyte autofluorescence during aging could have utility as a non-invasive and sensitive measure of oocyte quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared M Campbell
- ARC Centre of Excellence Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
| | - Saabah B Mahbub
- ARC Centre of Excellence Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Michael J Bertoldo
- Discipline of Women's Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Abbas Habibalahi
- ARC Centre of Excellence Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Dale M Goss
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - William L Ledger
- Discipline of Women's Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robert B Gilchrist
- Discipline of Women's Health, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lindsay E Wu
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Ewa M Goldys
- ARC Centre of Excellence Centre for Nanoscale Biophotonics, Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, University of New South Wales Sydney, Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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21
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Battistella A, Andolfi L, Zanetti M, dal Zilio S, Stebel M, Ricci G, Lazzarino M. Atomic force spectroscopy‐based essay to evaluate oocyte post‐ovulatory ageing. Bioeng Transl Med 2022; 7:e10294. [PMID: 36176606 PMCID: PMC9472013 DOI: 10.1002/btm2.10294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Postovulatory aging is a process occurring in the mature (MII) oocyte leading the unfertilized ones to apoptosis. The optimal time window of fertility for different mammalian species after oocytes maturation depends on its timeliness: the higher the time elapsed from the accomplishment of the MII stage, the lower are the chances of fertilization and of development of a viable embryo. In the in vitro fertilization, the selection of competent oocytes for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is mostly made by the visual inspection of the MII oocyte morphology, which does not allow to determine the oocyte postovulatory age. On the other hand, more specific tests usually involve some kind of staining, thus compromising the viability of the oocyte for reproductive purposes. Hence, the need of a noninvasive analysis of oocyte aging to improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization procedures. Here, we exploit atomic force microscopy to examine the evolution of the mechanical properties of mouse oocytes during in vitro postovulatory aging. Three hours before the occurrence of any visual morphological feature related to degradation, we observe a sudden change of the mechanical parameters: the elastic modulus doubles its initial value, while the viscosity decreases significantly. These mechanical variations are temporally correlated with the release of the cortical granules, investigated by fluorescence microscopy. Interestingly, the oocyte mechanics correlates as well with the yield of embryo formation, evaluated up to the blastocyst formation stage. These results demonstrate that minimally invasive mechanical measurements are very sensitive to the aging of the oocyte and can be used as a label‐free method to detect the age of the postovulatory oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Giuseppe Ricci
- IRCSS Burlo Garofalo Trieste Italy
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Health Sciences University of Trieste Trieste Italy
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22
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Gao L, Xu QH, Ma LN, Luo J, Muyayalo KP, Wang LL, Huang DH, Xiao XJ, Cheng SB, Mor G, Liao AH. Trophoblast-derived Lactic Acid Orchestrates Decidual Macrophage Differentiation via SRC/LDHA Signaling in Early Pregnancy. Int J Biol Sci 2022; 18:599-616. [PMID: 35002512 PMCID: PMC8741856 DOI: 10.7150/ijbs.67816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 11/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactic acid (LA) metabolism in the tumor microenvironment contributes to the establishment and maintenance of immune tolerance. This pathway is characterized in tumor associated macrophages. However, the role and pathway of LA metabolism at maternal-fetal interface during early pregnancy, especially in decidual macrophage differentiation, are still unclear. Herein, for the first time, we discovered that LA can trigger either M2 or M1 macrophage polarization via oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis regulation under normoxia or hypoxia, respectively. Also, LA metabolism played a vital role in decidual macrophages-mediated recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), through HIF-1α/SRC/LDHA pathway. Moreover, blockade of LA intake with AZD3965 (MCT-1 inhibitor) could rescue pregnancy in an abortion-prone mouse model, suggesting a potential therapeutic target in RPL. Collectively, the present study identifies the previously unknown functions of LA metabolism in the differentiation of decidual macrophages in early normal pregnancy and RPL, and provides a potential therapeutic strategy in RPL by manipulating decidual macrophages' functions through LA metabolic pathway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lu Gao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Qian-Han Xu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Li-Na Ma
