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Analysis of Respiration as an Indicator of Oocyte and Embryo Developmental Potential

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Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos

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Abstract

Reproductive aging in women occurs almost exclusively in the oocyte, which opens the possibility of developing improved single cell assays of oocyte and embryo dysfunction. Disruption of mitochondrial function and production of reactive oxygen are the cornerstones of one of the most widely established theories of cellular aging, and evidence suggests mitochondria and metabolism also underlie oocyte and embryo senescence. The physiology of the early embryo may be indicative of embryo viability and therefore methods to noninvasively monitor physiological parameters of embryos could improve the prediction of preimplantation embryo development. The self-referencing electrophysiological technique is capable of noninvasive measurement of the physiology of individual cells by monitoring the gradient of oxygen that develops around the cell as it consumes oxygen. We used this technique to monitor gradients of oxygen around individual preimplantation embryos. The oxygen-sensitive, self-referencing electrode identifies an extensive gradient of reduced dissolved oxygen concentration surrounding embryos, which extends tens of micrometers into the culture media. We also demonstrated that monitoring the physiology of embryos using the self-referencing technique does not compromise their subsequent development—blastocysts studied with the self-referencing oxygen electrode technique implanted and developed to term at the same rate as control embryos. Growing evidence from a number of groups that have adapted the self-referencing electrode technique to study bovine and human embryos suggests that the self-referencing electrode provides a valuable noninvasive technique for studying the physiology and pathophysiology of individual embryos, including human embryos, without hindering their subsequent development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, New York University School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical Center, 550 First Avenue, NBVN91A, New York, NY, 10016, USA

    David L. Keefe

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  1. David L. Keefe
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Correspondence to David L. Keefe .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Melbourne, Department of Zoology, Royal Parade, Melbourne, 3010, Victoria, Australia

    David K. Gardner

  2. Boston IVF, Second Ave. 130, Waltham, 02451, Massachusetts, USA

    Denny Sakkas

  3. Yale School of Medicine, Dept. of Ob/Gyn & Reproductive Sciences, Cedar St. 333, New Haven, 06510, Connecticut, USA

    Emre Seli

  4. Obstetrics & Gynaecology, University of Oxford, Nuffield Department of, Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2HW, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom

    Dagan Wells

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Keefe, D.L. (2013). Analysis of Respiration as an Indicator of Oocyte and Embryo Developmental Potential. In: Gardner, D., Sakkas, D., Seli, E., Wells, D. (eds) Human Gametes and Preimplantation Embryos. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6651-2_21

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6651-2_21

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