Effect of oocyte quality and sperm characteristics on the number of spermatozoa bound to the zona pellucida of human oocytes inseminated in vitro

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maha M. Mahadevan ◽  
Alan O. Trounson ◽  
Carl Wood ◽  
John F. Leeton
2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Virant-Klun ◽  
Jeroen Krijgsveld

Oocytes are crucial cells for mammalian reproduction, yet the molecular principles underlying oocyte development are only partially understood. Therefore, contemporary proteomic approaches have been used increasingly to provide new insights into oocyte quality and maturation in various species such as mouse, pig, and cow. Especially, animal studies have helped in elucidating the molecular status of oocytes duringin vitromaturation and other procedures of assisted reproduction. The aim of this review is to summarize the literature on mammalian oocyte proteome and secretome research in the light of natural and assisted reproduction and on lessons to be learned for human oocytes, which have so far remained inaccessible for proteome analysis.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyuk-Joon Jeon ◽  
Guang-Yu Bai ◽  
Yuram Park ◽  
Jae-Sung Kim ◽  
Jeong Su Oh

AbstractThe delivery of exogenous molecules into mammalian oocytes or embryos has been a challenge because of the existence of the protective zona pellucida (ZP) surrounding the oocyte membrane. Here we show that exogenous translationally controlled tumor protein (TCTP) is able to translocate into oocytes across the ZP and prevents quality deterioration during in vitro culture. Recombinant TCTP-mCherry added to culture media were incorporated into oocytes after passing through the ZP. After internalization, recombinant TCTP-mCherry were enriched at the cortex with wide distribution within the cytoplasm. This translocation capacity of TCTP is dependent on its N-terminal protein transduction domain (PTD). Moreover, translocated recombinant TCTP-mCherry reduced quality deterioration of oocytes during prolonged in vitro culture, which in turn improved fertilization and early embryo development. Furthermore, conjugates between PTD of TCTP and cyclin B1 siRNAs internalized into the cytoplasm of oocytes and downregulated cyclin B1 level. Therefore, our results are the first to show that TCTP has the ability to translocate into oocyte cytoplasm penetrating through the ZP, providing the possibility for preserving oocyte quality during extended in vitro culture and for delivering siRNAs into mouse oocytes.


Zygote ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 346-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Sílvia Pires-Luís ◽  
Eduardo Rocha ◽  
Carla Bartosch ◽  
Elsa Oliveira ◽  
Joaquina Silva ◽  
...  

SummaryThe ultrastructural analysis of human oocytes at different maturation stages has only been descriptive. The aim of this study was to use a stereological approach to quantify the distribution of organelles in oocytes at prophase I (GV). Seven immature GV oocytes were processed for transmission electron microscopy and a classical manual stereological technique based on point-counting with an adequate stereological grid was used. The Kruskal–Wallis test and Mann–Whitney U-test with Bonferroni correction were used to compare the means of the relative volumes occupied by organelles in oocyte regions: cortex (C), subcortex (SC) and inner cytoplasm (IC). Here we first describe in GV oocytes very large vesicles of the smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER), vesicles containing zona pellucida-like materials and coated vesicles. The most abundant organelles were the very large vesicles of the SER (6.9%), mitochondria (6.3%) and other SER vesicles (6.1%). Significant differences in organelle distribution were observed between ooplasm regions: cortical vesicles (C: 1.3% versus SC: 0.1%, IC: 0.1%, P = 0.001) and medium-sized vesicles containing zona pellucida-like materials (C: 0.2% versus SC: 0.02%, IC: 0%, P = 0.004) were mostly observed at the oocyte cortex, whereas mitochondria (C: 3.6% versus SC: 6.0%, IC: 7.2%, P = 0.005) were preferentially located in the subcortex and inner cytoplasm, and SER very large vesicles (IC: 10.1% versus C: 0.9%, SC: 1.67%, P = 0.001) in the oocyte inner cytoplasm. Further quantitative studies are needed in immature metaphase-I and mature metaphase-II oocytes, as well as analysis of correlations between ultrastructural and molecular data, to better understand human oocyte in vitro maturation.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marjan Omidi ◽  
Mohammad Ali Khalili ◽  
Sareh Ashourzadeh ◽  
Marzieh Rahimipour

The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of the meiotic spindle and zona pellucida (ZP) birefringence with morphology of in vivo- and in vitro-matured human oocytes. Germinal vesicles (n = 47) and MI (n = 38) oocytes obtained from stimulated ovaries of patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) underwent IVM. Using a PolScope (OCTAX PolarAID; Octax, Herbon, Germany), the presence of spindles and ZP birefringence was assessed in both in vivo-matured (n = 56) and IVM (n = 56) oocytes. In addition, the morphology of each matured oocyte was evaluated microscopically. There were insignificant differences for ZP birefringence and meiotic spindle between the in vivo-matured and IVM MII oocytes. Subanalysis revealed that the rates of morphologically abnormal oocytes did not differ significantly between the two groups, except in the case of irregular shape (P = 0.001), refractile body (P = 0.001) and fragmented polar body (P = 0.03), which were higher in IVM oocytes. In the case of in vivo-matured oocytes, a significantly higher percentage of oocytes with intracytoplasmic and both intra- and extracytoplasmic abnormalities have a low birefringent ZP (P = 0.007 and P = 0.02, respectively). There was no relationship between morphological abnormalities and spindle detection. The findings suggest that clinical IVM is a safe technology that maintains the high maturation rate and integrity of oocytes. In addition, the use of the non-invasive PolScope is recommended for the detection of oocytes most suitable for ICSI.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 2053-2062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen-yan Song ◽  
Zhao-feng Peng ◽  
Xue-mei Chen ◽  
Hai-xia Jin ◽  
Gui-dong Yao ◽  
...  