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Jing Luo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Kahindo P Muyayalo
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Li-Ling Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Dong-Hui Huang
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Xian-Jin Xiao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
| | - Shi-Bin Cheng
- Departments of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Pathology, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI 02905, USA
| | - Gil Mor
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China.,C.S. Mott Center for Human Growth and Development, Wayne State University school of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48201, USA
| | - Ai-Hua Liao
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Center for Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430000, P.R. China
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23
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Venturas M, Shah JS, Yang X, Sanchez TH, Conway W, Sakkas D, Needleman DJ. Metabolic state of human blastocysts measured by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy. Hum Reprod 2022; 37:411-427. [PMID: 34999823 DOI: 10.1093/humrep/deab283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 10/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
STUDY QUESTION Can non-invasive metabolic imaging via fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) detect variations in metabolic profiles between discarded human blastocysts? SUMMARY ANSWER FLIM revealed extensive variations in the metabolic state of discarded human blastocysts associated with blastocyst development over 36 h, the day after fertilization and blastocyst developmental stage, as well as metabolic heterogeneity within individual blastocysts. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Mammalian embryos undergo large changes in metabolism over the course of preimplantation development. Embryo metabolism has long been linked to embryo viability, suggesting its potential utility in ART to aid in selecting high quality embryos. However, the metabolism of human embryos remains poorly characterized due to a lack of non-invasive methods to measure their metabolic state. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We conducted a prospective observational study. We used 215 morphologically normal human embryos from 137 patients that were discarded and donated for research under an approved institutional review board protocol. These embryos were imaged using metabolic imaging via FLIM to measure the autofluorescence of two central coenzymes, nicotinamide adenine (phosphate) dinucleotide (NAD(P)H) and flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD+), which are essential for cellular respiration and glycolysis. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS Here, we used non-invasive FLIM to measure the metabolic state of human blastocysts. We first studied spatial patterns in the metabolic state within human blastocysts and the association of the metabolic state of the whole blastocysts with stage of expansion, day of development since fertilization and morphology. We explored the sensitivity of this technique in detecting metabolic variations between blastocysts from the same patient and between patients. Next, we explored whether FLIM can quantitatively measure metabolic changes through human blastocyst expansion and hatching via time-lapse imaging. For all test conditions, the level of significance was set at P < 0.05 after correction for multiple comparisons using Benjamini-Hochberg's false discovery rate. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE We found that FLIM is sensitive enough to detect significant metabolic differences between blastocysts. We found that metabolic variations between blastocyst are partially explained by both the time since fertilization and their developmental expansion stage (P < 0.05), but not their morphological grade. Substantial metabolic variations between blastocysts from the same patients remain, even after controlling for these factors. We also observe significant metabolic heterogeneity within individual blastocysts, including between the inner cell mass and the trophectoderm, and between the portions of hatching blastocysts within and without the zona pellucida (P < 0.05). And finally, we observed that the metabolic state of human blastocysts continuously varies over time. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Although we observed significant variations in metabolic parameters, our data are taken from human blastocysts that were discarded and donated for research and we do not know their clinical outcome. Moreover, the embryos used in this study are a mixture of aneuploid, euploid and embryos of unknown ploidy. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This work reveals novel aspects of the metabolism of human blastocysts and suggests that FLIM is a promising approach to assess embryo viability through non-invasive, quantitative measurements of their metabolism. These results further demonstrate that FLIM can provide biologically relevant information that may be valuable for the assessment of embryo quality. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) Supported by the Blavatnik Biomedical Accelerator Grant at Harvard University. Becker and Hickl GmbH and Boston Electronics sponsored research with the loaning of equipment for FLIM. D.J.N. is an inventor on patent US20170039415A1. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Venturas
