Effects of electric field on early preimplantation development in vitro in mice and rats

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Elena Popova, Michael Bader* and Alexander Krivokharchenko

Max-Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC), Robert-Rössle-Str. 10, D-13125 Berlin-Buch, Germany *Correspondence address. Fax: +49-30-9406-2110; E-mail: mbader{at}mdc-berlin.deReceived October 6, 2010. Revision received November 30, 2010. Accepted December 7, 2010. BACKGROUND Exposure of cells to electric fields is a commonly used technique for parthenogenesis, cloning and tetraploid embryo production. However, little is known about possible detrimental effects of electric fields on embryos and their development. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of electric fields on early preimplantation development in mice and rats.

METHODS Mouse and rat metaphase II (MII) and pre-activated oocytes, zygotes and 2-cell stage embryos were treated with electric fields with increasing voltage. Cleavage rate, morula and blastocyst formation were evaluated by in vitro cultivation. The effects of electric fields on embryos were investigated by measurement of reactive oxygen species (ROS) content and microtubule and microfilament distributions using fluorescence staining.

RESULTS Pre-activated oocytes at the pronuclear stage and zygotes are more resistant to electric exposure than freshly isolated oocytes at MII stage in both studied species. Rat zygotes treated with electric fields of increasing voltage showed higher cleavage rates compared with the mouse and some of them developed beyond 4-cell stage in vitro. Embryos blocked at the 2-cell stage after in vitro cultivation of zygotes exposed to electric fields demonstrated increased level of ROS but normal distributions of microtubules and microfilaments. In both species, embryos at the 2-cell stage were more resistant to electric fields because they formed tetraploid embryos after electric field-induced blastomere fusion and these embryos could develop in vitro until the blastocyst stage.

CONCLUSIONS There are stage-dependent and species-specific differences in sensitivity to electric fields in mouse and rats.

© The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com This ArticleHum. Reprod. (2011) 26 (3): 662-670. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deq379 First published online: January 11, 2011

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Do polymorphic variants of chromosomes affect the outcome of in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer treatment?

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Y. Hong1, Y.-W. Zhou1, J. Tao2, S.-X. Wang2 and X.-M. Zhao1,*

1Department of Reproductive Medicine, Renji Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200001, China

2Pediatric Medicine Research Institute, Xinhua Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200092, China *Correspondence address. E-mail: zhao_xiao_ming{at}hotmail.comReceived November 15, 2009. Revision received October 7, 2010. Accepted November 8, 2010. BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chromosomal polymorphic variations on the outcome of IVF and embryo transfer (IVF–embryo transfer) treatment for infertile couples.

METHODS During the period from October 2006 to December 2009, 1978 infertile couples who had received their first IVF–embryo transfer treatment cycle in our hospital were selected for this retrospective study, and the frequency of chromosomal polymorphic variations was calculated. From these, 1671 couples were selected and divided into three groups: 1402 couples with normal chromosomes (Group 1/control group), 82 couples with chromosomal polymorphic variations in only females (Group 2) and 187 couples with chromosomal polymorphic variations in only males (Group 3). The clinical pregnancy rates (CPR), early miscarriage rates and ongoing pregnancy rates after IVF–embryo transfer treatment were compared.

RESULTS There were no statistically significant differences among the three groups in implantation rates (29.37% in the control group, 29.70% in Group 2 and 31.41% in Group 3, P > 0.05) and CPR (45.86, 46.34 and 51.87%, respectively, P > 0.05). Although there was a trend toward higher first trimester pregnancy loss rates in Group 3 (male chromosomal polymorphic variations), but not in Group 2, compared with normal karyotype couples (10.31 versus 6.84%), the difference did not reach significance (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS Chromosomal polymorphic variations appear to have no adverse effects on the outcome of IVF–embryo transfer treatment.

© The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.5), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

This ArticleHum. Reprod. (2011) 26 (4): 933-940. doi: 10.1093/humrep/deq333 First published online: January 25, 2011

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Observer agreement in the evaluation of the uterine cavity by hysteroscopy prior to in vitro fertilization

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J.C. Kasius1,*, F.J.M. Broekmans1, S. Veersema2, M.J.C. Eijkemans3, E.J.P. van Santbrink4, P. Devroey5, B.C.J.M. Fauser1 and H.M. Fatemi5

1Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands

2Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology, St Antonius hospital, Nieuwegein, The Netherlands

3Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, 3584 CG Utrecht, The Netherlands

4Department of Reproductive Medicine and Gynecology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

5Department of Reproductive Medicine, Academic Hospital at the Dutch-speaking Brussels Free University, 1090 Brussels, Belgium *Correspondence address. Fax: +31-887555433; E-mail: j.c.kasius{at}umcutrecht.nlReceived July 14, 2010. Revision received December 15, 2010. Accepted January 5, 2011. BACKGROUND Hysteroscopy is known as the most accurate test for diagnosing intrauterine pathology. To optimize fertility treatment, it is increasingly common to perform hysteroscopy as a routine procedure prior to IVF. However, literature on the reproducibility of screening hysteroscopy is lacking. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the intra- and inter-observer agreement in the individual evaluation of the uterine cavity using video recordings of hysteroscopy procedures in asymptomatic patients prior to IVF.

METHODS Screening hysteroscopies of 123 unselected, asymptomatic, infertile women with an indication for IVF/ICSI treatment were recorded on DVD. After editing, the hysteroscopy performer and three other experienced gynecologists independently assessed all recordings, focusing on the appearance of predefined intrauterine abnormalities (i.e. endometrial polyps, myomas, adhesions or septa). The intra- and inter-observer agreement was calculated and expressed as perfect agreement and ? coefficient or intraclass correlation coefficient.

RESULTS In total, 123 hysteroscopy procedures were recorded. After editing and selection, based on the record quality, 107 remained for assessment and analysis. The intraobserver agreement on the appearance of any of the predefined intrauterine abnormalities was substantial (? = 0.707), whereas the interobserver agreement was moderate (? = 0.491). Perfect agreement occurred only in 77.6% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS Interobserver agreement among experienced gynecologists appeared to be rather disappointing. The latter may have implications for the diagnostic accuracy of screening hysteroscopy prior to IVF, as well as for its clinical significance in IVF programs.

© The Author 2011. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com This ArticleHum. Reprod. (2011) 26 (4): 801-807. doi: 10.1093/humrep/der003 First published online: February 9, 2011

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