The Mare: A Pertinent Model for Human Assisted Reproductive Technologies?

Although there are large differences between horses and humans for reproductive anatomy, follicular dynamics, mono-ovulation, and embryo development kinetics until the blastocyst stage are similar. In contrast to humans, however, horses are seasonal animals and do not have a menstrual cycle. Moreover, horse implantation takes place 30 days later than in humans. In terms of artificial reproduction techniques (ART), oocytes are generally matured in vitro in horses because ovarian stimulation remains inefficient. This allows the collection of oocytes without hormonal treatments. In humans, in vivo matured oocytes are collected after ovarian stimulation. Subsequently, only intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) is performed in horses to produce embryos, whereas both in vitro fertilization and ICSI are applied in humans. Embryos are transferred only as blastocysts in horses. In contrast, four cells to blastocyst stage embryos are transferred in humans. Embryo and oocyte cryopreservation has been mastered in humans, but not completely in horses. Finally, both species share infertility concerns due to ageing and obesity. Thus, reciprocal knowledge could be gained through the comparative study of ART and infertility treatments both in woman and mare, even though the horse could not be used as a single model for human ART.

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Quadrupling efficiency in production of genetically modified pigs through improved oocyte maturation

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1703998114 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 114 (29) ◽

pp. E5796-E5804 ◽

Cited By ~ 31

Author(s):

Ye Yuan ◽

Lee D. Spate ◽

Bethany K. Redel ◽

Yuchen Tian ◽

Jie Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Cumulus Cell ◽

Cumulus Cells ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Oocyte Quality ◽

Blastocyst Stage ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Fourfold Increase

Assisted reproductive technologies in all mammals are critically dependent on the quality of the oocytes used to produce embryos. For reasons not fully clear, oocytes matured in vitro tend to be much less competent to become fertilized, advance to the blastocyst stage, and give rise to live young than their in vivo-produced counterparts, particularly if they are derived from immature females. Here we show that a chemically defined maturation medium supplemented with three cytokines (FGF2, LIF, and IGF1) in combination, so-called “FLI medium,” improves nuclear maturation of oocytes in cumulus–oocyte complexes derived from immature pig ovaries and provides a twofold increase in the efficiency of blastocyst production after in vitro fertilization. Transfer of such blastocysts to recipient females doubles mean litter size to about nine piglets per litter. Maturation of oocytes in FLI medium, therefore, effectively provides a fourfold increase in piglets born per oocyte collected. As they progress in culture, the FLI-matured cumulus–oocyte complexes display distinctly different kinetics of MAPK activation in the cumulus cells, much increased cumulus cell expansion, and an accelerated severance of cytoplasmic projections between the cumulus cells outside the zona pellucida and the oocyte within. These events likely underpin the improvement in oocyte quality achieved by using the FLI medium.

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In vivo measurement of pH and CO2 levels in the uterus of sows through the estrous cycle and after insemination

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-82620-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Octavio López-Albors ◽

Pedro José Llamas-López ◽

Joaquín Ángel Ortuño ◽

Rafael Latorre ◽

Francisco Alberto García-Vázquez

Keyword(s):

Estrous Cycle ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Invasive Approach ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Physiological Values

AbstractThe pH–CO2–HCO3− system is a ubiquitous biological regulator with important functional implications for reproduction. Knowledge of the physiological values of its components is relevant for reproductive biology and the optimization of Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs). However, in situ measurements of these parameters in the uterus are scarce or null. This study describes a non-invasive method for in situ time-lapse recording of pH and CO2 within the uterus of non-anesthetized sows. Animals were at three different reproductive conditions, estrous with no insemination and two hours after insemination, and diestrous. From pH and CO2 data, HCO3− concentration was estimated. The non-invasive approach to the porcine uterus with novel optical probes allowed the obtaining of in situ physiological values of pH, CO2, and HCO3−. Variable oscillatory patterns of pH, CO2 and HCO3− were found independently of the estrous condition. Insemination did not immediately change the levels of uterine pH, CO2 (%) and HCO3− concentration, but all the values were affected by the estrous cycle decreasing significantly at diestrous condition. This study contributes to a better understanding of the in vivo regulation of the pH-CO2-HCO3− system in the uterus and may help to optimize the protocols of sperm treatment for in vitro fertilization.

