Skip Navigation


Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on November 30, 2006
Human Reproduction 2007 22(3):829-835; doi:10.1093/humrep/del447
This Article
Right arrow Full Text Freely available
Right arrow FREE Full Text (PDF ) Freely available
Right arrow An erratum has been published
Right arrowOA All Versions of this Article:
22/3/829    most recent
del447v1
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in ISI Web of Science
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (3)
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Stokes, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Houghton, F. D.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Stokes, P. J.
Right arrow Articles by Houghton, F. D.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2006. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org
The online version of this article has been published under an open access model. Users are entitled to use, reproduce, disseminate, or display the open access version of this article for non-commercial purposes provided that: the original authorship is properly and fully attributed: the Journal and Oxford University Press are attributed as the original place of publication with the correct citation details given: if an article is subsequently reproduced or disseminated not in its entirety but only in part or as a derivative word this must be clearly indicated. For commercial re-use, please contact journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Metabolism of human embryos following cryopreservation: Implications for the safety and selection of embryos for transfer in clinical IVF

Paula J. Stokes1,4, Judith A. Hawkhead1, Richard K. Fawthrop2, Helen M. Picton3, Vinay Sharma2, Henry J. Leese1 and Franchesca D. Houghton1,4,5

1 Department of Biology, University of York, York, UK 2 Assisted Conception Unit, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK 3 Reproduction and Early Development Research Group, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK 4 Current address: Human Genetics Division, University of Southampton, Duthie Building, Mailpoint 808, Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton SO16 6YD, UK

5 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Human Genetics Division, University of Southampton, Duthie Building (Mailpoint 808), Southampton General Hospital, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK. E-mail: fdh1{at}soton.ac.uk

BACKGROUND: Cryopreservation of supernumerary embryos is routinely performed in human-assisted reproduction, providing a source of embryos which can be thawed for use in subsequent treatment cycles. However, the viability of cryopreserved embryos has traditionally relied on morphological assessment, which is a poor predictor of embryo health since freezing leads to a significant overall reduction in implantation potential, and its long-term efficacy is unknown. This study describes how the post-thaw metabolism of human embryos can be used to predict future development to the blastocyst stage.

METHODS: HPLC was used to analyse the post-thaw amino acid metabolism of human embryos from day 2 to day 3 of development.

RESULTS: It was possible to predict with 87% accuracy which frozen–thawed embryo would develop to the blastocyst stage. Developmentally competent embryos were more metabolically quiescent than their arresting counterparts. Amino acid turnover was also capable of distinguishing between the developmental potential of the best, Grade I embryos P < 0.05.

CONCLUSIONS: The data suggests that cryopreservation in IVF is a safe procedure and that amino acid turnover can be used to select which cryopreserved embryo will develop to the blastocyst stage, irrespective of their post-thaw grade.

Key words: amino acid turnover/cryopreservation/developmental competency/embryo viability

Submitted on June 15, 2006; resubmitted on October 13, 2006; accepted on October 19, 2006.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
C.G. Vergouw, L.L. Botros, P. Roos, J.W. Lens, R. Schats, P.G.A. Hompes, D.H. Burns, and C.B Lambalk
Metabolomic profiling by near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool to assess embryo viability: a novel, non-invasive method for embryo selection
Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2008; 23(7): 1499 - 1504.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
H. J. Leese, R. G. Sturmey, C. G. Baumann, and T. G. McEvoy
Embryo viability and metabolism: obeying the quiet rules
Hum. Reprod., December 1, 2007; 22(12): 3047 - 3050.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
J. J. Eckert, F. D. Houghton, J. A. Hawkhead, A. H. Balen, H. J. Leese, H. M. Picton, I. T. Cameron, and T. P. Fleming
Human embryos developing in vitro are susceptible to impaired epithelial junction biogenesis correlating with abnormal metabolic activity
Hum. Reprod., August 1, 2007; 22(8): 2214 - 2224.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer:
Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.