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Nguyen Thanh T, Nguyen DM, Dinh Le T, Ngoc Do L, Tien Nguyen S, Nguyen Minh P, Nguyen Van P, Minh Bui T, Thi Bui TT, Nguyen Dao H, Trung Nguyen K. The Relationship Between Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum Clusters in Metaphase II Oocytes and Embryological and Birth Outcomes in Infertile Couples. Int J Gen Med 2024; 17:3269-3277. [PMID: 39070228 PMCID: PMC11283835 DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s469626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Background To assess the relationship between oocytes with smooth endoplasmic reticulum cluster (SERc) and embryological and birth outcomes in infertile couples. Methods This was a descriptive study that included 231 infertile patients undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) with a total of 2447 mature oocytes (MII), of which 279 oocytes with SERc(+) from 100 patients, the remaining 2168 oocytes with SERc(-). Oocytes were evaluated for the presence or absence of the SERc simultaneously with intracytoplasmic sperm injection at 200x magnification using inverted microscopy - Observe D1. Results The mean age of patients was 32.05 ± 5.56 years. One hundred patients had at least one SERc(+) oocyte (with 279 SERc(+) and 956 SERc(-) oocytes). One hundred and thirty-one patients had 1212 SERc(-) oocytes. Fertilization outcomes and the rates of good-quality embryos on day 2 and day 5 did not differ between the SERc(+) and the SERc(-) groups. In the first frozen embryo transfer cycles, the clinical pregnancy rate in the group of patients with SERc(+) was not different with the SERc(-) group (61.1% vs 48.78%, p = 0.074, respectively). The live birth rate in the SERc(+) group was statistically significantly higher than the SERc(-) group (57.7% vs 43.9%, p = 0.045, respectively). Conclusion The fertilization rate, the quality of embryos on days 2 and 5 from oocytes with SERc(+) are similar to those with SERc(-). The live birth rate in the patients with SERc(+) group is statistically significantly higher than the SERc(-) group. There is no difference in clinical pregnancy rate between patients with and without SERc. Therefore, the exclusion of oocytes with SERc should not be recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tung Nguyen Thanh
- Military Institute of Clinical Embryology and Histology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Duc Minh Nguyen
- Andrology and Fertility Hospital of Hanoi, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Tuan Dinh Le
- Department of Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Lan Ngoc Do
- Military Institute of Clinical Embryology and Histology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Son Tien Nguyen
- Department of Rheumatology and Endocrinology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Phuong Nguyen Minh
- Military Institute of Clinical Embryology and Histology, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Phong Nguyen Van
- Department of Biology and Medical Genetics, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, 10000, Vietnam
| | - Tien Minh Bui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Binh, 410000, Vietnam
| | - Tuyen Thanh Thi Bui
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Binh, 410000, Vietnam
| | - Hung Nguyen Dao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Military Hospital 103, Vietnam Military Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Kien Trung Nguyen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Thai Binh University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Thai Binh, 410000, Vietnam
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Fjeldstad J, Qi W, Mercuri N, Siddique N, Meriano J, Krivoi A, Nayot D. An artificial intelligence tool predicts blastocyst development from static images of fresh mature oocytes. Reprod Biomed Online 2024; 48:103842. [PMID: 38552566 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2024.103842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Can a deep learning image analysis model be developed to assess oocyte quality by predicting blastocyst development from images of denuded mature oocytes? DESIGN A deep learning model was developed utilizing 37,133 static oocyte images with associated laboratory outcomes from eight fertility clinics (six countries). A subset of data (n = 7807) was allocated to test model performance. External model validation was conducted to assess generalizability and robustness on new data (n = 12,357) from two fertility clinics (two countries). Performance was assessed by calculating area under the curve (AUC), balanced accuracy, specificity and sensitivity. Subgroup analyses were performed on the test dataset for age group, male factor and geographical location of the clinic. Model probabilities of the external dataset were converted to a 0-10 scoring scale to facilitate analysis of correlation with blastocyst development and quality. RESULTS The deep learning model demonstrated AUC of 0.64, balanced accuracy of 0.60, specificity of 0.55 and sensitivity of 0.65 on the test dataset. Subgroup analyses displayed the highest performance for age group 38-39 years (AUC 0.68), a negligible impact of male factor, and good model generalizability across geographical locations. Model performance was confirmed on external data: AUC of 0.63, balanced accuracy of 0.58, specificity of 0.57 and sensitivity of 0.59. Analysis of the scoring scale revealed that higher scoring oocytes correlated with higher likelihood of blastocyst development and good-quality blastocyst formation. CONCLUSION The deep learning model showed a favourable performance for the evaluation of oocytes in terms of competence to develop into a blastocyst, and when the predictions were converted into scores, they correlated with blastocyst quality. This represents a significant first step in oocyte evaluation for scientific and clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Weikai Qi
- Future Fertility, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Dan Nayot
- Future Fertility, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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He S, Li H, Zhang Q, Zhao W, Li W, Dai C, Li B, Cheng J, Wu S, Zhou Z, Yang J, Li S. Berberine alleviates inflammation in polycystic ovary syndrome by inhibiting hyaluronan synthase 2 expression. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 128:155456. [PMID: 38537446 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous metabolic and endocrine disorder that causes anovulatory infertility and abnormal folliculogenesis in women of reproductive age. Several studies have revealed inflammation in PCOS follicles, and recent evidence suggests that Berberine (BBR) effectively reduces inflammatory responses in PCOS, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. PURPOSE To determine the underlying mechanisms by which BBR alleviates inflammation in PCOS. STUDY DESIGN Primary human GCs from healthy women and women with PCOS, and KGN cells were used for in vitro studies. ICR mice were used for in vivo studies. METHODS Gene expression was measured using RT-qPCR. HAS2, inflammatory cytokines, and serum hormones were assayed by ELISA. Protein expression profiles were assayed by Western blot. Chronic low-grade inflammatory mouse models were developed by intraperitoneal injection with LPS, and PCOS mouse models were established by subcutaneous intraperitoneal injection of DHEA. BBR and 4-MU were administered by gavage. Ovarian morphologic changes were evaluated using H&E staining. HAS2 expression in the ovary was assayed using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS Our results confirmed that HAS2 expression and hyaluronan (HA) accumulation are closely associated with inflammatory responses in PCOS. Data obtained from in vitro studies showed that HAS2 and inflammatory genes (e.g., MCP-1, IL-1β, and IL-6) are significantly upregulated in PCOS samples and LPS-induced KGN cells compared to their control groups. In addition, these effects were reversed by blocking HAS2 expression or HA synthesis using BBR or 4-MU, respectively. Furthermore, HAS2 overexpression induces the expression of inflammatory genes in PCOS. These results were further confirmed in LPS- and DHEA-induced mouse models, where inflammatory genes were reduced by BBR or 4-MU, and ovarian morphology was restored. CONCLUSIONS Our results define previously unknown links between HAS2 and chronic low-grade inflammation in the follicles of women with PCOS. BBR exerts its anti-inflammatory effects by down-regulating HAS2. This study provides a novel therapeutic target for alleviating ovarian inflammation in women with PCOS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojing He
- Reproductive Medical Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road 238, Wuhan, 430060, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Hui Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Animal Breeding, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Qianjie Zhang
- Reproductive Medical Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road 238, Wuhan, 430060, China; Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Weimin Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Animal Breeding, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Wei Li
- Reproductive Medical Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road 238, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Chaohui Dai
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Animal Breeding, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Bixia Li
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Animal Breeding, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Jinhua Cheng
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Food Quality and Safety-State Key Laboratory Cultivation Base of Ministry of Science and Technology, Institute of Animal Science, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China; Jiangsu Provincial Engineering Research Center for Precision Animal Breeding, Nanjing, 210014, China
| | - Shuang Wu
- Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Zhongming Zhou
- Hubei Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Affiliated to Hubei University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Jing Yang
- Reproductive Medical Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road 238, Wuhan, 430060, China
| | - Saijiao Li
- Reproductive Medical Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Jiefang Road 238, Wuhan, 430060, China.
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Fjeldstad J, Qi W, Siddique N, Mercuri N, Nayot D, Krivoi A. Segmentation of mature human oocytes provides interpretable and improved blastocyst outcome predictions by a machine learning model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:10569. [PMID: 38719918 PMCID: PMC11078996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-60901-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Within the medical field of human assisted reproductive technology, a method for interpretable, non-invasive, and objective oocyte evaluation is lacking. To address this clinical gap, a workflow utilizing machine learning techniques has been developed involving automatic multi-class segmentation of two-dimensional images, morphometric analysis, and prediction of developmental outcomes of mature denuded oocytes based on feature extraction and clinical variables. Two separate models have been developed for this purpose-a model to perform multiclass segmentation, and a classifier model to classify oocytes as likely or unlikely to develop into a blastocyst (Day 5-7 embryo). The segmentation model is highly accurate at segmenting the oocyte, ensuring high-quality segmented images (masks) are utilized as inputs for the classifier model (mask model). The mask model displayed an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.63, a sensitivity of 0.51, and a specificity of 0.66 on the test set. The AUC underwent a reduction to 0.57 when features extracted from the ooplasm were removed, suggesting the ooplasm holds the information most pertinent to oocyte developmental competence. The mask model was further compared to a deep learning model, which also utilized the segmented images as inputs. The performance of both models combined in an ensemble model was evaluated, showing an improvement (AUC 0.67) compared to either model alone. The results of this study indicate that direct assessments of the oocyte are warranted, providing the first objective insights into key features for developmental competence, a step above the current standard of care-solely utilizing oocyte age as a proxy for quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jullin Fjeldstad
- Clinical Embryology and Scientific Operations, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada.