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Departament de Biologia Cellular, Fisiologia i Immunologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola, Spain
| | - Jaimin S Shah
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.,Boston IVF, Waltham, MA, USA
| | - Xingbo Yang
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - William Conway
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Dan J Needleman
- Molecular and Cellular Biology and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Physics Department, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Center for Computational Biology, Flatiron Institute, New York, NY, USA
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24
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25
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Yang X, Ha G, Needleman D. A coarse-grained NADH redox model enables inference of subcellular metabolic fluxes from fluorescence lifetime imaging. eLife 2021; 10:73808. [PMID: 34806591 PMCID: PMC8935353 DOI: 10.7554/elife.73808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondrial metabolism is of central importance to diverse aspects of cell and developmental biology. Defects in mitochondria are associated with many diseases, including cancer, neuropathology, and infertility. Our understanding of mitochondrial metabolism in situ and dysfunction in diseases are limited by the lack of techniques to measure mitochondrial metabolic fluxes with sufficient spatiotemporal resolution. Herein, we developed a new method to infer mitochondrial metabolic fluxes in living cells with subcellular resolution from fluorescence lifetime imaging of NADH. This result is based on the use of a generic coarse-grained NADH redox model. We tested the model in mouse oocytes and human tissue culture cells subject to a wide variety of perturbations by comparing predicted fluxes through the electron transport chain (ETC) to direct measurements of oxygen consumption rate. Interpreting the fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy measurements of NADH using this model, we discovered a homeostasis of ETC flux in mouse oocytes: perturbations of nutrient supply and energy demand of the cell do not change ETC flux despite significantly impacting NADH metabolic state. Furthermore, we observed a subcellular spatial gradient of ETC flux in mouse oocytes and found that this gradient is primarily a result of a spatially heterogeneous mitochondrial proton leak. We concluded from these observations that ETC flux in mouse oocytes is not controlled by energy demand or supply, but by the intrinsic rates of mitochondrial respiration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xingbo Yang
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Gloria Ha
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
| | - Dan Needleman
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States
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26
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From Zygote to Blastocyst: Application of Ultrashort Lasers in the Field of Assisted Reproduction and Developmental Biology. Diagnostics (Basel) 2021; 11:diagnostics11101897. [PMID: 34679594 PMCID: PMC8534476 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics11101897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the use of lasers in medical diagnosis and therapies, as well as in fundamental biomedical research is now almost routine, advanced laser sources and new laser-based methods continue to emerge. Due to the unique ability of ultrashort laser pulses to deposit energy into a microscopic volume in the bulk of a transparent material without disrupting the surrounding tissues, the ultrashort laser-based microsurgery of cells and subcellular components within structurally complex and fragile specimens such as embryos is becoming an important tool in developmental biology and reproductive medicine. In this review, we discuss the mechanisms of ultrashort laser pulse interaction with the matter, advantages of their application for oocyte and preimplantation embryo microsurgery (e.g., for oocyte/blastomere enucleation and embryonic cell fusion), as well as for nonlinear optical microscopy for studying the dynamics of embryonic development and embryo quality assessment. Moreover, we focus on ultrashort laser-based approaches and techniques that are increasingly being applied in the fundamental research and have the potential for successful translation into the IVF (in vitro fertilization) clinics, such as laser-mediated individual embryo labelling and controlled laser-assisted hatching.
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27
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In vitro fertilization and andrology laboratory in 2030: expert visions. Fertil Steril 2021; 116:4-12. [PMID: 34148588 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2021.05.088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this article is to gather 9 thought leaders and their team members to present their ideas about the future of in vitro fertilization and the andrology laboratory. Although we have seen much progress and innovation in the laboratory over the years, there is still much to come, and this article looks at what these leaders think will be important in the future development of technology and processes in the laboratory.
