Abstract Oocyte/embryo in vitro culture is one of the most important assisted reproductive technologies used as a tool for maintaining genetic resources biodiversity and inheritance valuable through generations. The success such processes affects final goal culture, getting viable healthy offspring. In common oocyte maturation and/or embryo development techniques, oocytes/embryos carried out at...

Mammalian oocyte maturation and early embryo development processes are Ca(2+)-dependent. In this study, we used confocal microscopy to investigate the distribution pattern of Ca(2+) and its dynamic changes in the processes of bovine oocytes maturation, in vitro fertilization (IVF), parthenogenetic activation (PA) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryo development. During the germinal v...

OBJECTIVE To relate the gene expression in cumulus cells surrounding an oocyte to the potential of the oocyte, as evaluated by the embryo morphology (days 3 and 5) and pregnancy obtained in single-embryo transfer cycles. DESIGN Retrospective analysis of individual human cumulus complexes using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction for 11 genes. SETTING University hospital IVF cen...

BACKGROUND High pregnancy rates have been noted after oocyte donation (OD). Multiple pregnancies should be avoided, because oocyte recipients have an increased risk of obstetric complications. METHODS We analysed our OD results from 2000-2001 when elective single embryo transfer (eSET) was introduced as a recommended policy for all recipients if at least one good quality embryo was available....

Fatty acid oxidation is an important energy source for the oocyte; however, little is known about how this metabolic pathway is regulated in cumulus-oocyte complexes. Analysis of genes involved in fatty acid oxidation showed that many are regulated by the luteinizing hormone surge during in vivo maturation, including acyl-CoA synthetases, carnitine transporters, acyl-CoA dehydrogenases and acet...

Embryo implantation requires that the blastocyst will attach during the receptive stage of the endometrium, known as window of implantation (WOI). Historically, it has been assumed that the WOI is always constant in all women. However, molecular analyses of endometrial receptivity demonstrates a personalized WOI (pWOI) that is displaced in one out of four patients suffering from recurrent impla...

background: determination of oocyte and embryo quality are one of the most important goals in ivf. anti-mullerian hormone (amh) is secreted by the ovarian granulosa cells into blood flow and follicular fluid. follicular fluid anti-mullerian hormone level is probably a marker of activity of granulose cells. objective: to evaluate whether high level of follicular fluid anti-mullerian hormone leve...

Oocyte maturation and embryo development are controlled by intra-ovarian factors such as steroid hormones. Progesterone (P4) exists in the follicular fluid that contributes to normal mammalian ovarian function and has several critical functions during embryo development and implantation, including endometrial receptivity, embryonic survival during gestation and transformation of the endometrial...