Background/Aims: To observe the effects of vitrification on spindle, zona pellucida, embryonic aneuploidy and DNA injury in in vivo-maruted, in vitro-mature and immature human oocytes. Methods: Between January 2009 and February 2015, 223 immature oocytes from 450 infertile patients, and 31 in vivo-mature oocytes from 3 infertile couples were collected. Of the 223 immature oocytes, 113 were used for in vitro culture before vitrification. Some oocytes were randomly divided into in vivo-mature group (group A, n = 15), in vitro-mature group (group B, n = 88) and immature group (group C, n = 85), and then the oocytes with spindle in these three groups after freezing-thawing were selected to use for Polscope imaging, embryonic aneuploidy screening and embryo development evaluation. Other oocytes were randomly divided into group A (n = 16), group B (n = 25) and group C (n = 25) for detecting DNA injury. Results: After thawing, spindle occurrence rate, spindle Retardance value, and cleavage rate were significantly higher in groups A and B than in group C (all P < 0.05), but there were no statistical differences in fertility rate, high-quality embryo rate, blastulation rate and aneuploidy rate amongst the three groups (all P > 0.05). Zona pellucida density (ZPD) was significantly lower in group A than in groups B and C both before and after vitrification (all P < 0.05). ZPD was significantly higher after thawing than before vitrification (all P < 0.05), but zona pellucida thickness (ZPT) was not significantly changed in all the three groups (all P > 0.05). Rate of comet cells was significantly lower in group A than in groups B and C (all P < 0.01). Comet tail was significantly longer in group C than in groups B and A (all P < 0.05). Conclusion: In vivo- and in vitro-mature human oocytes are more suitable to vitrification than immature human oocytes. Spindle Retardance value has more predictive value for embryonic development potential than ZPD and ZPT.


Reproduction ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
pp. 779-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Koester ◽  
A Mohammadi-Sangcheshmeh ◽  
M Montag ◽  
F Rings ◽  
T Schimming ◽  
...  

It has previously been demonstrated that zona pellucida imaging of human oocytes using polarized light microscopy is a clinically applicable method for the noninvasive assessment of oocyte quality. This study was designed to investigate whether zona pellucida characteristics of bovine oocytes and zygotes in polarized light may similarly serve as a useful marker for developmental competence in bovine reproductive biotechnologies. Zona birefringence intensity parameters of 2862 oocytes/zygotes were objectively evaluated with an automatic analysis system and correlated with oocyte/zygote quality. In detail, immature oocytes of good quality assessed with brilliant cresyl blue staining showed significantly lower zona birefringence than poor-quality counterparts (P<0.001). Afterin vitromaturation and classification according to maturational status, the birefringence intensity parameters were significantly different in those oocytes that reached metaphase II compared with arrested stages (P<0.001). Following either parthenogenetic activation or IVF with subsequentin vitroculture in a well-of-the-well system until day 9, superior development as determined by cleavage, blastocyst formation, and hatching ability was associated with lower zona birefringence intensity parameters. When early zygote-stage embryos were selected and assorted in groups based on zona birefringence (high/medium/low), the group of embryos derived from high-birefringence zygotes displayed a significantly compromised developmental potential compared with low-birefringence zygotes. These results clearly show that developmentally competent bovine oocytes/zygotes exhibit lower zona birefringence intensity parameters. Therefore, birefringence imaging of zona pellucida is a suitable technique to predict bovine preimplantation embryo development.


2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
Irma Virant-Klun ◽  
Katja Knez ◽  
Tomaz Tomazevic ◽  
Thomas Skutella

The quality of the human oocyte determines the success of fertilization and affects the consequent embryo development, pregnancy and birth; it therefore serves as a basis for human reproduction and fertility. The possibility to evaluate oocyte quality in thein vitrofertilization programme is very limited. The only criterion which is commonly used to evaluate oocyte quality is its morphology. There is a mass of oocytes in thein vitrofertilization programme which are not fertilized in spite of normal morphology. In the past, several attempts focused on oocyte gene expression profiling by different approaches. The results elucidated groups of genes related to the human oocyte. It was confirmed that some factors, such as oocytein vitromaturation, are detectable at the molecular level of human oocytes and their polar bodies in terms of gene expression profile. Furthermore, the first genetic evaluations of oocyte-like cells developedin vitrofrom human stem cells of different origin were performed showing that these cells express some genes related to oocytes. All these findings provide some new knowledge and clearer insights into oocyte quality and oogenesis that might be introduced into clinical practice in the future.


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