IVF embryo pH

STUDY QUESTION: Are there significant differences between the available commercial oil brands used for human IVF? SUMMARY ANSWER: Important differences have been detected among the tested oil brands in their potential to stabilize culture conditions and, more importantly, in their direct effect on embryo development and viability. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Mineral oil is a critical component of the human culture system due to its protective and stabilizing roles during in vitro embryo development...

In this paper, on the basis of the differences in the hydrogen ion concentration (pH) of the diluent dairy goat semen on X/Y sperm motility, an X/Y sperm enrichment study was conducted to establish a simple and effective method for gender control in dairy goats. Dairy goat semen was diluted using different pH dilutions and was incubated. Then, the X/Y sperm ratio in the isolated upper sperm was determined using the double TaqMan qPCR method. The internal pH change pattern of sperm cells at different pH dilutions was measured using BCECF-AM probe, and the functional parameters of the isolated sperm were tested with the corresponding kit...

Red cabbage belongs to the economically important group of vegetable crops of the Brassicaceae family. A unique feature of this vegetable crop that distinguishes it from other members of the family is its unique biochemical composition characterized by high anthocyanin content, which gives it antioxidant properties. The production mainly uses F1 hybrids, which require constant parental lines, requiring 6-7 generations of inbreeding. Culture of isolated microspores in vitro is currently one of the promising methods for the accelerated production of pure lines with 100% homozygosity...

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether euploidy rates and blastocyst development differ in a continuous culture medium under different CO2 concentrations. DESIGN AND METHOD: A single-center retrospective study was performed from July 2018 to October 2019 including 44 fresh cycles with at least four fresh mature oocytes (MII) without severe male factor infertility. Sibling MII were injected and cultured in Global®Total®LP under 6.0% (pHe = 7.374 ± 0.014) or 7...

The purpose of the current study was to analyze phenotypic and functional characteristics of common carp ( Cyprinus carpio ) spermatozoa during in vitro aging and to investigate whether global DNA methylation is affected by sperm aging. Milt was collected from five individual males, stored in vitro on ice in a refrigerator for up to 96 h post stripping (HPS) and used to fertilize eggs with intervals of 1, 24 and 96 h. Computer-assisted sperm analysis and a S3e Cell Sorter was employed to determine the spermatozoa phenotypic characteristics (motility, velocity, concentration and viability)...

Insufficiency of oocyte activation impairs the subsequent embryo development in assisted reproductive technology (ART). Intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+ ]i) oscillations switch the oocytes to resume the second meiosis and initiate embryonic development. However, the [Ca2+ ]i oscillation patterns in oocytes are poorly characterized. In this study, we investigated the effects of various factors, such as the oocytes age, pH, cumulus cells, in vitro or in vivo maturation, and ER stress on [Ca2+ ]i oscillation patterns and pronuclear formation after parthenogenetic activation of mouse oocytes...

Advanced maternal age is associated with a decline in fertility and oocyte quality. We used novel metabolic microsensors to assess effects of mare age on single oocyte and embryo metabolic function, which has not yet been similarly investigated in mammalian species. We hypothesized that equine maternal aging affects the metabolic function of oocytes and in vitro-produced early embryos, oocyte mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, and relative abundance of metabolites involved in energy metabolism in oocytes and cumulus cells...

During human in vitro culture, a morphological microscope analysis is normally performed to select the best embryo to transfer, with the hope of obtaining a successful pregnancy. The morphological evaluation may combine number and size of blastomeres, fragmentation, multinucleation, blastocyst expansion, inner-cell mass and trophectoderm appearance. However, standard microscopy evaluation involves the removal of the embryos from the incubator, exposing them to changes in pH, temperature, and oxygen level. Additionally, morphological assessments might include high inter-observer variability...

Protein sources used as supplements of IVF culture media are known to have several implications for the function and stability of embryo culture environment. In fact, they i) transport biologically active molecules ii) chelate heavy metals, iii) regulate media pH, iii) scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) and iv) attenuate osmotic stress to which cells are exposed in sub-optimal culture conditions. Instead, their specific relevance to the formulation of cryopreservation solutions used for gamete and embryo cryopreservation remains uncertain...

Over the last few decades, advances in ovarian hormonal stimulation, embryology laboratory technologies and embryo genetic testing, have significantly enhanced clinical outcomes in human assisted reproduction technologies (ART). However, embryo implantation remains a major bottleneck in achieving better pregnancy and live birth rates. Thus, there is growing interest in establishing new approaches to enhance implantation efficiency after embryo transfer. With advanced molecular techniques, many promising biomarkers associated with embryonic and endometrial changes occurring prior to and during embryo implantation have been identified...