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Assisted reproductive technologies and monozygous twins: implications for future study and clinical practice

Twin Research ◽

10.1375/twin.3.4.217 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 217-223 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

E Scott Sills ◽

Michael J Tucker ◽

Gianpiero D Palermo

Keyword(s):

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Fertility Treatment ◽

Assisted Hatching ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Culture Techniques ◽

Medical Hypothesis ◽

Mz Twins

AbstractThat the zona pellucida (ZP) plays a prominent role in the physiology of some human twinning is an attractive, albeit incompletely proven, medical hypothesis. Indeed, an association has been proposed between manipulation of the ZP and/or native ZP microarchitecture and monozygotic (MZ) twins. Ovulation induction also has been theoretically linked to in vivo ZP alterations facilitating MZ twin development. In vitro fertilization (IVF) relies on necessary (and, in some cases extended) embryo culture techniques potentially creating subtle ZP changes and subsequent MZ twinning. With growing experience in the assisted reproductive technologies and particularly IVF, some preliminary reports have noted an increased frequency of MZ twins after procedures that artificially breach the ZP (i.e., intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI], or ‘assisted hatching’). Such ZP manipulations ostensibly enhance oocyte fertilization or facilitate blastocyst hatching, thus improving pregnancy rates for couples undergoing fertility treatment. Evidence exists both to challenge and support the connection between these phenomena and MZ twins. This report outlines the fundamental embryological processes believed responsible for these conflicting observations; the current literature on the subject of human ZP micro-manipulation and MZ twins is also discussed. Twin Research (2000) 3, 217–223.

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Extracellular Vesicles, the Road toward the Improvement of ART Outcomes

Animals ◽

10.3390/ani10112171 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (11) ◽

pp. 2171

Author(s):

Maria G. Gervasi ◽

Ana J. Soler ◽

Lauro González-Fernández ◽

Marco G. Alves ◽

Pedro F. Oliveira ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Embryo Development ◽

Extracellular Vesicles ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Genetic Material ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Female Reproductive Tract ◽

Vitro Fertilization

Nowadays, farm animal industries use assisted reproductive technologies (ART) as a tool to manage herds’ reproductive outcomes, for a fast dissemination of genetic improvement as well as to bypass subfertility issues. ART comprise at least one of the following procedures: collection and handling of oocytes, sperm, and embryos in in vitro conditions. Therefore, in these conditions, the interaction with the oviductal environment of gametes and early embryos during fertilization and the first stages of embryo development is lost. As a result, embryos obtained in in vitro fertilization (IVF) have less quality in comparison with those obtained in vivo, and have lower chances to implant and develop into viable offspring. In addition, media currently used for IVF are very similar to those empirically developed more than five decades ago. Recently, the importance of extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the fertility process has flourished. EVs are recognized as effective intercellular vehicles for communication as they deliver their cargo of proteins, lipids, and genetic material. Thus, during their transit through the female reproductive tract both gametes, oocyte and spermatozoa (that previously encountered EVs produced by male reproductive tract) interact with EVs produced by the female reproductive tract, passing them important information that contributes to a successful fertilization and embryo development. This fact highlights that the reproductive tract EVs cargo has an important role in reproductive events, which is missing in current ART media. This review aims to recapitulate recent advances in EVs functions on the fertilization process, highlighting the latest proposals with an applied approach to enhance ART outcome through EV utilization as an additive to the media of current ART procedures.