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28
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Wang J, Diao Z, Zhu L, Zhu J, Lin F, Jiang W, Fang J, Xu Z, Xing J, Zhou J, Wang S, Zhang N, Chen L. Trophectoderm Mitochondrial DNA Content Associated with Embryo Quality and Day-5 Euploid Blastocyst Transfer Outcomes. DNA Cell Biol 2021; 40:643-651. [PMID: 33902329 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2020.6271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Mitochondria play a critical role in cell function and embryo development. Recently, increasing studies have investigated whether mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) can be used as a predictive biomarker of embryo implantation. However, the results of its effect on implantation are still controversial. To further understand the clinical application value of mtDNA content for reproductive potential, we analyzed the influence of relative mtDNA quantity on embryo quality and transfer outcomes based on the results of second-generation sequencing of preimplantation genetic testing patients in our center. Biopsied trophectoderm (TE) from aneuploid blastocysts contained much larger amounts of mtDNA than those from euploid blastocysts (p < 0.000). In an analysis of only euploid blastocysts (n = 769), female age had no effect on mtDNA content (p = 0.216). TE cells biopsied on day 5 (n = 355) contained significantly higher amounts of mtDNA compared to those biopsied on day 6 (n = 388) or day 7 (n = 26) (p < 0.000). Higher quality trophoblast was associated with lower mtDNA content (p = 0.026), but quality of inner cell mass was not correlated with quantity of mtDNA (p = 0.112). For transferred embryos, the biopsied date and mtDNA content were significantly associated with embryo implantation and live birth outcomes. Day-5 euploid blastocysts with lower quantities of mtDNA exhibited higher implantation rate and live birth rate. However, our data indicated that mtDNA content may not be considered an independent predictive marker, it may be a useful reference for the selection of day-5 transferred euploid blastocysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhenyu Diao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Lihua Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jingjing Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Fei Lin
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Weihua Jiang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Junshun Fang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhipeng Xu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jun Xing
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jianjun Zhou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shanshan Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ningyuan Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Linjun Chen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Molecular Reproductive Medicine, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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29
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Catandi GD, Obeidat YM, Broeckling CD, Chen TW, Chicco AJ, Carnevale EM. Equine maternal aging affects oocyte lipid content, metabolic function and developmental potential. Reproduction 2021; 161:399-409. [PMID: 33539317 PMCID: PMC7969451 DOI: 10.1530/rep-20-0494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Advanced maternal age is associated with a decline in fertility and oocyte quality. We used novel metabolic microsensors to assess effects of mare age on single oocyte and embryo metabolic function, which has not yet been similarly investigated in mammalian species. We hypothesized that equine maternal aging affects the metabolic function of oocytes and in vitro-produced early embryos, oocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, and relative abundance of metabolites involved in energy metabolism in oocytes and cumulus cells. Samples were collected from preovulatory follicles from young (≤14 years) and old (≥20 years) mares. Relative abundance of metabolites in metaphase II oocytes (MII) and their respective cumulus cells, detected by liquid and gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry, revealed that free fatty acids were less abundant in oocytes and more abundant in cumulus cells from old vs young mares. Quantification of aerobic and anaerobic metabolism, respectively measured as oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and extracellular acidification rate (ECAR) in a microchamber containing oxygen and pH microsensors, demonstrated reduced metabolic function and capacity in oocytes and day-2 embryos originating from oocytes of old when compared to young mares. In mature oocytes, mtDNA was quantified by real-time PCR and was not different between the age groups and not indicative of mitochondrial function. Significantly more sperm-injected oocytes from young than old mares resulted in blastocysts. Our results demonstrate a decline in oocyte and embryo metabolic activity that potentially contributes to the impaired developmental competence and fertility in aged females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giovana D Catandi
- Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 3101 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Yusra M Obeidat
- Electronic Engineering Department, Hijjawi Faculty for Engineering Technology, Yarmouk University, Irbid, P.O. 21163, Jordan
| | - Corey D Broeckling
- Proteomics and Metabolomics Facility, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Thomas W Chen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 8523, USA
| | - Adam J Chicco
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Elaine M Carnevale
- Equine Reproduction Laboratory, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, 3101 Rampart Road, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
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30
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Minasi MG, Greco P, Varricchio MT, Barillari P, Greco E. The clinical use of time-lapse in human-assisted reproduction. Ther Adv Reprod Health 2020; 14:2633494120976921. [PMID: 33336190 PMCID: PMC7724395 DOI: 10.1177/2633494120976921] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A major challenge in the assisted reproduction laboratory is to set up