| | - Weikai Qi
- Data Science, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada
| | - Nadia Siddique
- Clinical Embryology and Scientific Operations, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada
| | - Natalie Mercuri
- Clinical Embryology and Scientific Operations, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada
| | - Dan Nayot
- Chief Medical Officer, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada
| | - Alex Krivoi
- Data Science, Future Fertility, 3 Church St, Toronto, ON, M5E 1A9, Canada
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Dong X, Ouyang H, Lou X, Xia F, Jin L, Wang S, Dai J. Dual-Activated H 2O 2-Responsive AIE Probes for Oocyte Quality Assessment. Anal Chem 2024; 96:5960-5967. [PMID: 38581372 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
Nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) is an important cause of infertility, and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is the mainstay of treatment for these patients. In cases where a sufficient number of sperm (usually 1-2) is not available, the selection of oocytes for ICSI is a difficult problem that must be solved. Here, we constructed a dual-activated oxidative stress-responsive AIE probe, b-PyTPA. The strong donor-acceptor configuration of b-PyTPA leads to twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) effect that quenches the fluorescence of the probe, however, H2O2 would specifically remove the boronatebenzyl unit and release a much weaker acceptor, which inhibits TICT and restores the fluorescence. In addition, the presence of a pyridine salt makes b-PyTPA more hydrophilic, whereas removal of the pyridine salt increases the hydrophobicity of PyTPA, which triggers aggregation and further enhances fluorescence. Thus, the higher the intracellular level of oxidative stress, the stronger the fluorescence. In vitro, this dual-activated fluorescent probe is capable of accurately detecting senescent cells (high oxidative stress). More importantly, b-PyTPA was able to characterize senescent oocytes, as assessed by the level of oxidative stress. It is also possible to identify high quality oocytes from those obtained for subsequent ICSI. In conclusion, this dual-activated oxidative stress-assessment probe enables the quality assessment of oocytes and has potential application in ICSI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiyuan Dong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430034, China
| | - Hanzhi Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Xiaoding Lou
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Fan Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemistry, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430034, China
| | - Shixuan Wang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430034, China
| | - Jun Dai
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430034, China
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Wang HT, Gao J, Ou J, Li HY, Hong PP, Shu YM, Li T. Could the presence and proportion of three/multiple pronuclei (3PN/MPN) zygotes indicate the cytoplasmic maturation state of oocyte cohort in conventional IVF patients? J Gynecol Obstet Hum Reprod 2024; 53:102738. [PMID: 38336231 DOI: 10.1016/j.jogoh.2024.102738] [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: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
Although abnormally fertilized zygotes with three or multiple pronuclei (3 PN/MPN) are commonly believed to be associated with improper maturation of the oocyte cytoplasm in conventional IVF cycles, no studies investigated the association between the proportion of MPN zygotes and the maturation state of the oocyte cohort. We compared the cytoplasmic maturity of oocytes from conventional IVF cycles with different proportions of 3 PN/MPN zygotes. A total of 1428 conventional IVF patients with ≥6 oocytes retrieved and fresh embryos transferred were divided into 4 groups according to the proportions of 3 PN/MPN zygotes. The pregnancy outcomes and the proportion of nuclear immature oocytes were analyzed to suggest the cytoplasmic maturation state of the oocyte cohort. Our results showed that the group with a low proportion of 3 PN/MPN zygotes had a higher clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) than those without 3 PN/MPN zygotes (P < 0.05). However, the live birth rate (LBR) was not significantly different between the two groups. The implantation rate (IR), CPR, and LBR did not differ between the low-proportion and high-proportion 3 PN/MPN groups. The proportion of nuclear immature oocytes on day 1 was highest in the group without 3 PN/MPN zygotes (23.8 %) and gradually decreased with an increased proportion of 3 PN/MPN zygotes (P < 0.001). Therefore, the presence of 3 PN/MPN zygotes after conventional IVF may indicate a more mature cytoplasmic state of the oocyte cohort, and the increased proportion of 3 PN/MPN zygotes is associated with an increased maturation state of the whole oocyte cohort. The occurrence and proportion of 3 PN/MPN zygotes may serve as an indicator for the cytoplasmic maturity of the oocyte cohort and help clinicians evaluate the efficiency of ovarian stimulation and optimize the stimulation protocols in subsequent cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Tian Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China
| | - Jing Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China
| | - Jianping Ou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China
| | - Hai-Yang Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China
| | - Ping-Ping Hong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China
| | - Yi-Min Shu
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Women & Infants Hospital/The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Providence, RI, USA
| | - Tao Li
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, 6# East Longkou Road, Gangding, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510630, PR China.
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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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Capodanno F, Anastasi A, Cinti M, Bonesi F, Gallinelli A. Current and future methods for embryo selection: on a quest for reliable strategies to reduce time to pregnancy. Minerva Obstet Gynecol 2024; 76:80-88. [PMID: 37162493 DOI: 10.23736/s2724-606x.23.05257-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of the principal embryological strategies to reduce time to pregnancy. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION A systematic search of publications in the PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase and Scopus databases from inception to present including "IVF," "blastocyst," "embryo colture," "competent embryo," "time to pregnancy," "aneuploid," "euploid," "vitrification," "preimplantation genetic," "IVF strategies" and "embryo selection" alone or in combinations has been done. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS We have selected 230 articles and 9 of them have been included in this mini-review. CONCLUSIONS Several embryological strategies aimed to select the most competent embryo and reduce time to pregnancy have been proposed, even if few publications on this specific topic are available. preimplantation genetic testing (PGT-A) represents the unique method able to assess the embryonic chromosomal status, but this does not mean that PGT-A is a reliable strategy to reduce time to pregnancy. There is no consensus on a specific method to reduce time to pregnancy, nevertheless this final goal could be probably reached through a harmonious combination of procedures. Thus, a reliable strategy to reduce time to pregnancy could be achieved when embryo culture, embryo cryopreservation and PGT-A are perfectly integrated and appropriately offered to selected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Capodanno
- Center of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, "Delta" Hospital, AUSL Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Attilio Anastasi
- Center of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, "Delta" Hospital, AUSL Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy -
| | - Marialuisa Cinti
- Center of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, "Delta" Hospital, AUSL Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Francesca Bonesi
- Center of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, "Delta" Hospital, AUSL Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Andrea Gallinelli
- Center of Physiopathology of Human Reproduction, "Delta" Hospital, AUSL Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
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Rosa PMDS, Guedes PHE, Garcia JM, Oliveira CS. Cytoplasmic granules in bovine oocytes do not affect embryonic or fetal development. ZYGOTE 2024; 32:28-37. [PMID: 38047350 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199423000576] [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] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Oocyte cytoplasmic evaluation is based on homogeneity and granular appearance. Our study investigated if a granular cytoplasm, highly heterogeneous, would affect oocyte competence in bovine. In two experiments, bovine cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) with homogeneous cytoplasm (control, CC) and granulated cytoplasm (granular, GC) were selected from a regular pool of COCs. Experiment 1 was performed with slaughterhouse ovaries, and Experiment 2 was carried out in Girolando COCs obtained from ovum pick-up. Granular oocytes had higher caspase 3 levels (66.17 ± 11.61 vs 172.08 ± 16.95, P < 0.01) and similar GAP junction activity (5.64 ± 0.45 vs 6.29 ± 0.29). ZAR1 relative mRNA amount was lower in granular oocytes (178.27 ± 151.63 vs 0.89 ± 0.89, P = 0.01) and no effect was detected for MATER, PPP2R1A, ENY2, IGF2R, and BMP15 genes. Despite molecular differences, no detrimental effect was detected on oocyte competence in GC oocytes. Cleavage (Experiment 1: 59.52 ± 7.21% vs 59.79 ± 6.10% and Experiment 2: 68.88 ± 4.82 vs 74.41 ± 5.89%) and blastocyst (Experiment 1: 29.28 ± 4.14% vs 23.15 ± 2.96% and Experiment 2: 21.11 ± 3.28% vs 21.02 ± 6.08%) rates were similar between CC and GC (Experiments 1 and 2, respectively). Post-transfer embryo development revealed that pregnancy (CC: 24.27 ± 9.70% vs GC: 26.31 ± 7.23%) and calving (23.68% vs 33.33%) rates and fetal growth were not affected by the presence of cytoplasmic granules. Our results demonstrated that oocytes with granular cytoplasm present equivalent efficiency for IVF and calf production compared with homogenous cytoplasm oocytes. This could be observed through similar cleavage, blastocyst rates, and fetal growth development. In addition to differences in oocyte gene expression related to oocyte quality, it seems not to affect oocyte developmental competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Maria da Silva Rosa
- Embrapa Dairy Cattle, 610 Eugenio do Nascimento Ave, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil36038-330
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, SP14884-900, Brazil
| | | | - Joaquim Mansano Garcia
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, SP14884-900, Brazil
| | - Clara Slade Oliveira
- Embrapa Dairy Cattle, 610 Eugenio do Nascimento Ave, Juiz de Fora, MG, Brazil36038-330
- Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine and Animal Reproduction, São Paulo State University, Jaboticabal, SP14884-900, Brazil
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Cimadomo D, Cobo A, Galliano D, Fiorentino G, Marconetto A, Zuccotti M, Rienzi L. Oocyte vitrification for fertility preservation is an evolving practice requiring a new mindset: societal, technical, clinical, and basic science-driven evolutions. Fertil Steril 2024:S0015-0282(24)00004-9. [PMID: 38185200 DOI: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2024.01.003] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Infertility is a condition with profound social implications. Indeed, it is not surprising that evolutions in both medicine and society affect the way in vitro fertilization is practiced. The keywords in modern medicine are the four principles, which implicitly involve a constant update of our knowledge and our technologies to fulfill the "prediction" and "personalization" tasks, and a continuous reshaping of our mindset in view of all relevant societal changes to fulfill the "prevention" and "participation" tasks. A worldwide aging population whose life priorities are changing requires that we invest in fertility education, spreading actionable information to allow women and men to make meaningful reproductive choices. Fertility preservation for both medical and nonmedical reasons is still very much overlooked in many countries worldwide, demanding a comprehensive update of our approach, starting from academia and in vitro fertilization laboratories, passing through medical offices, and reaching out to social media. Reproduction medicine should evolve from being a clinical practice to treat a condition to being a holistic approach to guarantee patients' reproductive health and well-being. Oocyte vitrification for fertility preservation is the perfect use case for this transition. This tool is acquiring a new identity to comply with novel indications and social needs, persisting technical challenges, brand-new clinical technologies, and novel revolutions coming from academia. This "views and reviews" piece aims at outlining the advancement of oocyte vitrification from all these tightly connected perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Cimadomo
- Clinica Valle Giulia, IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Genera, Rome, Italy
| | - Ana Cobo
- IVI, IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Giulia Fiorentino
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Anabella Marconetto
- University Institute of Reproductive Medicine, National University of Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Maurizio Zuccotti
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Lazzaro Spallanzani", University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Laura Rienzi
- Clinica Valle Giulia, IVIRMA Global Research Alliance, Genera, Rome, Italy; Department of Biomolecular Sciences, University of Urbino "Carlo Bo", Urbino, Italy.
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11
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Biswas L, Schindler K. Predicting Infertility: How Genetic Variants in Oocyte Spindle Genes Affect Egg Quality. ADVANCES IN ANATOMY, EMBRYOLOGY, AND CELL BIOLOGY 2024; 238:1-22. [PMID: 39030352 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-55163-5_1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
Successful reproduction relies on the union of a single chromosomally normal egg and sperm. Chromosomally normal eggs develop from precursor cells, called oocytes, that have undergone accurate chromosome segregation. The process of chromosome segregation is governed by the oocyte spindle, a unique cytoskeletal machine that splits chromatin content of the meiotically dividing oocyte. The oocyte spindle develops and functions in an idiosyncratic process, which is vulnerable to genetic variation in spindle-associated proteins. Human genetic variants in several spindle-associated proteins are associated with poor clinical fertility outcomes, suggesting that heritable etiologies for oocyte dysfunction leading to infertility exist and that the spindle is a crux for female fertility. This chapter examines the mammalian oocyte spindle through the lens of human genetic variation, covering the genes TUBB8, TACC3, CEP120, AURKA, AURKC, AURKB, BUB1B, and CDC20. Specifically, it explores how patient-identified variants perturb spindle development and function, and it links these molecular changes in the oocyte to their cognate clinical consequences, such as oocyte maturation arrest, elevated egg aneuploidy, primary ovarian insufficiency, and recurrent pregnancy loss. This discussion demonstrates that small genetic errors in oocyte meiosis can result in remarkably far-ranging embryonic consequences, and thus reveals the importance of the oocyte's fine machinery in sustaining life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leelabati Biswas
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA
- Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
| | - Karen Schindler
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
- Human Genetics Institute of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, USA.