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207 Female Reproductive Fluids and Epigenetics

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.188 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 114-114

Author(s):

Sebastian Canovas ◽

Raquel Romar ◽

Pilar Coy

Keyword(s):

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Culture Media ◽

Morphological Changes ◽

Adult Life ◽

Specific Effect ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Early Embryo ◽

Vitro Fertilization

Abstract Physiological fertilization, and early embryo development, involves dramatic transcriptomic, epigenetic and morphological changes in a short temporal window. During this period gametes and early embryos are surrounded by reproductive fluids (oviductal and uterine), which contain nutrients, growth factors, hormones and extracellular vesicles acting as carriers of DNA, RNA, proteins and other factors with putative roles in intercellular communication. Under in vitro conditions, and in the absence of these fluids, embryos derived from Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) reveal transcriptional and epigenetic differences compared with in vivo embryos, which could result in long-term phenotypic consequences in adult life. Therefore, reproductive fluids supplementation in the culture medium offers an alternative to imitate physiological conditions and decrease these consequences. In vitro, oviductal fluid (OF) can modulate capacitation-associated events and sperm-zona pellucida interactions and contribute to the control of polyspermy in pigs. The use of in vitro fertilization media supplemented with reproductive fluids (Natur-IVF) improves embryo quality and blastocysts hatching ability. Moreover, Natur-IVF embryos show expression and methylation patterns closer to in vivo blastocysts. In cows, supplementation of culture media with reproductive fluids, or some isolated factors, improves blastocyst rate and survival after embryo transfer, and reverses the expression of some altered genes. However, considering the complexity of the oviductal and uterine fluids, it seems difficult that the use of just a few factors in isolation can reverse all undesired consequences of the IVP. On the other hand, sex-specific embryonic plasticity, as a consequence of the oviductal regulatory signals, have been proposed. Thus, we have analysed the sex-specific effect of supplementation with reproductive fluids in bovine embryos and data reveal sex-dependent impact in DNA methylation. All these results confirm that developmental programme can be modulated by reproductive fluids and it shows sex-specific effects. This strategy allows the possibility of minimizing undesired in vitro derived consequences.

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Thickness of endometrium: predictor of the effectiveness of IVF/ICSI programs (literature review)

GYNECOLOGY ◽

10.26442/2079-5696_20.1.113-116 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

pp. 113-116

Author(s):

L A Bagdasaryan ◽

I E Korneyeva

Keyword(s):

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Endometrial Thickness ◽

Molecular Genetic ◽

Uterine Cavity ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Genetic Characteristics ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Need To Evaluate ◽

The Relationship

The aim of the study is to systematically analyze the data available in the modern literature on the relationship between endometrial thickness and the frequency of pregnancy in the program of assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Materials and methods. The review includes data from foreign and domestic articles found in PubMed on this topic. Results. The article presents data on the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy in ART programs. The greatest number of studies is devoted to the evaluation of the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the frequency of pregnancy on the day of the ovulation trigger. Data are presented on the existence of a correlation between the thickness of the endometrium measured on the day of the ovulation trigger and the frequency of clinical pregnancy, as well as data on the need to evaluate the structure of the endometrium and the state of subendometric blood flow. The importance of multilayered (three-layered) endometrium as a prognostic marker of success in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection programs in the ovum is emphasized. The conclusion. The thickness of the endometrium can not be used as an argument for canceling the cycle or abolishing embryo transfer to the uterine cavity. Further studies in this direction are needed with a study of the morphological and molecular genetic characteristics of the endometrium, which in the future will allow us to evaluate the relationship between the thickness of the endometrium and the probability of pregnancy.

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Legal restrictions on pre-implantation genetic diagnostics in the framework of in vitro fertilization procedure: foreign experience and Russian perspective

10.21516/2413-1458-2019-18-2-162-168 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

N.A. Altinnik , S.S. Zenin , V.V. Komarova et all

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Fertilization ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Genetic Diseases ◽

Genetic Diagnosis ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Legal Regulation ◽

Genetic Diagnostics ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Medical Indications

The article discusses the factors that determine the content of the legal limitations of pre-implantation genetic diagnosis in the framework of the in vitro fertilization procedure, taking into account international experience and modern domestic regulatory legal regulation of the field of assisted reproductive technologies. The authors substantiates the conclusion that it is necessary to legislate a list of medical indications for preimplantation genetic diagnosis, as well as the categories of hereditary or other genetic diseases diagnosed in the framework of this procedure.