reproducible and efficient criteria to identify the embryo with the
highest developmental potential. Over the years, several methods have
been used worldwide with this purpose. Initially, standard morphology
assessment was the only available strategy. It is now universally
recognized that besides being a very subjective embryo selection
strategy, morphology evaluation alone has a very poor prognostic
value. More recently, the availability of time-lapse incubators
allowed a continuous monitoring of human embryo development. This
technology has spread quickly and many fertility clinics over the
world produced a remarkable amount of data. To date, however, a
general consensus on which variables, or combination of variables,
should play a central role in embryo selection is still lacking. Many
confounding factors, concerning both patient features and clinical and
biological procedures, have been observed to influence embryo
development. In addition, several studies have reported unexpected
positive outcomes, even in the presence of abnormal developmental
criteria. While it does not seem that time-lapse technology is ready
to entirely replace the more invasive preimplantation genetic testing
in identifying the embryo with the highest implantation potential, it
is certainly true that its application is rapidly growing, becoming
progressively more accurate. Studies involving artificial intelligence
and deep-learning models as well as combining morphokinetic with other
non-invasive markers of embryo development, are currently ongoing,
raising hopes for its successful applicability for clinical purpose in
the near future. The present review mainly focuses on data published
starting from the first decade of 2000, when time-lapse technology was
introduced as a routine clinical practice in the infertility
centers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Paolo Barillari
- Center for Reproductive Medicine,
Villa Mafalda, Rome, Italy
| | - Ermanno Greco
- Center for Reproductive Medicine,
Villa Mafalda, Rome, Italy
- Saint Camillus International
University of Health and Medical Sciences (UniCamillus), Rome,
Italy
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31
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Zhao Y, Ma J, Yi P, Wu J, Zhao F, Tu W, Liu W, Li T, Deng Y, Hao J, Wang H, Yan L. Human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells restore the ovarian metabolome and rescue premature ovarian insufficiency in mice. Stem Cell Res Ther 2020; 11:466. [PMID: 33148334 PMCID: PMC7641864 DOI: 10.1186/s13287-020-01972-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is an ovarian dysfunction that seriously affects a woman’s physiological health and reproduction. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) transplantation offers a promising treatment option for ovarian restoration in rodent POI models. However, the efficacy and mechanism of it remain unclear. Methods POI mice model was generated by cyclophosphamide and busulfan, followed with the treatment of tail-vein injection of the human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs). Maternal physiological changes and offspring behavior were detected. To reveal the pathogenesis and therapeutic mechanisms of POI, we first compared the metabolite profiles of healthy and POI ovarian tissues using untargeted metabolomics analyses. After stem cell therapy, we then collected the ovaries from control, POI, and hUCMSC-treated POI groups for lipid metabolomics and pseudotargeted metabolomics analysis. Results Our results revealed remarkable changes of multiple metabolites, especially lipids, in ovarian tissues after POI generation. Following the transplantation of clinical-grade hUCMSCs, POI mice exhibited significant improvements in body weight, sex hormone levels, estrous cycles, and reproductive capacity. Lipid metabolomics and pseudotargeted metabolomics analyses for the ovaries showed that the metabolite levels in the POI group, mainly lipids, glycerophospholipids, steroids, and amino acids changed significantly compared with the controls’, and most of them returned to near-healthy levels after receiving hUCMSC treatment. Meanwhile, we also observed an increase of monosaccharide levels in the ovaries from POI mice and a decrease after stem cell treatment. Conclusions hUCMSCs restore ovarian function through activating the PI3K pathway by promoting the level of free amino acids, consequently improving lipid metabolism and reducing the concentration of monosaccharides. These findings provide potential targets for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of POI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jiao Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Peiye Yi
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jun Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,National Stem Cell Resource Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Feiyan Zhao
- Department of Human Reproductive Medicine, Beijing Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100026, China
| | - Wan Tu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Wenjing Liu
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,National Stem Cell Resource Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Tianda Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yan Deng
- National Stem Cell Resource Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Jie Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,National Stem Cell Resource Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Hongmei Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
| | - Long Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China. .,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. .,Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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32