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12
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Kim TE, Lee HK, Jee BC. Clinical and laboratory factors associated with the presence of dysmorphic oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles. Clin Exp Reprod Med 2023; 50:270-276. [PMID: 37995755 DOI: 10.5653/cerm.2023.06030] [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: 03/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study investigated the clinical and laboratory factors associated with the presence of dysmorphic oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. METHODS The study involved 200 ICSI cycles, performed from 2020 to 2021, that yielded at least one mature oocyte. Clinical characteristics and ovarian stimulation methods were compared between 68 cycles with at least one dysmorphic oocyte (the dysmorphic group) and 132 cycles with normal-form oocytes only (the non-dysmorphic group). Dysmorphic oocytes were characterized by dark cytoplasm, cytoplasmic granularity, cytoplasmic vacuoles, refractile bodies in the cytoplasm, smooth endoplasmic reticulum in the cytoplasm, an oval shape, an abnormal zona pellucida, a large perivitelline space, debris in the perivitelline space, or an abnormal polar body. RESULTS The ages of the women, indications for in vitro fertilization, serum anti-Müllerian hormone levels, and rates of current ovarian endometrioma were similar between the dysmorphic and non-dysmorphic groups. In both groups, the three ovarian stimulation regimens, two types of pituitary suppression, and total gonadotropin dose were employed similarly. However, the dual-trigger method was used more frequently in the dysmorphic group (67.6% vs. 50%, p=0.024). The dysmorphic group contained significantly more immature oocytes and exhibited significantly lower oocyte maturity (50% vs. 66.7%, p=0.001) than the non-dysmorphic cycles. Within the dysmorphic group, significantly lower oocyte maturity was found in the cycles using a dual-trigger, but not in those with a human chorionic gonadotropin trigger. CONCLUSION ICSI cycles with dysmorphic oocytes are closely associated with reduced oocyte maturity. This association was observed exclusively in dual-trigger cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tae Eun Kim
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyun Kyung Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung Chul Jee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Braga DPAF, Setti A, Morishima C, Provenza RR, Iaconelli A, Borges E. The effect of sperm DNA fragmentation on ICSI outcomes depending on oocyte quality. Andrology 2023; 11:1682-1693. [PMID: 37004191 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13435] [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: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Sperm deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fragmentation is commonly encountered in spermatozoa, and the oocyte assumes responsibility for repairing sperm DNA fragmentation during the oocyte-embryo transition. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to investigate whether the effect of sperm DNA fragmentation on intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes depends on the incidence of oocyte dimorphisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS For the present cohort, 2942 fertilized oocytes from 525 patients submitted to intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles were assessed. The present study was conducted in a private in vitro fertilization center affiliated to a university from June 2016 to July 2019. Semen samples were divided into the following two groups depending on the sperm DNA fragmentation index: a low fragmentation index group (<30% sperm DNA fragmentation, n = 1468) and a high fragmentation index group (≥30% sperm DNA fragmentation, n = 486). In addition, mature oocytes were examined before sperm injection, and intracytoplasmic and extracytoplasmic defects were recorded. The effect of the sperm DNA fragmentation index on laboratory and clinical intracytoplasmic sperm injection outcomes (depending on the presence of oocyte defects) was evaluated. RESULTS Significant increases in the rates of fertilization, high-quality embryo, implantation, and pregnancy were noted for cycles with <30% sperm DNA fragmentation than cycles with ≥30% sperm DNA fragmentation (regardless of the presence of oocyte dimorphisms). The presence of dimorphisms significantly impacted laboratory and clinical outcomes. The lowest fertilization and high-quality embryo rates were observed when a high sperm DNA fragmentation index was associated with the presence of dark cytoplasm, vacuoles, resistant membrane, and non-resistant membrane. The lowest implantation and pregnancy rates were observed when a high sperm DNA fragmentation index was associated with the presence of vacuoles, defective perivitelline space, and fragmented polar body. The effect of sperm DNA fragmentation on miscarriage rates was significantly influenced by the presence of centrally located cytoplasmic granulation, a defective perivitelline space and non-resistant membrane. CONCLUSION A high sperm DNA fragmentation index increases the likelihood of miscarriage in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles, an effect that may potentially be magnified by the presence of oocyte dysmorphisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Christina Morishima
- Instituto Sapientiae-Centro de Estudos e Pesquisa em Reprodução Assistida, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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Liu SL, Zuo HY, Zhao BW, Guo JN, Liu WB, Lei WL, Li YY, Ouyang YC, Hou Y, Han ZM, Wang WZ, Sun QY, Wang ZB. A heterozygous ZP2 mutation causes zona pellucida defects and female infertility in mouse and human. iScience 2023; 26:107828. [PMID: 37736051 PMCID: PMC10509300 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The zona pellucida (ZP) is an extracellular glycoprotein matrix surrounding mammalian oocytes. Recently, numerous mutations in genes encoding ZP proteins have been shown to be possibly related to oocyte abnormality and female infertility; few reports have confirmed the functions of these mutations in living animal models. Here, we identified a novel heterozygous missense mutation (NM_001376231.1:c.1616C>T, p.Thr539Met) in ZP2 from a primary infertile female. We showed that the mutation reduced ZP2 expression and impeded ZP2 secretion in cell lines. Furthermore, we constructed the mouse model with the mutation (Zp2T541M) using CRISPR-Cas9. Zp2WT/T541M female mice had normal fertility though generated oocytes with the thin ZP, whereas Zp2T541M female mice were completely infertile due to degeneration of oocytes without ZP. Additionally, ZP deletion impaired folliculogenesis and caused female infertility in Zp2T541M mice. Our study not only expands the spectrum of ZP2 mutation sites but also, more importantly, increases the understanding of pathogenic mechanisms of ZP2 mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sai-Li Liu
- 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 101408, China
| | - Hai-Yang Zuo
- The Six Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Bing-Wang 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 101408, China
| | - Jia-Ni Guo
- 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 101408, China
| | - Wen-Bo Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wen-Long Lei
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuan-Yuan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Ying-Chun Ouyang
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yi Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Zhi-Ming Han
- 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 101408, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Wei-Zhou Wang
- The Six Medical Center of Chinese People’s Liberation Army General Hospital, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Qing-Yuan Sun
- Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Metabolic Diseases and Reproductive Health, Guangdong-Hong Kong Metabolism & Reproduction Joint Laboratory, Reproductive Medicine Center, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou 510317, China
| | - Zhen-Bo 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 101408, China
- Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China
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Buratini J, Moutier C, Guglielmo MC, Turchi D, Webb R, De Ponti E, Renzini MM, Canto MD. The impact of oocyte central granularity on ICSI practice: developmental competence of dysmorphic and morphologically normal companion oocytes. J Assist Reprod Genet 2023; 40:2375-2384. [PMID: 37501005 PMCID: PMC10504199 DOI: 10.1007/s10815-023-02895-9] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To assess the effects of oocyte central granularity and its underlying endocrine environment on developmental competence of dysmorphic and morphologically normal oocytes. METHODS Retrospective cohort study including 1,082 patients undergoing autologous ICSI cycles. Of these, 211 patients provided 602 oocytes with central granularity (CG) and 427 morphologically normal cycle companion oocytes (NCG). The remaining 871 patients provided only morphologically normal oocytes in cycles not yielding dysmorphic oocytes (N). Patient profile associated with CG was characterized, and fertilization rates, early morphokinetics and live birth rates were compared between N, CG and NCG groups. Patient characteristics associated with implantation and delivery performance of CG-derived embryos were assessed. RESULTS CG was associated with higher maternal age, basal FSH concentrations and total FSH dose, but with lower circulating AMH (p ≤ 0.035). Fertilization rates were reduced and early morphokinetic parameters were delayed in CG (p < 0.025) and NCG (p < 0.05) groups as compared to the N group. Embryos derived from CG oocytes achieved a markedly lower live birth rate (14.9%) as compared to those derived from NCG (36.8%; p = 0.03) and N oocytes (29.8%; p = 0.002). The negative relationship between CG and live birth was confirmed by a multivariate analysis controlling for potential confounders (OR:2.59, IC:1.27-5.31; P = 0.009). Implantation and delivery rates following transfers of CG-derived embryos were inversely associated with maternal age. CONCLUSION CG oocytes, but not their morphologically normal cycle companions, have severely compromised developmental competence. Maternal age should be a key parameter in deciding whether or not to utilize CG oocytes in ICSI cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jose Buratini
- Biogenesi, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Monza, Italy
- Clinica EUGIN, Milan, Italy
- Department of Structural and Functional Biology, Institute of Biosciences, Sao Paulo State University, Botucatu, SP Brazil
| | | | | | - Diana Turchi
- Biogenesi, Reproductive Medicine Centre, Monza, Italy
| | - Robert Webb
- University of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, UK
| | - Elena De Ponti
- Medical Physics, Fondazione IRCCS San Gerardo dei Tintori Monza, Monza, Italy
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Sciorio R, Cariati F, Fleming S, Alviggi C. Exploring the Impact of Controlled Ovarian Stimulation and Non-Invasive Oocyte Assessment in ART Treatments. Life (Basel) 2023; 13:1989. [PMID: 37895371 PMCID: PMC10608727 DOI: 10.3390/life13101989] [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: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive and noninvasive features are normally applied to select developmentally competent oocytes and embryos that can increase the take-home baby rates in assisted reproductive technology. The noninvasive approach mainly applied to determine oocyte and embryo competence has been, since the early days of IVF, the morphological evaluation of the mature cumulus-oocyte complex at the time of pickup, first polar body, zona pellucida thickness, perivitelline space and cytoplasm appearance. Morphological evaluation of oocyte quality is one of the options used to predict successful fertilization, early embryo development, uterine implantation and the capacity of an embryo to generate a healthy pregnancy to term. Thus, this paper aims to provide an analytical revision of the current literature relating to the correlation between ovarian stimulation procedures and oocyte/embryo quality. In detail, several aspects of oocyte quality such as morphological features, oocyte competence and its surrounding environment will be discussed. In addition, the main noninvasive features as well as novel approaches to biomechanical parameters of oocytes that might be correlated with the competence of embryos to produce a healthy pregnancy and live birth will be illustrated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romualdo Sciorio
- Fertility Medicine and Gynaecological Endocrinology Unit, Department Woman-Mother-Child, Lausanne University Hospital, CHUV, 1011 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Federica Cariati
- Department of Public Health, University of Naples Federico II, Via Pansini 5, 80131 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Steven Fleming
- Discipline of Anatomy & Histology, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Carlo Alviggi
- Fertility Unit, Maternal-Child Department, AOU Policlinico Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy;
- Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Odontostomatology, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy
- Endocrinology and Experimental Oncology Institute (IEOS), National Research Council, 80131 Naples, Italy
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17
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Targosz A, Myszor D, Mrugacz G. Human oocytes image classification method based on deep neural networks. Biomed Eng Online 2023; 22:92. [PMID: 37735409 PMCID: PMC10512614 DOI: 10.1186/s12938-023-01153-4] [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: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effectiveness of in vitro fertilization depends on the assessment and selection of oocytes and embryos with the highest developmental potential. One of the tasks in the ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) procedure is the classification of oocytes according to the stages of their meiotic maturity. Oocytes classification traditionally is done manually during their observation under the light microscope. The paper is part of the bigger task, the development of the system for optimal oocyte and embryos selection. In the hereby work, we present the method for the automatic classification of oocytes based on their images, that employs DNN algorithms. RESULTS For the purpose of oocyte class determination, two structures based on deep neural networks were applied. DeepLabV3Plus was responsible for the analysis of oocyte images in order to extract specific regions of oocyte images. Then extracted components were transferred to the network, inspired by the SqueezeNet architecture, for the purpose of oocyte type classification. The structure of this network was refined by a genetic algorithm in order to improve generalization abilities as well as reduce the network's FLOPs thus minimizing inference time. As a result, [Formula: see text] at the level of 0.964 was obtained at the level of the validation set and 0.957 at the level of the test set. Generated neural networks as well as code that allows running the processing pipe were made publicly available. CONCLUSIONS In this paper, the complete pipeline was proposed that is able to automatically classify human oocytes into three classes MI, MII, and PI based on the oocytes' microscopic image.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Targosz
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Medical University of Silesia, 18 Medyków St, 40-752 Katowice, Poland
- Center for Reproductive Medicine Bocian, 26 Akademicka St, 15-267 Białystok, Poland
| | - Dariusz Myszor
- Institute of Computer Sciences, Silesian University of Technology, 16 Akademicka St, 44-100 Gliwice, Poland
| | - Grzegorz Mrugacz
- Center for Reproductive Medicine Bocian, 26 Akademicka St, 15-267 Białystok, Poland
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18
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Hu J, Wang H, Jiang R, Yang G, Zhang T, Zhang J, Yao G. Effects of indented zona pellucida on oocyte growth and development explored from changes of gene expression in cumulus cells. Arch Gynecol Obstet 2023; 308:1023-1033. [PMID: 37400728 DOI: 10.1007/s00404-023-07104-7] [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: 02/09/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Abnormal Zona Pellucida (ZP) of human oocytes is an extracellular oocyte abnormality leading to subfertility or infertility, among which indented ZP (iZP) is a common clinical case, and there is currently no effective clinical solution. The study aimed to find out the influence of this abnormal ZP on the growth and development of GC and further explore its influence on the growth and development of oocytes, hoping to provide new ideas for the etiology and treatment of such patients. METHODS In this study, we collected granulosa cells GC from oocytes with iZP(four cases) and GC from oocytes with a normal appearance of the ZP(eight cases) during ICSI treatment cycles, and submitted them to transcriptomic analysis using next-generation RNA sequencing (RNAseq). RESULTS 177 Differentially Expressed Genes (DEG) were identified by RNAseq analysis of Granulosa Cells (GC) from oocytes with a normal ZP morphological appearance and those with iZP. Correlation analysis of these DEGs showed that the expression levels of the immune factor CD274 and the inflammatory factors IL4R and IL-7R, which are positively associated with ovulation, were significantly down-regulated in the GC of oocytes with iZP. Hippo, PI3K-AKT, Ras and calcium signaling pathways related to oocyte growth and development, NTRK2 and its ligands (BDNF and NT5E) from the neurotrophin family that are trophic to the oocyte were also significantly down-regulated in the GC of oocytes with iZP. In addition, the expression of cadherin family members CDH6, CDH12 and CDH19 were significantly down-regulated in DEGs, and the down-regulation of these proteins may affect the gap junction between Granulosa cells and oocytes. CONCLUSION IZP might cause obstacles to dialogue and material exchange between GC and oocytes and further affect the growth and development of oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingyi Hu
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Huihui Wang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Ran Jiang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guang Yang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Tongwei Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Junya Zhang
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Guidong Yao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China.
