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Short-term storage of tripronucleated human embryos

  • Embryo Biology
  • Published:
Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To determine the survival and subsequent in vitro development of human cleavage stage embryos and hatched blastocysts following varying periods of short-term storage at 4 °C, using tripronucleated human embryos (TPN) as a model.

Methods

TPN cleavage embryos and hatched blastocysts short-term stored at 4 °C for 0 h (control), 24 h and 48 h. The main outcome measures were: survival rates (SR) and in vitro developmental ability (blastocyst rate and blastocyst-re-expansion rate) in each of the groups after storage.

Results

Cleavage-stage TPN survived at comparable rates to controls, regardless of storage time (average: 97.3 %). The in vitro development of cleavage-stage TPN stored for 24 h was comparable to that of controls (average 64.7 %), but was significantly impaired when storage lasted 48-h (20.8 %). After artificial shrinkage, SR was comparable in 24-h-stored and non-stored hatched blastocysts (85.7 %; p > 0.05), but was significantly impaired in the 48-h-stored group (20.0 %). Following 24-h storage, the re-expansion rate of hatched blastocysts was similar to that of controls (average: 57.1 %; p > 0.05), but was higher than that of the 48-h-stored group (15.0 %; p < 0.05).

Conclusions

TPN human cleavage embryos and blastocysts can be successfully stored short-term for up to 24 h at 4 °C without using cryoprotectants without any significant negative impact on survival or subsequent in vitro development.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the IVI staff, in particular the embryologists who collected the tripronucleated zygotes day after day. We would also like to thank Mr. Brian Normanly for editing this manuscript.

Grant support

This work was funded by IVI Valencia

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Universitary Institute IVI Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Noelia Grau, Belén Aparicio, Laura Escrich, Amparo Mercader, Arantzazu Delgado, José Remohí & María-José Escribá

  2. Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University School of Medicine, Valencia University, Valencia, Spain

    José Remohí

  3. Instituto Valenciano de Infertilidad, Instituto Universitario IVI, Plaza Policía Local, 3, Valencia, 46015, Spain

    María-José Escribá

Authors
  1. Noelia Grau
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  2. Belén Aparicio
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  3. Laura Escrich
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  4. Amparo Mercader
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  5. Arantzazu Delgado
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  6. José Remohí
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  7. María-José Escribá
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to María-José Escribá.

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Capsule

Tripronucleated human cleavage embryos and blastocysts can be stored for up to 24 h at 4 °C without detrimental effect on survival or in vitro development.

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Grau, N., Aparicio, B., Escrich, L. et al. Short-term storage of tripronucleated human embryos. J Assist Reprod Genet 30, 1043–1047 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0036-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-013-0036-8

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