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Prevalence of pathogenic copy number variants among children conceived by donor oocyte

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-021-86242-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sandra Monfort ◽

Carmen Orellana ◽

Silvestre Oltra ◽

Mónica Rosello ◽

Alfonso Caro-Llopis ◽

...

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Fertilization ◽

Copy Number ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Copy Number Variants ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Significant Excess ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Donor Oocyte ◽

Increased Risk

AbstractDevelopment of assisted reproductive technologies to address infertility has favored the birth of many children in the last years. The majority of children born with these treatments are healthy, but some concerns remain on the safety of these medical procedures. We have retrospectively analyzed both the fertilization method and the microarray results in all those children born between 2010 and 2019 with multiple congenital anomalies, developmental delay and/or autistic spectrum disorder (n = 486) referred for array study in our center. This analysis showed a significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants among those patients conceived after in vitro fertilization with donor oocyte with respect to those patients conceived by natural fertilization (p = 0.0001). On the other hand, no significant excess of pathogenic copy number variants was observed among patients born by autologous oocyte in vitro fertilization. Further studies are necessary to confirm these results and in order to identify the factors that may contribute to an increased risk of genomic rearrangements, as well as consider the screening for genomic alterations after oocyte donation in prenatal diagnosis.

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Sperm Selection Procedures for Optimizing the Outcome of ICSI in Patients with NOA

Journal of Clinical Medicine ◽

10.3390/jcm10122687 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. 2687

Author(s):

Kaan Aydos ◽

Oya Sena Aydos

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Selection ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Testicular Sperm Extraction ◽

Obstructive Azoospermia ◽

Sperm Retrieval ◽

Vitro Fertilization ◽

Great Hope ◽

Future Fertility

Retrieving spermatozoa from the testicles has been a great hope for patients with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), but relevant methods have not yet been developed to the level necessary to provide resolutions for all cases of NOA. Although performing testicular sperm extraction under microscopic magnification has increased sperm retrieval rates, in vitro selection and processing of quality sperm plays an essential role in the success of in vitro fertilization. Moreover, sperm cryopreservation is widely used in assisted reproductive technologies, whether for therapeutic purposes or for future fertility preservation. In recent years, there have been new developments using advanced technologies to freeze and preserve even very small numbers of sperm for which conventional techniques are inadequate. The present review provides an up-to-date summary of current strategies for maximizing sperm recovery from surgically obtained testicular samples and, as an extension, optimization of in vitro sperm processing techniques in the management of NOA.

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International legal framework for the criminal legal protection of the embryo

Current Issues of the State and Law ◽

10.20310/2587-9340-2021-5-18-296-308 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 296-308

Author(s):

Nikolai A. Ognerubov

Keyword(s):

Criminal Law ◽

Legal Status ◽

Assisted Reproductive Technologies ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Reproductive Technologies ◽

Legal Framework ◽

Criminal Code ◽

International Aspects

In connection with the active development and use of assisted reproductive technologies, protection of the human embryo and its legal status issue is currently being actualized. We make an attempt to reveal and explain some of the international aspects of the criminal law protection of the life and rights of the embryo. We consider the concept of “embryo” not only from the point of view of various scientific approaches (medicine, biology, embryology, jurisprudence), but also from the legislative side. We present and analyze the first mention of the embryo in Roman private law in connection with modern domestic law. We carry out an analysis of international legal acts that provide protection of embryos both “in vitro” and “in vivo”, followed by consideration of specific criminal law norms of foreign countries, namely Brazil and Colombia. We pay attention to some of the most famous cases from the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights in order to understand the applied international legal acts “de facto”. The study also takes into account modern domestic legislation and considers point “g” of part 2 of Article 105 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

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