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Richani D, Dunning KR, Thompson JG, Gilchrist RB. Metabolic co-dependence of the oocyte and cumulus cells: essential role in determining oocyte developmental competence. Hum Reprod Update 2020; 27:27-47. [PMID: 33020823 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmaa043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 08/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Within the antral follicle, the oocyte is reliant on metabolic support from its surrounding somatic cells. Metabolism plays a critical role in oocyte developmental competence (oocyte quality). In the last decade, there has been significant progress in understanding the metabolism of the cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) during its final stages of growth and maturation in the follicle. Certain metabolic conditions (e.g. obesity) or ART (e.g. IVM) perturb COC metabolism, providing insights into metabolic regulation of oocyte quality. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE This review provides an update on the progress made in our understanding of COC metabolism, and the metabolic conditions that influence both meiotic and developmental competence of the oocyte. SEARCH METHODS The PubMed database was used to search for peer-reviewed original and review articles. Searches were performed adopting the main terms 'oocyte metabolism', 'cumulus cell metabolism', 'oocyte maturation', 'oocyte mitochondria', 'oocyte metabolism', 'oocyte developmental competence' and 'oocyte IVM'. OUTCOMES Metabolism is a major determinant of oocyte quality. Glucose is an essential requirement for both meiotic and cytoplasmic maturation of the COC. Glucose is the driver of cumulus cell metabolism and is essential for energy production, extracellular matrix formation and supply of pyruvate to the oocyte for ATP production. Mitochondria are the primary source of ATP production within the oocyte. Recent advances in real-time live cell imaging reveal dynamic fluctuations in ATP demand throughout oocyte maturation. Cumulus cells have been shown to play a central role in maintaining adequate oocyte ATP levels by providing metabolic support through gap junctional communication. New insights have highlighted the importance of oocyte lipid metabolism for oocyte oxidative phosphorylation for ATP production, meiotic progression and developmental competence. Within the last decade, several new strategies for improving the developmental competence of oocytes undergoing IVM have emerged, including modulation of cyclic nucleotides, the addition of precursors for the antioxidant glutathione or endogenous maturation mediators such as epidermal growth factor-like peptides and growth differentiation factor 9/bone morphogenetic protein 15. These IVM additives positively alter COC metabolic endpoints commonly associated with oocyte competence. There remain significant challenges in the study of COC metabolism. Owing to the paucity in non-invasive or in situ techniques to assess metabolism, most work to date has used in vitro or ex vivo models. Additionally, the difficulty of measuring oocyte and cumulus cell metabolism separately while still in a complex has led to the frequent use of denuded oocytes, the results from which should be interpreted with caution since the oocyte and cumulus cell compartments are metabolically interdependent, and oocytes do not naturally exist in a naked state until after fertilization. There are emerging tools, including live fluorescence imaging and photonics probes, which may provide ways to measure the dynamic nature of metabolism in a single oocyte, potentially while in situ. WIDER IMPLICATIONS There is an association between oocyte metabolism and oocyte developmental competence. Advancing our understanding of basic cellular and biochemical mechanisms regulating oocyte metabolism may identify new avenues to augment oocyte quality and assess developmental potential in assisted reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dulama Richani
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Fertility & Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kylie R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Jeremy G Thompson
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.,Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Robert B Gilchrist
- School of Women's and Children's Health, Fertility & Research Centre, University of New South Wales Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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33
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Non-invasive imaging of mouse embryo metabolism in response to induced hypoxia. J Assist Reprod Genet 2020; 37:1797-1805. [PMID: 32852649 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-020-01872-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE This study used noninvasive, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM)-based imaging of NADH and FAD to characterize the metabolic response of mouse embryos to short-term oxygen deprivation. We investigated the response to hypoxia at various preimplantation stages. METHODS Mouse oocytes and embryos were exposed to transient hypoxia by dropping the oxygen concentration in media from 5-0% over the course of ~1.5 h, then 5% O2 was restored. During this time, FLIM-based metabolic imaging measurements of oocyte/embryo cohorts were taken every 3 minutes. Experiments were performed in triplicate for oocytes and embryos at the 1- to 8-cell, morula, and blastocyst stages. Maximum hypoxia response for each of eight measured quantitative FLIM parameters was taken from the time points immediately before oxygen restoration. RESULTS Metabolic profiles showed significant changes in response to hypoxia for all stages of embryo development. The response of the eight measured FLIM parameters to hypoxia was highly stage-dependent. Of the eight FLIM parameters measured, NADH and FAD intensity showed the most dramatic metabolic responses in early developmental stages. At later stages, however, other parameters, such as NADH fraction engaged and FAD lifetimes, showed greater changes. Metabolic parameter values generally returned to baseline with the restoration of 5% oxygen. CONCLUSIONS Quantitative FLIM-based metabolic imaging was highly sensitive to metabolic changes induced by hypoxia. Metabolic response profiles to oxygen deprivation were distinct at different stages, reflecting differences in metabolic plasticity as preimplantation embryos develop.