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Wang M, Gao L, Yang Q, Long R, Zhang Y, Jin L, Zhu L. Does smooth endoplasmic reticulum aggregation in oocytes impact the chromosome aneuploidy of the subsequent embryos? A propensity score matching study. J Ovarian Res 2023; 16:59. [PMID: 36959673 PMCID: PMC10037775 DOI: 10.1186/s13048-023-01135-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The appearance of smooth endoplasmic reticulum aggregation (SERa) is one of the most common dysmorphic phenotypes of oocytes, however, the impact of SERa occurrence on in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes is controversial. This study aimed to investigate the impact of SERa in oocytes on the aneuploidy of the subsequent embryos in IVF. METHODS In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 114 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles with the appearance of SERa undergoing preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) were enrolled, and among them there were 323 SERa(+) oocytes and 1253 sibling unaffected oocytes. The 907 PGT-A cycles without SERa during the same period were enrolled as controls. A propensity score matching of 1:1 ratio between these two groups resulted in 113 matched cycles. The outcome parameters between the SERa(+) cycles/oocytes and the controls were compared. IVF laboratory outcomes, PGT-A outcomes, and clinical and neonatal outcomes were the main outcomes. RESULTS Increased abnormal fertilization rate and reduced blastocyst formation rate can be observed in both SERa(+) cycles and oocytes, some other parameters on developmental potential, such as available embryo rate at Day 3 and available blastocyst rate, were also impaired in the case of SERa occurrences. Among the 910 blastocysts for PGT-A, the percentage of euploid embryos was similar between the matched cohorts, while an unpredicted increase of the proportions of euploid in the SERa(+) oocytes, compared to the SERa(-) oocytes. Moreover, there was no significance in terms of clinical and neonatal outcomes, such as implantation rate, biochemical pregnancy rate, clinical pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, and live birth rate, regardless of the presence of SERa in cycles and oocytes. CONCLUSIONS The appearance of SERa within mature oocytes has no significant impact on the aneuploidy of subsequent blastocysts. It is recommended to utilize these oocytes, especially for those with few oocytes or advanced maternal age, which is likely to increase the cumulative pregnancy rate. This study may offer evidence to assist embryologists to make clinical decisions concerning SERa(+) oocytes more consciously and rationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Limin Gao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Qiyu Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Rui Long
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Yini Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China
| | - Lei Jin
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
| | - Lixia Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430030, China.
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20
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All that glitters is not gold: a stereological study of human donor oocytes. ZYGOTE 2023; 31:253-265. [PMID: 36938666 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199423000114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Here we report a quantitative analysis of human metaphase II (MII) oocytes from a 22-year-old oocyte donor, retrieved after ovarian-controlled hyperstimulation. Five surplus donor oocytes were processed for transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and a stereological analysis was used to quantify the distribution of organelles, using the point-counting technique with an adequate stereological grid. Comparisons between means of the relative volumes (Vv) occupied by organelles in the three oocyte regions, cortex (C), subcortex (SC) and inner cytoplasm (IC), followed the Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction. Life cell imaging and TEM analysis confirmed donor oocyte nuclear maturity. Results showed that the most abundant organelles were smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) elements (26.8%) and mitochondria (5.49%). Significant differences between oocyte regions were found for lysosomes (P = 0.003), cortical vesicles (P = 0.002) and large SER vesicles (P = 0.009). These results were quantitatively compared with previous results using prophase I (GV) and metaphase I (MI) immature oocytes. In donor MII oocytes there was a normal presence of cortical vesicles, SER tubules, SER small, medium and large vesicles, lysosomes and mitochondria. However, donor MII oocytes displayed signs of cytoplasmic immaturity, namely the presence of dictyosomes, present in GV oocytes and rare in MI oocytes, of SER very large vesicles, characteristic of GV oocytes, and the rarity of SER tubular aggregates. Results therefore indicate that the criterion of nuclear maturity used for donor oocyte selection does not always correspond to cytoplasmic maturity, which can partially explain implantation failures with the use of donor oocytes.
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21
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Palay P, Fathi D, Fathi R. Oocyte quality evaluation: a review of engineering approaches toward clinical challenges. Biol Reprod 2023; 108:393-407. [PMID: 36495197 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac219] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although assisted reproductive technology has been very successful for the treatment of infertility, its steps are still dependent on direct human opinion. An important step of assisted reproductive treatments in lab for women is choosing an oocyte that has a better quality. This step would predict which oocyte has developmental competence leading to healthy baby. Observation of the oocyte morphological quality indicators under microscope by an embryologist is the most common evaluation method of oocyte quality. Such subjective method which relies on embryologist's experience may vary and leads to misdiagnosis. An alternative solution to eliminate human misjudging in traditional methods and overcome the limitations of them is always using engineering-based procedure. In this review article, we deeply study and categorize engineering-based methods applied for the evaluation of oocyte quality. Then, the challenges in laboratories and clinics settings move forward with translational medicine perspective in mind for all those methods which had been studied were discussed. Finally, a standardized process was presented, which may help improving and focusing the research in this field. Moreover, effective suggestion techniques were introduced that are expected they would be complementary methods to accelerate future researches. The aim of this review was to create a new prospect with the engineering approaches to evaluate oocyte quality and we hope this would help infertile couples to get a baby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peyman Palay
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Davood Fathi
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tarbiat Modares University (TMU), Tehran, Iran
| | - Rouhollah Fathi
- Department of Embryology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
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22
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Chen Y, Liu Y, Zuo X, Zhao Q, Sun M, Cui M, Zhao X, Du Y. Identification of significant imaging features for sensing oocyte viability. Microsc Res Tech 2023; 86:181-192. [PMID: 36278826 DOI: 10.1002/jemt.24248] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The evaluation of oocyte viability in the laboratory is limited to the morphological assessment by naked eyes, but the realization that most normal-appearing oocytes may conceal abnormalities prompts the search for automated approaches that can detect the abnormalities imperceptible to naked eyes. In this study, we developed an image processing pipeline applicable to bright-field microscope images to quantify the causal relationship between the quantitative imaging features and the developmental potential of oocytes. We acquired 19 imaging features of approximately 700 oocytes and determined two imaging subtypes, namely viable and nonviable subtypes that correlated closely with a viability fluorescence indicator and cleavage rates. The causal relationship between these imaging features and oocyte viability was derived from a viability-oriented Bayesian network that was developed based on the Bayesian information criterion and Tabu search. Our experimental results revealed that entropy with mean Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix energy describing the uniformity and texture roughness of cytoplasm were salient features for the automated selection of promising oocytes that exhibited excellent developmental potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhe Chen
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yaowei Liu
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoying Zuo
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Qili Zhao
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingzhu Sun
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Maosheng Cui
- Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Innovation Team of Pig Feeding, Institute of Animal Science and Veterinary of Tianjin, Tianjin, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yue Du
- Institute of Robotics and Automatic Information System, College of Artificial Intelligence, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Intelligent Robotics, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.,Institute of Intelligence Technology and Robotic Systems, Shenzhen Research Institute of Nankai University, Tianjin, China
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23
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Lamont S, Fropier J, Abadie J, Piat E, Constantinescu A, Roux C, Vernerey F. Profiling oocytes with neural networks from images and mechanical data. J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2023; 138:105640. [PMID: 36566663 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105640] [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: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
The success rate of assisted reproductive technologies could be greatly improved by selectively choosing egg cells (oocytes) with the greatest chance of fertilization. The goal of mechanical profiling is, thus, to improve predictive oocyte selection by isolating the mechanical properties of oocytes and correlating them to their reproductive potential. The restrictions on experimental platforms, however - including minimal invasiveness and practicality in laboratory implementation - greatly limits the data that can be acquired from a single oocyte. In this study, we perform indentation studies on human oocytes and characterize the mechanical properties of the zona pellucida, the outer layer of the oocyte. We obtain excellent fitting with our physical model when indenting with a flat surface and clearly illustrate localized shear-thinning behavior of the zona pellucida, which has not been previously reported. We conclude by outlining a promising methodology for isolating the mechanical properties of the cytoplasm using neural networks and optical images taken during indentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel Lamont
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America
| | - Juliette Fropier
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Joel Abadie
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Emmanuel Piat
- FEMTO-ST Institute, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, CNRS, 15B avenue des Montboucons, 25030 Besançon, cedex, France
| | - Andrei Constantinescu
- Laboratoire de Mécanique des Solides - CNRS - École Polytechnique - Institut Polytechnique de Paris, 91128, Palaiseau, France
| | - Christophe Roux
- Service de Biologie et Médecine de la Reproduction - Cryobiologie - CECOS Franche-Comté Bourgogne, CHRU Jean Minjoz, 3 Bd Fleming, 25030 Besançon cedex, France
| | - Franck Vernerey
- Department of Mechanical Engineering, Program of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, United States of America.