PURPOSE: Monitoring the pH of IVF culture media is a good practice, but the required pH levels have been "arbitrarily" set. Assisted reproductive technology centers around the world are spending time and money on pH monitoring without any consensus to date. The objective of this narrative review was to evaluate the importance of pH monitoring during IVF, discover how the oocyte and embryo regulate their intracellular pH and try to determine the optimal pH to be applied. METHODS: A narrative literature review was performed on publications in the PubMed database reporting on the impact of pH on cellular function, oocyte and embryo development, IVF outcomes and pathophysiology, or on physiological pH in the female reproductive tract...

INTRODUCTION: One potential stressor that can affect preimplantation and postimplantation embryonic growth after in vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the pH of the human embryo culture medium, but no evidence exists to indicate which pH level is optimal for IVF. Based on anecdotal evidence or mouse models, culture media manufacturers recommend a pH range of 7.2 to 7.4, and IVF laboratories routinely use a pH range of 7.25 to 7.3. Given the lack of randomised trials evaluating the effect of pH on live birth rate after IVF, this trial examines the effect of three different pH levels on the live birth rate...

This proceedings report presents the outcomes from an international expert meeting to establish consensus guidelines on IVF culture conditions. Topics reviewed and discussed were: embryo culture - basic principles and interactions; temperature in the IVF laboratory; humidity in culture; carbon dioxide control and medium pH; oxygen tension for embryo culture; workstations - design and engineering; incubators - maintaining the culture environment; micromanipulation - maintaining a steady physcochemical environment; handling practices; assessment practices; culture media - buffering and pH, general composition and protein supplementation, sequential or single-step media for human embryo culture; use and management - cold chain and storage; test equipment - calibration and certification; and laboratory equipment and real-time monitoring...

We report a rapid, sensitive, and high-throughput method for quality control of human sperm cells and oocytes staining based on the aggregation-induced emission feature of the tetraphenylethylene-based luminogen (TPE-Ph-In), which is mitochondria-specific. Germ cells are evaluated to assess fertility and to facilitate assisted reproduction. In regular clinical practice, sperm quality is determined on the basis of visual examination and mathematical models of the sperm cell number, motility, and morphology. The maturation of the oocyte is crucial for the developmental competence of the resulting embryo...

Published reports have indicated that rates of preimplantation embryo aneuploidy in a control donor population may vary between IVF centres. This suggests that location-specific conditions, in the clinic, IVF or genetics laboratory, may be influencing the chromosome dynamics or diagnosis. More recent reports suggest that rates of embryo mosaicism, representing mitotic errors, may vary between IVF centres. This would suggest perhaps a laboratory-controlled variable is influencing mitotic cell division during preimplantation embryo development...

STUDY QUESTION: Does female weekly alcohol intake and binge drinking impact the chance of a successful fertility treatment? SUMMARY ANSWER: Low-to-moderate weekly alcohol drinking and binge drinking were not associated with the chance of achieving a clinical pregnancy or a live birth among women and couples undergoing medically assisted reproduction (MAR) treatments. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Alcohol consumption is common among women of reproductive age, even though health authorities advise women trying to conceive to abstain from drinking...

With new time-lapse incubators, IVF laboratories have increased use of single step media, often used in an uninterrupted approach. This simplifies the culture process for embryologists, may help reduce costs, offers the potential to reduce cell handling and associated harmful environmental stressors, and improves embryo quality and outcomes. One could argue, however, that optimized quality control and culture conditions are required to implement uninterrupted culture successfully. Without impeccable laboratory conditions and oversight, while trying to reduce harmful environmental stress, the laboratory could be imparting stress...

INTRODUCTION: Compared to spontaneous conception (SC), pregnancies conceived through assisted reproductive technologies (ART) carry worse pregnancy and neonatal outcomes. Evidences focused on preterm births are limited. Early preterm delivery is a critical situation for medical management and parental counselling. The aim of this study was to analyze if ART procedures influenced pregnancy and neonatal outcomes in singleton pregnancies with early preterm delivery. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a retrospective case control study...

The concept of Air Quality often refers to particulate and microbiological contamination of ambiant air. European Directive 2006/86/CE encompass the IVF process and specify a class A air quality for manipulation of tissue and cells, in a class D environment (A over D rule). Recognizing the paramount importance of ensuring the highest microbiological and particulate safety in the IVF laboratory, it is equally important to take into account practicability issues and the financial burden of these recommendations, as well as the utter need to protect gametes and embryo viability during their IVF journey...

RESEARCH QUESTION: How stable is the pH of human preimplantation embryo culture media during IVF culture and is there variation in pH between batches of culture media? DESIGN: To evaluate pH stability, three batches of three culture media were incubated in triplicate without embryos (sham culture) at CO2 levels recommended by the manufacturers (5% or 6%) for 4 days. To evaluate differences in pH between batches, the pH of three batches of five culture media was measured in triplicate during 1 day of sham culture...