STUDY QUESTION Do number of cells in the transferred cleavage stage embryo and number of oocytes retrieved for IVF influence maternal hCG concentrations in early pregnancies? SUMMARY ANSWER Compared with transfer of a 2-cell embryo, transfer of a 4-cell embryo results in higher hCG concentrations on Day 12 after transfer, and more than 20 oocytes retrieved were associated with low hCG concent...

BACKGROUND New techniques in assessing oocytes and embryo quality are currently explored to improve pregnancy and delivery rates per embryo transfer. While a better understanding of embryo quality could help optimize the existing "in vitro fertilization" (IVF) therapy schemes, it is essential to address the economic viability of such technologies in the healthcare setting. METHODS An Embryo-D...

BACKGROUND In this feasibility study, a mechanically loaded in-vitro tissue culture model of joint morphogenesis using the isolated lower extremity of the 8 day old chick embryo was developed to assess the effects of mechanical loading on joint morphogenesis. METHODS The developed in-vitro system allows controlled flexion and extension of the chick embryonic knee with a range of motion of 20 ...

Development disorders may be arisen from the unavoidable maternal exposure to particulate air pollution during the prenatal life that can be affected not only periconceptional period but also postnatal life. A kind of chemical material categorized as air pollutants are present in the urine, blood and semen of exposed men and may decline sperm count and affect sperm quality. Environment toxic ca...

Our purpose is to explore whether anti-dsDNA antibody, which was demonstrated to enter living cells and induced apoptosis, could adversely affect reproductive outcomes. A total of 259 women receiving the in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF) cycle were enrolled in this study, including 52 women with positive ANA and anti-dsDNA (ANA+/anti-dsDNA+ group), 86 women with positive ANA and nega...

The aim of this study was to find the factors explaining the probability of success of in-vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer and its different stages: stimulation, fertilization and implantation. The sample came from a retrospective cohort followed in the IVF-embryo transfer centre of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire of Pellegrin, Bordeaux, France; the data from 471 couples giving ri...

Background: The beneficial effect of supplementing culture medium with melatonin has been reported during in vitro embryo development of species such as mouse, bovine and porcine. However, the effect of melatonin on the mouse somatic cell nuclear transfer remained unknown. Materials and Methods: In this study, we assessed the effects of various concentrations of melatonin (10-6 to 10-12 M) on t...

BACKGROUND Single blastocyst transfer has the advantage of maximizing the fresh single pregnancy rate. However, in patients with a low number of good quality embryos on day 3, it remains unclear whether immediate embryo transfer or further embryo culture with blastocyst transfer is the most preferable option. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was carried out in which the outcome of 590 fre...

Recipient age at transfer (less than 525 d old or more than 525 d old), season (fail, winter, spring, summer), method of synchronization (natural or induced), and transfer technique (surgical or nonsurgical transfer) were associated with success of embryo transfer in a log-linear analysis. In a separate analysis, no significant association was found between success of transfer and transfer to t...