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24
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Gokce S, Herkiloglu D, Cevik O, Turan V. Evaluation of Intrafollicular Syndecan 1, Glypican 3, and Spermidine Levels in Women with Diminished Ovarian Reserve. Reprod Sci 2023; 30:569-575. [PMID: 36131221 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-022-01085-9] [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: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
We aimed to evaluate the levels of Spermidine, Syndecan 1, and Glypican 3 (GPC3) in the follicle fluid of women with diminished ovarian reserve (DOR) and to examine the relationship of these markers with the number of embryos and clinical pregnancy. A total of 27 women with DOR and 34 women with normal ovarian reserve who underwent in vitro fertilization procedure were included in this prospectively designed study. Spermidine, Syndecan 1, and GPC3 levels were studied in the follicle fluid samples taken from the women at the time of oocyte retrieval by ELISA method, and their relations with the cycle outcomes were examined. The mean age was found as 38.1 ± 7.4 years in the DOR group and 35.1 ± 5.2 years in the control group (p = 0.027). When adjusted for age and body mass index, while the median Spermidine level was significantly higher (p < 0.001), both Syndecan 1 (p < 0.001) and GPC3 (p = 0.006) were significantly lower in the DOR group compared with control group. The cut-off value of Spermidine for clinical pregnancy prediction was found as 74.08 ng/mL with 78.9% sensitivity and 57.1% specificity [OR: 5 (95% CI: 1.4-17.6); AUC: 0.621; p = 0.138], while it was 0.96 ng/mL with 84.2% sensitivity and 59.5% specificity [OR: 7.8 (95% CI: 2-31.1); AUC: 0.701; p = 0.004] for GP3 and 1.15 ng/mL with 78.9 sensitivity and 57.1% specificity [OR: 5 (95% CI: 1.4-17.6); AUC: 0.680; p = 0.009] for Syndecan 1. Intrafollicular spermidine, Syndecan 1, and GPC3 levels may have a role in ovarian aging. Further randomized controlled studies in a larger population are needed for the relationship of these markers with cycle and pregnancy outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sefik Gokce
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gaziosmanpasa Hospital of Yeni Yuzyil University, Istanbul, Turkey.
| | - Dilsad Herkiloglu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Gaziosmanpasa Hospital of Yeni Yuzyil University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Ozge Cevik
- Department of Biochemistry, Aydin Adnan Menderes University, Aydin, Turkey
| | - Volkan Turan
- Istanbul Health and Technology University School of Medicine, İstanbul, Turkey
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25
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Novel variants in ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3 associated with empty follicle syndrome and abnormal zona pellucida. Reprod Biomed Online 2023; 46:847-855. [PMID: 36931917 DOI: 10.1016/j.rbmo.2023.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 12/31/2022] [Accepted: 01/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
RESEARCH QUESTION Which genetic variants might explain the causes of empty follicle syndrome (EFS) and abnormal zona pellucida (ZP) and affect the success of treatment with assisted reproductive technologies (ART)? DESIGN Whole-exome sequencing was performed in probands with EFS and abnormal ZP. Sanger sequencing was used for variant validation. Using HEK-293T cells, the effects of ZP1 and ZP2 variants on protein expression were explored by western blotting, and the effect of the ZP1 variant on protein location was investigated via immunofluorescence. The protein structure was also analysed to investigate the pathogenicity of variants. RESULTS A homozygous nonsense variant in ZP1 (c.874C>T, p.Gln292*) was detected in a patient with EFS. A novel homozygous frameshift variant in ZP2 (c.836_837delAG, p.Glu279Valfs*6) and a novel heterozygous missense variant in ZP3 (c.1159G>A, p.Val387Met) were identified in two patients with ZP morphological abnormalities, respectively. Western blotting and immunofluorescence analysis showed that the ZP1 variant results in a premature stop codon, leading to the truncated ZP1 protein. The ZP2 variant, which is situated in the N-terminus, triggers the degradation of a premature termination protein. Additionally, the patient with the ZP3 variant achieved clinical pregnancy following intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment. CONCLUSIONS These findings expand the mutational spectrum of ZP1, ZP2 and ZP3, and provide new evidence for genetic diagnosis of female infertility. The targeted genetic diagnosis of ZP genes is recommended to choose appropriate fertilization methods and improve success rates of treatment with ART.
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26
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Conflitti AC, Cicolani G, Buonacquisto A, Pallotti F, Faja F, Bianchini S, Blaconà G, Bruno SM, Linari A, Lucarelli M, Montanino D, Muzii L, Lenzi A, Lombardo F, Paoli D. Sperm DNA Fragmentation and Sperm-Borne miRNAs: Molecular Biomarkers of Embryo Development? Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24021007. [PMID: 36674527 PMCID: PMC9864861 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24021007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The evaluation of morpho-functional sperm characteristics alone is not enough to explain infertility or to predict the outcome of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART): more sensitive diagnostic tools are needed in clinical practice. The aim of the present study was to analyze Sperm DNA Fragmentation (SDF) and sperm-borne miR-34c-5p and miR-449b-5p levels in men of couples undergoing ART, in order to investigate any correlations with fertilization rate, embryo quality and development. Male partners (n = 106) were recruited. Semen analysis, SDF evaluation and molecular profiling analysis of miR-34c-5p and miR-449b-5p (in 38 subjects) were performed. Sperm DNA Fragmentation evaluation- a positive correlation between SDF post sperm selection and the percentage of low-quality embryos and a negative correlation with viable embryo were found. SDF > 2.9% increased the risk of obtaining a non-viable embryo by almost 4-fold. Sperm miRNAs profile—we found an association with both miRNAs and sperm concentration, while miR-449b-5p is positively associated with SDF. Moreover, the two miRNAs are positively correlated. Higher levels of miR-34c-5p compared to miR-449b-5p increases by 14-fold the probability of obtaining viable embryos. This study shows that SDF, sperm miR-34c-5p, and miR-449b-5p have a promising role as biomarkers of semen quality and ART outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Chiara Conflitti
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Gaia Cicolani
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Buonacquisto
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Pallotti
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabiana Faja
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Serena Bianchini
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Giovanna Blaconà
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Sabina Maria Bruno
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Antonella Linari
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Marco Lucarelli
- Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Pasteur Institute, Cenci Bolognetti Foundation, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Diletta Montanino
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Ludovico Muzii
- Department of Maternal Infantile and Urological Sciences, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Andrea Lenzi
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Francesco Lombardo
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
| | - Donatella Paoli
- Laboratory of Seminology–Sperm Bank “Loredana Gandini”, Department of Experimental Medicine, “Sapienza” University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Correspondence:
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27
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Yong W, Wang J, Leng Y, Li L, Wang H. Role of Obesity in Female Reproduction. Int J Med Sci 2023; 20:366-375. [PMID: 36860674 PMCID: PMC9969507 DOI: 10.7150/ijms.80189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Contemporary scientists need no "p value" and "relative risk" statistics to be exquisitely aware of the increasing prevalence of obesity and complications posed by obesity. It is now well recognized that obesity is strongly associated with type 2 diabetes, hypertension, vascular disease, tumors and reproductive disorders. Obese women show lower levels of gonadotropin hormones, reduced fecundity, higher miscarriage rates and poorer outcomes of in vitro fertilization, revealing that obesity affects female reproduction. In addition, adipose tissue contains special immune cells and obesity-induced inflammation is a chronic, low-grade inflammatory response. Herein, we mainly review detrimental influences of obesity in the complete process of female reproduction, including hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, oocyte maturation, embryo and fetal development. In the latter part, we view obesity-induced inflammation and discuss related epigenetic impact on female reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yong
- Center Laboratory of the Fourth Affiliated Hospital, China Medical University, Shenyang 110032, China
| | - Jiajia Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Yan Leng
- Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Lijie Li
- Third Affiliated Clinical Hospital to Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China
| | - Han Wang
- Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Chinese Medicine, Changchun 130021, China.,Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
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28
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Parvanov D, Ganeva R, Vidolova N, Nikolova K, Vasileva M, Totev T, Stamenov G. Autologous ovarian platelet rich plasma treatment improves oocyte and embryo quality: a before-after prospective study. BIOTECHNOL BIOTEC EQ 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/13102818.2022.2090280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dimitar Parvanov
- Research Department, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Rumiana Ganeva
- Research Department, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Nina Vidolova
- Research Department, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Kristina Nikolova
- Embryology Department, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Magdalena Vasileva
- Embryology Department, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Tihomir Totev
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
| | - Georgi Stamenov
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nadezhda Women’s Health Hospital, Sofia, Bulgaria
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29
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Tepla O, Topurko Z, Jirsova S, Moosova M, Fajmonova E, Cabela R, Komrskova K, Kratochvilova I, Masata J. Timing of ICSI with Respect to Meiotic Spindle Status. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 24:ijms24010105. [PMID: 36613547 PMCID: PMC9820079 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 12/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of using meiotic spindle (MS) visibility and relative position to the polar body (PB) as indicators of oocyte maturation in order to optimize intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) timing. This was a cohort study of patients younger than 40 years with planned ICSI, the timing of which was determined by MS status, compared with those without MS evaluation. The angle between PB and MS and MS visibility were evaluated by optical microscope with polarizing filter. Oocytes with MS evaluation were fertilized according to MS status either 5-6 h after ovum pick-up (OPU) or 7-8 h after OPU. Oocytes without MS evaluation were all fertilized 5-6 h after OPU. For patients over 35 years visualization of MS influenced pregnancy rate (PR): 182 patients with MS visualization had 32% PR (58/182); while 195 patients without MS visualization had 24% PR (47/195). For patients under 35 years, visualization of MS did not influence PR: 140 patients with MS visualization had 41% PR (58/140), while 162 patients without MS visualization had 41% PR (66/162). Visualization of MS therefore appears to be a useful parameter for assessment of oocyte maturity and ICSI timing for patients older than 35.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Tepla
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zinovij Topurko
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Simona Jirsova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Martina Moosova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Eva Fajmonova
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Cabela
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Katerina Komrskova
- Laboratory of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, BIOCEV, Prumyslova 595, 252 50 Vestec, Czech Republic
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Vinicna 7, 128 44 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Irena Kratochvilova
- Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Jaromir Masata
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and General University Hospital in Prague, Apolinarska 18, 128 08 Prague, Czech Republic
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30
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Zhou J, Wang M, Yang Q, Li D, Li Z, Hu J, Jin L, Zhu L. Can successful pregnancy be achieved and predicted from patients with identified ZP mutations? A literature review. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2022; 20:166. [PMID: 36476320 PMCID: PMC9730648 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-022-01046-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In mammals, normal fertilization depends on the structural and functional integrity of the zona pellucida (ZP), which is an extracellular matrix surrounding oocytes. Mutations in ZP may affect oogenesis, fertilization and early embryonic development, which may cause female infertility. METHODS A PubMed literature search using the keywords 'zona pellucida', 'mutation' and 'variant' limited to humans was performed, with the last research on June 30, 2022. The mutation types, clinical phenotypes and pregnancy outcomes were summarized and analyzed. The naive Bayes classifier was used to predict clinical pregnancy outcomes for patients with ZP mutations. RESULTS A total of 29 publications were included in the final analysis. Sixty-nine mutations of the ZP genes were reported in 87 patients with different clinical phenotypes, including empty follicle syndrome (EFS), ZP-free oocytes (ZFO), ZP-thin oocytes (ZTO), degenerated and immature oocytes. The phenotypes of patients were influenced by the types and location of the mutations. The most common effects of ZP mutations are protein truncation and dysfunction. Three patients with ZP1 mutations, two with ZP2 mutations, and three with ZP4 mutations had successful pregnancies through Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) from ZFO or ZTO. A prediction model of pregnancy outcome in patients with ZP mutation was constructed to assess the chance of pregnancy with the area under the curve (AUC) of 0.898. The normalized confusion matrix showed the true positive rate was 1.00 and the true negative rate was 0.38. CONCLUSION Phenotypes in patients with ZP mutations might be associated with mutation sites or the degree of protein dysfunction. Successful pregnancy outcomes could be achieved in some patients with identified ZP mutations. Clinical pregnancy prediction model based on ZP mutations and clinical characteristics will be helpful to precisely evaluate pregnancy chance and provide references and guidance for the clinical treatment of relevant patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juepu Zhou
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Meng Wang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Qiyu Yang
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Dan Li
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Zhou Li
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Juan Hu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Lei Jin
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
| | - Lixia Zhu
- grid.33199.310000 0004 0368 7223Reproductive Medicine Center, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, No.1095, Jiefang Road, Wuhan, 430030 China
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The intrafollicular concentration of leptin as a potential biomarker to predict oocyte maturity in in-vitro fertilization. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19573. [PMID: 36379980 PMCID: PMC9666526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23737-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte maturity is critical to the development potential of the embryo and pregnancy outcomes in natural and in-vitro fertilization (IVF). In IVF, oocyte maturity is typically evaluated using morphological criteria, although such assessment remains highly subjective. To identify reliable biomarkers of oocyte maturity, this study investigates the relationship between follicular cytokine concentrations and oocyte maturity in IVF patients with different ovarian reserves. In this prospective study, follicular fluid was collected during oocyte retrieval and the concentrations of cytokines involved in ovarian folliculogenesis were determined. Follicular fluid cytokine concentrations were compared between participants in three groups according to serum anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) concentration, as follows: low AMH, < 2 ng/mL; normal AMH, 2-5 ng/mL; and high AMH, > 5 ng/mL. Pearson's correlation coefficient analysis showed that the number of mature oocytes correlated positively and strongly with serum AMH level (r = 0.719; p < 0.01). The leptin concentration in follicular fluid was significantly higher in women with normal AMH level than in those with low or high levels. ROC curve analysis showed that the follicular fluid levels of leptin (area under ROC curve, 0.829; 95% confidence interval, 0.659-0.998; p < 0.01) and SCF (area under ROC curve, 0.706; 95% confidence interval, 0.491-0.921; p = 0.087) were the best predictors of oocyte maturity. At an optimal cut-off value of 16 ng/mL, leptin had positive predictive value (sensitivity) up to 70% and negative predictive value (specificity) of 91% for indicating oocyte maturity. The concentration of leptin in follicular fluid is closely related to ovarian reserve and may serve as a biomarker to predict oocyte maturity.
