Skip Navigation


Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on May 22, 2009
Human Reproduction 2009 24(9):2114-2123; doi:10.1093/humrep/dep182
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF )
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
24/9/2114    most recent
dep182v1
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 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 arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Bromfield, J.J.
Right arrow Articles by Albertini, D.F.
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Bromfield, J.J.
Right arrow Articles by Albertini, D.F.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

© The Author 2009. 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

Meiotic spindle dynamics in human oocytes following slow-cooling cryopreservation

J.J. Bromfield1, G. Coticchio2, K. Hutt1, R. Sciajno2, A. Borini2 and D.F. Albertini1,3

1 Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, Centre for Reproductive Sciences, University of Kansas Medical Centre, Kansas City, KS, USA 2 Tecnobios Procreazione, Centre for Reproductive Health, Bologna, Italy

3 Correspondence address. E-mail: dalbertini{at}kumc.edu

BACKGROUND: The demand for cryopreservation of human oocytes is increasing in assisted reproduction clinics and yet remains an experimental procedure. Surprisingly, little is known about the effects of cryopreservation on spindle–chromosome interactions and the recovery of meiotic spindle functionality. The goal of these studies was to evaluate the process of meiotic spindle reassembly and chromosome alignment in cryopreserved human metaphase II oocytes.

METHODS: Unfrozen control oocytes were compared with frozen oocytes fixed at 0, 1, 2 and 3 h after thawing. Oocytes were analysed by confocal microscopy and subjected to 3-dimensional image analysis to evaluate spindle integrity.

RESULTS: Freezing resulted in a loss of spindle bipolarity and chromosome alignment. One hour following thawing, most oocytes recovered spindle bipolarity and equatorial chromosomal alignment. However, between 2 and 3 h, a progressive loss of chromosome alignment was observed. Further analysis revealed a positive correlation between spindle length and number of displaced chromosomes following freezing. This time-dependent redistribution of chromosomes involved outward displacement from the equatorial plate and retention at the surface of the meiotic spindle.

CONCLUSIONS: Spindle disassembly incurred by cryopreservation is rapidly reversed and is coordinated with chromosome alignment within 1 h but is not sustained at later times.

Key words: chromosome alignment/cryopreservation/meiotic spindle/microtubule/oocyte

Submitted on December 18, 2008; resubmitted on April 16, 2009; accepted on April 21, 2009.


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
L. Rienzi, S. Romano, L. Albricci, R. Maggiulli, A. Capalbo, E. Baroni, S. Colamaria, F. Sapienza, and F. Ubaldi
Embryo development of fresh 'versus' vitrified metaphase II oocytes after ICSI: a prospective randomized sibling-oocyte study
Hum. Reprod., October 27, 2009; (2009) dep346v1.
[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.