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34
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Shear MA, Vaughan DA, Modest AM, Seidler EA, Leung AQ, Hacker MR, Sakkas D, Penzias AS. Blasts from the past: is morphology useful in PGT-A tested and untested frozen embryo transfers? Reprod Biomed Online 2020; 41:981-989. [PMID: 33011085 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2020.07.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Day of cryopreservation, inner cell mass (ICM) grade, trophectoderm grade and blastocyst expansion grade have been associated with differences in live birth rate in frozen embryo transfer (FET) cycles. This study sought to examine the likelihood of live birth and whether the morphological grade of the blastocyst is more or equally useful in FET cycles among preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) tested and untested blastocysts. DESIGN This was a retrospective cohort study of 6271 vitrified-warmed, autologous, single-embryo transfer cycles among patients undergoing IVF from July 2013 to December 2017 at a single, university-affiliated infertility practice. The primary outcome was live birth, calculated by generalized estimating equations. RESULTS Among PGT-A tested embryos, inferior ICM grade was associated with a lower chance of live birth (ICM grade B versus A: adjusted risk ratio [aRR] 0.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.84-0.99). Among untested blastocysts there was a lower live birth rate in blastocysts cryopreserved on day 6 versus day 5 (aRR 0.87, 95% CI 0.78-0.96), and those with inferior pre-vitrification trophectoderm grade (trophectoderm grade B versus A: aRR 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-0.94). Blastocysts with a higher pre-vitrification expansion grade (pre-vitrification expansion grade 5 versus 4: aRR 1.1, 95% CI 1.01-1.2) were associated, but ICM grade was not associated (ICM grade B versus A: aRR 0.93, 95% CI 0.86-1.02), with chance of live birth. CONCLUSIONS Among PGT-A untested blastocysts, assessing embryo quality by day of cryopreservation, trophectoderm grade and expansion grade may help to identify embryos with the highest likelihood of live birth. Identifying euploid embryos by PGT-A appears to homogenize the cohort, making blastocyst morphological grade and day of cryopreservation less important.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Shear
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Denis A Vaughan
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA; Boston IVF, 103 2nd Avenue, Waltham MA, USA
| | - Anna M Modest
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | - Emily A Seidler
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA; Boston IVF, 103 2nd Avenue, Waltham MA, USA
| | - Angela Q Leung
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA; Boston IVF, 103 2nd Avenue, Waltham MA, USA
| | - Michele R Hacker
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA
| | | | - Alan S Penzias
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA, USA; Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston MA, USA; Boston IVF, 103 2nd Avenue, Waltham MA, USA.
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35
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McLennan HJ, Saini A, Dunning KR, Thompson JG. Oocyte and embryo evaluation by AI and multi-spectral auto-fluorescence imaging: Livestock embryology needs to catch-up to clinical practice. Theriogenology 2020; 150:255-262. [PMID: 32088032 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.01.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
A highly accurate 'non-invasive quantitative embryo assessment for pregnancy' (NQEAP) technique that determines embryo quality has been an elusive goal. If developed, NQEAP would transform the selection of embryos from both Multiple Ovulation and Embryo Transfer (MOET), and even more so, in vitro produced (IVP) embryos for livestock breeding. The area where this concept is already having impact is in the field of clinical embryology, where great strides have been taken in the application of morphokinetics and artificial intelligence (AI); while both are already in practice, rigorous and robust evidence of efficacy is still required. Even the translation of advances in the qualitative scoring of human IVF embryos have yet to be translated to the livestock IVP industry, which remains dependent on the MOET-standardised 3-point scoring system. Furthermore, there are new ways to interrogate the biochemistry of individual embryonic cells by using new, light-based methodologies, such as FLIM and hyperspectral microscopy. Combinations of these technologies, in particular combining new imaging systems with AI, will lead to very accurate NQEAP predictive tools, improving embryo selection and recipient pregnancy success.
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Affiliation(s)
- H J McLennan
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - A Saini
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - K R Dunning
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia
| | - J G Thompson
- Robinson Research Institute, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Nanoscale BioPhotonics & Institute for Photonics and Advanced Sensing, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, 5005, Australia.
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