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Fluks M, Tamborski S, Szkulmowski M, Ajduk A. Optical coherence microscopy allows for quality assessment of immature mouse oocytes. Reproduction 2022; 164:83-95. [PMID: 35900349 DOI: 10.1530/rep-22-0178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In brief Optical coherence microscopy is a label-free and non-invasive imaging technique capable of 3D subcellular structure visualization. Here we show that this method allows for quality assessment of immature mouse oocytes based on their chromatin conformation and can be a valuable addition to the toolkit used in assisted reproduction procedures. Abstract The success of assisted reproductive technologies, and particularly in vitro maturation, is tightly linked to the quality of oocytes. Therefore, there is a need for robust, reliable, and easy-to-assess biomarkers of oocyte developmental competence. Microscopy techniques visualizing oocyte intracellular structure could provide such biomarkers. However, fluorescence imaging methods, applied frequently in biology and allowing for detailed structural and dynamic studies of single cells, require fluorescent tags to visualize cellular architecture and may cause short- and long-term photo-damage. On the other hand, traditional light microscopy, although relatively non-invasive, does not provide detailed structural information. Optical coherence microscopy (OCM) is a promising alternative, as it does not require sample pre-processing or labelling and can provide 3D images of intracellular structures. Here we applied OCM to assess the chromatin conformation of immature mouse oocytes, a feature that corresponds with their transcriptional status and developmental competence and cannot be examined by traditional light microscopy. We showed that OCM distinguished oocytes with so-called non-surrounded nucleoli (NSN) and surrounded nucleoli (SN) chromatin conformation with very high sensitivity and specificity and that OCM scanning did not decrease the quality of oocytes. Finally, we cross-referenced OCM data with the oocyte ability to undergo normal nuclear and cytoplasmic maturation and proven that indeed oocytes scored with OCM as NSN mature less effectively than oocytes scored as SN. Our results suggest that OCM may be a valuable addition to the imaging toolkit used in assisted reproduction 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
| | - Szymon Tamborski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy, and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Maciej Szkulmowski
- Institute of Physics, Faculty of Physics, Astronomy, and Informatics, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Toruń, Poland
| | - Anna Ajduk
- Department of Embryology, Institute of Developmental Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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Shan-Chi Chiu C, Hung TY, Lin MH, Kuo-Kuang Lee R, Weng YW, Hwu YM. Metaphase II (MII) human oocytes with smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters do not affect blastocyst euploid rate. Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol 2022; 61:585-589. [PMID: 35779904 DOI: 10.1016/j.tjog.2021.03.044] [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: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the rate of euploidy and pregnancy outcomes are affected by smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters (SERc) and other metaphase II human oocyte dysmorphisms. MATERIALS AND METHODS Retrospective analysis of the morphologies of metaphase II (MII) human oocytes, which had developed into 590 biopsied blastocysts derived from 109 patients that received preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidies (PGT-A) cycles between March 2013 and December 2017. The euploid rate of blastocysts that originated from morphologically abnormal or normal oocytes were analyzed. The chromosome status of the blastocysts was determined and analyzed by array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) or next generation sequencing (NGS) following trophectoderm biopsy. RESULTS According to the odds ratios obtained for each oocyte morphotype, no statistically significant relationship was found between oocyte dysmorphisms and euploid rate. Specifically, although SERc-positive oocytes had a higher rate of arrest at two pronuclei, or 2 PN (26.7% vs. 19.4%, p > 0.05), the blastocyst formation rate was not affected as compared with SERc-negative oocytes (40.0% vs. 38.6%, p > 0.05). Among nine euploid embryos derived from oocytes with SERc, three single euploid embryo transfers were performed, of which one resulted in blighted ovum, and two resulted in the births of two healthy, singleton term babies. CONCLUSION The results presented here suggest that oocyte dysmorphisms do not affect the euploidy rate of the blastocyst. The occurrence of SERc in the oocyte does not seem to impair the developing blastocyst nor does it interfere with good embryo formation rate and euploid rate. Thus, the embryos derived from SERc-positive oocytes could still be considered for embryo transfer if there are no other embryos available.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tzu-Yu Hung
- Nuwa Healthcare Fertility Clinic, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ming-Huei Lin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; MacKay Junior College of Medicine, Nursing, and Management, Taipei, Taiwan; MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City, Taiwan
| | - Robert Kuo-Kuang Lee
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Wen Weng
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Unique Deep Radiomic Signature Shows NMN Treatment Reverses Morphology of Oocytes from Aged Mice. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10071544. [PMID: 35884850 PMCID: PMC9313081 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10071544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to develop a deep radiomic signature based on an artificial intelligence (AI) model. This radiomic signature identifies oocyte morphological changes corresponding to reproductive aging in bright field images captured by optical light microscopy. Oocytes were collected from three mice groups: young (4- to 5-week-old) C57BL/6J female mice, aged (12-month-old) mice, and aged mice treated with the NAD+ precursor nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a treatment recently shown to rejuvenate aspects of fertility in aged mice. We applied deep learning, swarm intelligence, and discriminative analysis to images of mouse oocytes taken by bright field microscopy to identify a highly informative deep radiomic signature (DRS) of oocyte morphology. Predictive DRS accuracy was determined by evaluating sensitivity, specificity, and cross-validation, and was visualized using scatter plots of the data associated with three groups: Young, old and Old + NMN. DRS could successfully distinguish morphological changes in oocytes associated with maternal age with 92% accuracy (AUC~1), reflecting this decline in oocyte quality. We then employed the DRS to evaluate the impact of the treatment of reproductively aged mice with NMN. The DRS signature classified 60% of oocytes from NMN-treated aged mice as having a ‘young’ morphology. In conclusion, the DRS signature developed in this study was successfully able to detect aging-related oocyte morphological changes. The significance of our approach is that DRS applied to bright field oocyte images will allow us to distinguish and select oocytes originally affected by reproductive aging and whose quality has been successfully restored by the NMN therapy.
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35
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Comparing the IVM laboratory outcomes between stimulated IVF with unstimulated natural cycles. ZYGOTE 2022; 30:593-599. [PMID: 35730547 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199421000885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Recently, more attention has been raised towards fertility preservation in women with cancer. One option is in vitro maturation (IVM) of the immature oocytes as there is not enough time for induction of an ovarian stimulation protocol. The aim was to compare the IVM laboratory outcomes between stimulated and unstimulated (natural) in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. In total, 234 immature oocytes collected from 15 cancer patients who underwent an IVM programme (natural IVM) and 23 IVF cycles with a controlled ovarian hyperstimulation protocol (stimulated IVM) were analyzed. The oocyte morphology, zona pellucida (ZP), and meiotic spindle presence were measured using PolScope technology. Also, the rates of oocyte maturation and fertilization were assessed in both groups. The IVM rate was higher in the stimulated cycle (P < 0.05), but the fertilization rate was insignificant in comparison with unstimulated cycles. There were no significant differences in the spindle visualization and ZP birefringence scoring between the groups (P > 0.05). The oocyte normal morphology was better in the stimulated cycle compared with the natural cycle (P < 0.05). In conclusion, IVM can be recommended for cancer patients as an alternative treatment when there is insufficient time for conventional IVF before chemotherapy initiation.
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36
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Different occurrence rates of centrally located cytoplasmic granulation in one cohort oocytes show distinctive embryo competence and clinical outcomes. Reprod Biol 2022; 22:100649. [PMID: 35617869 DOI: 10.1016/j.repbio.2022.100649] [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: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Centrally located cytoplasmic granulation (central granulation) is a common cytoplasmic dysmorphism in human oocytes retrieved after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH). In order to achieve a better understanding of its formation and effects on clinical outcomes, we retrospectively analyzed 422 ICSI treatment cycles. Three groups of patients were classified according to the ratio of central granulation occurrence in one egg cohort, as partial granulation, all granulation and control groups. The partial granulation group had a significantly lower BMI and higher AMH level compared to the control or all granulation groups. Consistent with these distinctive features in the partial granulation group, fertilization and blastocyst formation rates were reduced significantly in the partial granulation group but not in the all granulation group. Furthermore, the clinical outcomes in fresh embryo transfer cycles were dramatically reduced in the partial granulation group compared with the control group. However, in FET cycles, all three clinical outcomes were significantly reduced in the all granulation group but not in the partial granulation group. We propose that partial granulation may reflect a specific population of patients, and that the central granulation structure is sensitive to cryopreservation.
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37
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Madani S, Machaty Z, Vajta G. An Alternative Way to Improve Mammalian Embryo Development In Vitro: Culture of Zona Pellucida-Free Embryos. Cell Reprogram 2022; 24:111-117. [PMID: 35506897 DOI: 10.1089/cell.2022.0012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
An increasing number of data proves that the presence of the zona pellucida is not essential to mammalian embryo production, including maturation, fertilization, and embryo culture. In fact, the structure of the zona pellucida of in vitro-produced embryos differs significantly from its in vivo counterpart, influencing metabolism and requiring disproportionate efforts to crack open at the time of hatching. This review aims to focus attention on this field and stimulate research in zona-free embryo culture. In domestic animals, extensive application of purpose-designed culture systems for zona-free embryos proved the feasibility of this approach. It may open new possibilities and increase efficiency in both transgenic research and human-assisted reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Madani
- Department of Biology and Physiology of Organisms, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Science and Technology, Houari Boumedien, Algiers, Algeria
| | - Zoltan Machaty
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Gábor Vajta
- RVT Australia, Cairns, Australia.,VitaVitro Biotech Co., Ltd., Shenzhen, China
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Abstract
Increasing evidence has demonstrated that obesity impairs female fertility and negatively affects human reproductive outcome following medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatment. In the United States, 36.5% of women of reproductive age are obese. Obesity results not only in metabolic disorders including type II diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but might also be responsible for chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Several studies have demonstrated that inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the ovary modify steroidogenesis and might induce anovulation, as well as affecting oocyte meiotic maturation, leading to impaired oocyte quality and embryo developmental competence. Although the adverse effect of female obesity on human reproduction has been an object of debate in the past, there is growing evidence showing a link between female obesity and increased risk of infertility. However, further studies need to clarify some gaps in knowledge. We reviewed the recent evidence on the association between female obesity and infertility. In particular, we highlight the association between fat distribution and reproductive outcome, and how the inflammation and oxidative stress mechanisms might reduce ovarian function and oocyte quality. Finally, we evaluate the connection between female obesity and endometrial receptivity.
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39
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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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40
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Anagnostopoulou C, Rosas IM, Singh N, Gugnani N, Chockalingham A, Singh K, Desai D, Darbandi M, Manoharan M, Darbandi S, Leonardi Diaz SI, Gupta S, Henkel R, Sallam HN, Boitrelle F, Wirka KA, Agarwal A. Oocyte quality and embryo selection strategies: a review for the embryologists, by the embryologists. Panminerva Med 2022; 64:171-184. [PMID: 35179016 DOI: 10.23736/s0031-0808.22.04680-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
With the advance of assisted reproduction techniques, and the trend towards blastocyst culture and single embryo transfer, gamete and embryo assessment have gained greater importance in ART treatment. Embryo quality depends mainly on gamete quality and culture conditions. Oocyte maturity identification is necessary in order to plan fertilization timing. Mature oocytes at the metaphase II stage show a higher fertilization rate compared to immature oocytes. Morphology assessment is a critical yet challenging task that may serve as a good prognostic tool for future development and implantation potential if done effectively. Various grading systems have been suggested to assess embryos at pronuclear, cleavage, and blastocyst stages. By identifying the embryo with the highest implantation potential, it is possible to reduce the number of embryos transferred without compromising the chances of a successful pregnancy. Apart from the conventional morphology assessment, there are several invasive or non-invasive methods for embryo selection such as preimplantation genetic testing, morphokinetics, proteomics, metabolomics, oxygen consumption, and measurement of oxidative stress in culture medium. Morphokinetics is a method based on time-lapse technology and continuous monitoring of embryos. In this review, we aim to describe and compare the most effective and widely used methods for gamete and embryo assessment as well as embryo selection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Israel M Rosas
- Citmer Reproductive Medicine, IVF LAB, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Nivita Gugnani
- Milann-The Fertility Centre, Delhi, India.,All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, India
| | | | - Keerti Singh
- Faculty of Medical Sciences, The University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados
| | - Dimple Desai
- DPU IVF & ENDOSCOPY CENTER, Dr. D. Y. Patil Hospital & Research Centre, Pune, India
| | - Mahsa Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran.,Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sara Darbandi
- Fetal Health Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran.,Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine Research Center, Hope Generation Foundation, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Sajal Gupta
- American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Ralf Henkel
- American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.,Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, London, UK.,Department of Medical Bioscience, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa.,Logix X Pharma, Theale, Berkshire, UK
| | - Hassan N Sallam
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Alexandria University Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria, Egypt
| | - Florence Boitrelle
- Reproductive Biology, Fertility Preservation, Andrology, CECOS, Poissy Hospital, Poissy, France.,Department of Biology, Reproduction, Epigenetics, Environment and Development, ParisSaclay University, UVSQ, INRAE, BREED, Jouyen-Josas, France
| | - Kelly A Wirka
- Fertility & Endocrinology, Medical Affairs, EMD Serono, USA
| | - Ashok Agarwal
- American Center for Reproductive Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA -
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41
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Chen C, Yu S, Yu W, Yan Z, Jin W, Si J, Li M, Cai R, Li D, Wang L, Chen Q, Kuang Y, Lyu Q, Long H. Luteinizing Hormone Suppression by Progestin-Primed Ovarian Stimulation Is Associated With Higher Implantation Rate for Patients With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Who Underwent in vitro Fertilization/Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection Cycles: Comparing With Short Protocol. Front Physiol 2022; 12:744968. [PMID: 35222055 PMCID: PMC8874211 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.744968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many studies have demonstrated the positive clinical value of progestin-primed ovarian stimulation (PPOS) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) who underwent assisted reproductive technology. However, the underlying factors contributing to this phenomenon remain unclear. We conducted a retrospective observational study to compare the clinical outcomes of women with PCOS who underwent PPOS or the short protocol to identify possible factors that influence the outcome. Methods This study included 304 patients who underwent PPOS and 152 patients who underwent short protocol from April 2014 to July 2019 after propensity-score matching. Human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG) dose, hormone profile, embryo development, and clinical outcomes of frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) cycles were compared. The primary outcome measure was the implantation rate. Logistic regression was performed to identify contributing factors, and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to calculate the cutoff of luteinizing hormone (LH) difference ratio in clinical outcomes. Results Compared with the short protocol, PPOS resulted in a higher implantation rate (43.4% vs. 31.9%, P < 0.05), clinical pregnancy rate (61.8% vs. 47.4%, P < 0.05), and live birth rate (48.4% vs. 36.8%, P < 0.05). Similar fertilization, cleavage, and valid embryo rate per oocyte retrieved between groups were observed. The LH difference ratio was positively associated with implantation rate [P = 0.027, odds ratio (OR) = 1.861, 95% CI: 1.074–3.226]. The relationship between the LH difference ratio with clinical outcomes was confirmed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis and comparisons among patients grouped by the LH difference ratio. Conclusion The implantation rate was associated with the LH difference ratio during ovary stimulation in patients with PCOS. Our results provide the explanation why PPOS shows the positive clinical outcomes for patients with PCOS.
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42
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Sciorio R, Miranian D, Smith GD. Non-invasive oocyte quality assessment. Biol Reprod 2022; 106:274-290. [PMID: 35136962 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioac009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2021] [Revised: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte quality is perhaps the most important limiting factor in female fertility; however, the current methods of determining oocyte competence are only marginally capable of predicting a successful pregnancy. We aim to review the predictive value of non-invasive techniques for the assessment of human oocytes and their related cells and biofluids that pertain to their developmental competence. Investigation of the proteome, transcriptome, and hormonal makeup of follicular fluid, as well as cumulus-oocyte complexes are currently underway; however, prospective randomized non-selection-controlled trials of the future are needed before determining their prognostic value. The biological significance of polar body morphology and genetics are still unknown and the subject of debate. The predictive utility of zygotic viscoelasticity for embryo development has been demonstrated, but similar studies performed on oocytes have yet to be conducted. Metabolic profiling of culture media using human oocytes are also limited and may require integration of automated, high-throughput targeted metabolomic assessments in real time with microfluidic platforms. Light exposure to oocytes can be detrimental to subsequent development and utilization of time-lapse imaging and morphometrics of oocytes is wanting. Polarized light, Raman microspectroscopy, and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering are a few novel imaging tools that may play a more important role in future oocyte assessment. Ultimately, the integration of chemistry, genomics, microfluidics, microscopy, physics, and other biomedical engineering technologies into the basic studies of oocyte biology, and in testing and perfecting practical solutions of oocyte evaluation, are the future for non-invasive assessment of oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romualdo Sciorio
- Edinburgh Assisted Conception Programme, EFREC, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Daniel Miranian
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Gary D Smith
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Physiology, Urology, and Reproductive Sciences Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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43
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Yang D, Yang H, Yang B, Wang K, Zhu Q, Wang J, Ding F, Rao B, Xue R, Peng J, Wang Q, Cao Y, Zou W, Chen B, Zhang Z. Embryological Characteristics of Human Oocytes With Agar-Like Zona Pellucida and Its Clinical Treatment Strategy. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:859361. [PMID: 35813655 PMCID: PMC9259955 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.859361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Zona pellucida (ZP) abnormalities are the cause of low fertility or infertility, agar-like ZP is more common in abnormal ZP. The purpose of this exploration is to systematically analyze the fertilization competence of agar-like ZP oocytes, the development characteristics of subsequent embryos as well as the results of embryo transfer, aiming to explore effective clinical treatment strategies. A total of 58 patients with agar-like ZP were set as the case group and the control group involved 3866 patients, in which the patients' oocytes presented normal ZP. BMI, basal hormone levels, and hormone levels were similar in both groups. The case patients suffered significantly longer infertility years than control (p<0.05), and most patients were diagnosed with pelvic inflammatory diseases. A distinct difference was observed in the structure of oocyte corona cumulus complexes between the two groups. The embryo development parameters, which include the rates of cleavage, high-quality embryo, blastocyst, and high-quality blastocyst in the case group were greatly lower than that in the control group (p<0.05). The rates of cumulative clinical pregnancy and live birth were comparable between the two groups. In the subsequent follow-up, thirty-four of the 58 patients receiving intracytoplasmic single sperm injection (ICSI) or early rescue ICSI (R-ICSI) treatment successfully gave birth to babies, and all of the newborns were with no neonatal defects. In addition, the fertilization rate of the R-ICSI group was significantly lower than that of the ICSI group (p<0.05). The occurrence of agar-like ZP impairs the development competence of human oocytes, however, the human oocytes with agar-like ZP can develop into healthy offspring, and an ICSI regimen is the optimal treatment strategy for them.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dandan Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
| | - Han Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Bo Yang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
| | - Kaijuan Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
| | - Qi Zhu
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jing Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Fangfang Ding
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Bihua Rao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Rufeng Xue
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
| | - Jing Peng
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qiushuang Wang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yunxia Cao
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
| | - Weiwei Zou
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiguo Zhang, ; Beili Chen, ; Weiwei Zou,
| | - Beili Chen
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiguo Zhang, ; Beili Chen, ; Weiwei Zou,
| | - Zhiguo Zhang
- Reproductive Medicine Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- National Health Commission Key Laboratory of Study on Abnormal Gametes and Reproductive Tract (Anhui Medical University), Hefei, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- *Correspondence: Zhiguo Zhang, ; Beili Chen, ; Weiwei Zou,
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Current Applications of Machine Learning in Medicine: ART. Artif Intell Med 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-19-1223-8_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Baratas A, Gosálvez J, de la Casa M, Camacho S, Dorado-Silva M, Johnston SD, Roy R. Cumulus Cell DNA Damage as an Index of Human Oocyte Competence. Reprod Sci 2021; 29:3194-3200. [PMID: 34907517 PMCID: PMC9646542 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-021-00817-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The determination of oocyte quality is crucial for achieving effective syngamy post-sperm injection and embryonic development. Cumulus cells (CCs) have been proposed as biomarkers of oocyte quality because of their close bio-dynamic relationship with the oocyte. To determine the quality of the oocyte, CCs were sampled during oocyte preparation for ICSI to determine a CC DNA fragmentation index (CCDFI) of each individual oocyte using a variant of the chromatin dispersion test. One hundred and thirty oocytes were selected and studied from two Spanish fertility clinics, 90 of which were fertilized and developed to embryos. Significant differences were found between the CCDFI of unfertilized and fertilized oocytes (p < .001) and between the CCDFI of embryos that were discarded and those that developed suitable for transfer or cryopreservation (p < .001). Oocyte quality was negatively correlated with CCDFI (Spearman’s rho = − 0.45; p < .001). Receiver operator characteristics curves (ROC) suggested that a cut-off value of 24% CCDFI was able to discriminate the capacity of the gametes to result in syngamy with a sensitivity and specificity of 75.6% and 65%, respectively. This cut-off supports the application of CCDFI as potential index for the evaluation of the reproductive potential of oocytes prior to fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jaime Gosálvez
- Biology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Stephen D Johnston
- School of Agriculture and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Rosa Roy
- Biology Department, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
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Robin C, Uk A, Decanter C, Behal H, Collinet P, Rubod C, Barbotin AL, Robin G. Impact of endometriosis on oocyte morphology in IVF-ICSI: retrospective study of a cohort of more than 6000 mature oocytes. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2021; 19:160. [PMID: 34656130 PMCID: PMC8522159 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-021-00798-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 07/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infertility associated with endometriosis can be explained by several non-exclusive mechanisms. The oocyte plays a crucial role in determining embryonic competence and this is particularly relevant for in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes. According to some authors, the morphology of oocytes could also be a non-invasive marker of oocyte quality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between endometriosis and oocyte morphology after controlled ovarian stimulation for intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) on a large oocyte cohort. METHODS Single-center comparative retrospective study in the academic In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) unit of the Lille University Hospital. A total of 596 women treated for IVF-ICSI with ejaculated spermatozoa for sperm alterations were included. They were classified as endometriosis (n = 175) or control groups (n = 401). The morphological evaluation of 2,016 mature oocytes from 348 cycles of patients with endometriosis was compared with that of 4,073 mature oocytes from 576 control cycles. The main outcome measures were Average Oocyte Quality Index (AOQI) and metaphase II oocyte morphological scoring system (MOMS). Comparison of groups was carried out by a mixed linear model and by a generalized estimation equation model with a "patient" random effect to consider that a patient might have several attempts. RESULTS No difference in AOQI and MOMS scores was found between endometriosis and control women (adjusted p = 0.084 and 0.053, respectively). In case of endometriosis, there were significantly fewer metaphase II oocytes retrieved, embryos obtained, grade 1 embryos and number of cumulative clinical pregnancies compared to controls. In the endometriosis group, endometriosis surgery was associated with a reduced number of mature oocytes retrieved, and the presence of endometrioma(s) was associated with some abnormal oocyte shapes. Nevertheless, no difference concerning the AOQI and MOMS scores was found in these subgroups. CONCLUSION Endometriosis does not have a negative impact on oocytes' morphology in IVF-ICSI. TRIAL REGISTRATION On December 16, 2019, the Institutional Review Board of the Lille University Hospital gave unrestricted approval for the anonymous use of all patients' clinical, hormonal and ultrasound records (reference DEC20150715-0002).
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Robin
- Service de Gynécologie Endocrinienne Et Médecine de La Reproduction, CHU Lille, Assistance Médicale À La Procréation Et Préservation de La Fertilité, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Service dAvenue Eugène Avinée, 59000, Lille, France.
| | - Audrey Uk
- Institut de Biologie de La Reproduction-Spermiologie-CECOS, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Et Universitaire, 59000, Lille, France
| | - Christine Decanter
- Service de Gynécologie Endocrinienne Et Médecine de La Reproduction, CHU Lille, Assistance Médicale À La Procréation Et Préservation de La Fertilité, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Service dAvenue Eugène Avinée, 59000, Lille, France
- EA 4308 Gamètogenèse Et Qualité du Gamète, Faculté de Médecine Et CHU de Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Hélène Behal
- EA 2694, Santé Publique : Épidémiologie Et Qualité Des Soins, Univ. Lille, CHU Lille, Unité de Biostatistiques, F-59000, Lille, France
| | - Pierre Collinet
- Service de Chirurgie Gynécologique, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Et Universitaire, 59000, Lille, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59045, Lille, France
| | - Chrystèle Rubod
- Service de Chirurgie Gynécologique, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Et Universitaire, 59000, Lille, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59045, Lille, France
| | - Anne-Laure Barbotin
- Institut de Biologie de La Reproduction-Spermiologie-CECOS, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Centre Hospitalier Et Universitaire, 59000, Lille, France
- EA 4308 Gamètogenèse Et Qualité du Gamète, Faculté de Médecine Et CHU de Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59045, Lille, France
| | - Geoffroy Robin
- Service de Gynécologie Endocrinienne Et Médecine de La Reproduction, CHU Lille, Assistance Médicale À La Procréation Et Préservation de La Fertilité, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Service dAvenue Eugène Avinée, 59000, Lille, France
- EA 4308 Gamètogenèse Et Qualité du Gamète, Faculté de Médecine Et CHU de Lille, F-59000, Lille, France
- Faculté de Médecine, Université de Lille, 59045, Lille, France
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Costermans NGJ, Soede NM, van Tricht F, Blokland M, Kemp B, Keijer J, Teerds KJ. Follicular fluid steroid profile in sows: relationship to follicle size and oocyte quality†. Biol Reprod 2021; 102:740-749. [PMID: 31786607 PMCID: PMC7068110 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioz217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Identification of reliable characteristics of follicle quality and developmental competence has been pursued in numerous studies, but with inconsistent outcomes. Here, we aimed to identify these characteristics by analysis of the follicular fluid (FF) steroid profile in relation to cumulus-oocyte complex (COC) morphology and follicle size, followed by molecular substantiation. Multiparous sows at weaning were used to facilitate analysis at the start of the follicular phase of the oestrus cycle. Sows with a higher average follicle size (≥5 mm vs. < 5 mm) had a higher follicular fluid β-estradiol concentration, but did not differ in other measured steroids. Sows with high compared to low percentage high-quality COCs (<70% vs. ≥70% high-quality) had follicular fluid with a higher concentration of β-estradiol, 19-norandrostenedione, progesterone, and α-testosterone, while the concentration of cortisol was lower. Transcriptome analysis of granulosa cells of healthy follicles of sows with a high percentage high-quality COCs showed higher abundance of transcripts involved in ovarian steroidogenesis (e.g., CYP19A2 and 3, POR, VEGFA) and growth (IGF1) and differential abundance of transcripts involved in granulosa cell apoptosis (e.g., GADD45A, INHBB). Differences in aromatase transcript abundance (CYP19A1, 2 and 3) were confirmed at the protein level. In addition, sows with a high percentage high-quality COCs lost less weight during lactation and had higher plasma IGF1 concentration at weaning, which may have affected COC quality. To the best of our knowledge, this study is also the first to report the relation between FF steroid profile and COC quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- N G J Costermans
- Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Adaptation Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - N M Soede
- Adaptation Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - F van Tricht
- Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - M Blokland
- Wageningen Food Safety Research (WFSR), Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - B Kemp
- Adaptation Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - J Keijer
- Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - K J Teerds
- Human and Animal Physiology, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
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Molecular Drivers of Developmental Arrest in the Human Preimplantation Embryo: A Systematic Review and Critical Analysis Leading to Mapping Future Research. Int J Mol Sci 2021; 22:ijms22158353. [PMID: 34361119 PMCID: PMC8347543 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22158353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental arrest of the preimplantation embryo is a multifactorial condition, characterized by lack of cellular division for at least 24 hours, hindering the in vitro fertilization cycle outcome. This systematic review aims to present the molecular drivers of developmental arrest, focusing on embryonic and parental factors. A systematic search in PubMed/Medline, Embase and Cochrane-Central-Database was performed in January 2021. A total of 76 studies were included. The identified embryonic factors associated with arrest included gene variations, mitochondrial DNA copy number, methylation patterns, chromosomal abnormalities, metabolic profile and morphological features. Parental factors included, gene variation, protein expression levels and infertility etiology. A valuable conclusion emerging through critical analysis indicated that genetic origins of developmental arrest analyzed from the perspective of parental infertility etiology and the embryo itself, share common ground. This is a unique and long-overdue contribution to literature that for the first time presents an all-inclusive methodological report on the molecular drivers leading to preimplantation embryos’ arrested development. The variety and heterogeneity of developmental arrest drivers, along with their inevitable intertwining relationships does not allow for prioritization on the factors playing a more definitive role in arrested development. This systematic review provides the basis for further research in the field.
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Guimarães RM, Ribeiro LM, Sasaki LP, Nakagawa HM, Cabral IO. Oocyte Morphology and Reproductive Outcomes - Case Report and Literature Review. JBRA Assist Reprod 2021; 25:500-507. [PMID: 33739798 PMCID: PMC8312307 DOI: 10.5935/1518-0557.20210001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Oocyte quality could be negatively affected by many factors including smoking, alcohol consumption, obesity, woman's age, endometriosis and controlled ovarian stimulation (COS), during assisted reproductive technology (ART), in addition to genetic factors, such as hormone receptor polymorphisms, for example. We know that the increase in the reactive oxygen species (ROS) due to systemic disorders causes biochemical and morphological changes to the oocytes, interfering with their quality. The oocyte dysmorphism can be expressed through intra and/or extra cytoplasmic changes. In general, the size and number of oocytes' morphological abnormalities are directly related to preimplantation development failure. This case report is based on four in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles performed by a patient with oocyte dysmorphism in all oocytes captured. The literature review on this topic aims to relate the characteristics of the oocytes, presented in the case report, with research results about the quality and morphology of the oocytes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Meirelles Guimarães
- Genesis - Human Reproduction Assistance Center - Brasílila, DF, Brazil.,Taguatinga Regional Hospital - Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Larissa Maciel Ribeiro
- Genesis - Human Reproduction Assistance Center - Brasílila, DF, Brazil.,Maternal-Infant Hospital of Brasília - Department of Human Reproduction - Brasília, DF, Brazil
| | - Lizandra Paravidine Sasaki
- Genesis - Human Reproduction Assistance Center - Brasílila, DF, Brazil.,University Hospital of Brasília - Brasília, DF, Brazil
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Nemerovsky L, Bar-Joseph H, Eldar-Boock A, Miller I, Ben-Ami I, Shalgi R. Pigment epithelium-derived factor negates oxidative stress in mouse oocytes. FASEB J 2021; 35:e21637. [PMID: 33948995 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202002443rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Molecular changes, caused by various environmental factors, affect the quality and developmental potential of oocytes. Oxidative stress (OS) is a major factor involved in various gynecologic disorders and/or in aging. Recent studies suggest that elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) hamper oocyte quality and future embryonic development. Pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) is a pleiotropic protein, known for its antiangiogenic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidative properties. Our previous findings demonstrate the antioxidative role of rPEDF in maintaining granulosa cell viability. In the current study, we examined the ability of PEDF to negate the adverse impact of OS on oocytes. Maturation rate of oocytes exposed to OS was significantly lower than that of control oocytes. The number of mtDNA copies in OS-exposed oocytes was significantly higher than in control oocytes (>3 times), whereas ATP concentration was significantly lower. Oocytes exposed to OS demonstrated impaired chromosome arrangement at the metaphase plate. PEDF significantly improved maturation rate of untreated OS-exposed oocytes. Moreover, mtDNA copy number, ATP concentration, and chromosome arrangement at the metaphase plate in rPEDF-treated OS-exposed oocytes were restored to the level of control oocytes. Our findings demonstrate that OS hampers the ability of oocytes to undergo proper in vitro maturation. The energetic balance of OS-exposed oocyte is characterized by excessive mtDNA replication and reduced ATP concentration; it hampers the ability of oocytes to perform high fidelity chromosome segregation. PEDF alleviates this damage, improves the rate of oocyte maturation, and preserves mtDNA level and ATP content, thus enabling oocytes to form proper metaphase plate and improve oocyte competence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luba Nemerovsky
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Hadas Bar-Joseph
- The TMCR Unit, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Eldar-Boock
- The TMCR Unit, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Irit Miller
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ido Ben-Ami
- IVF and Infertility Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Shaare Zedek Medical Center, Jerusalem, The Hebrew University Medical School of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ruth Shalgi
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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