Hum. Reprod. Advance Access originally published online on June 4, 2004
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Human Reproduction, Vol. 19, No. 7, 1591-1597,
July 2004
© 2004 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology
The relationship between pregnancy outcome and smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters in MII human oocytes
1 Nagai Clinic, Misato, Saitama 341-0004, 2 Department of Biological Molecule, Graduate School of Science, Toho University, Funabashi 274-0072, 3 Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Toho University, Oomori, Tokyo 143-0015, 4 Japan Electron Optics Laboratory DATUM, Akishima, Tokyo 196-1122 and 5 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, Toho University, Oomori, Tokyo 143-0015, Japan
6 To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Nagai Clinic, 607-1 Misato, Saitama 341-0004 Japan. e-mail: midori{at}nagai-cl.com
BACKGROUND: During ICSI, we occasionally observe pronucleus sized translucent vacuoles. We investigated why these vacuoles occur and determined the effect on pregnancy outcome. METHODS: Translucent vacuole-positive oocytes and the corresponding cohort were examined by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and histochemical staining with DiI and ER-Tracker. Stimulation methods, hormonal levels, patients’ condition and grade of transferred embryos were compared between vacuole-positive and vacuole-negative cycles. RESULTS: By TEM, we confirmed that the vacuoles were tubular-type smooth endoplasmic reticulum clusters (sERCs). Numerous small sERCs were also observed in the oocytes from the same cohort. Veeck’s grades of transferred embryos were higher in sERC-positive cycles and fertilization rate was similar to those of sERC-negative cycles. However, in sERC-positive cycles, significantly lower pregnancy and higher biochemical pregnancy rates were shown. Serum estradiol levels on the day of hCG administration were significantly higher in sERC-positive cycles. CONCLUSIONS: The presence of sERCs is associated with lower chances of successful pregnancy, even in sERC-negative oocytes from the same cohort that are transferred along with the sERC-positive oocytes. High estradiol levels could be one of the causes of sERC formation.
Key words: biochemical pregnancy/high serum estradiol levels/idiopathic infertility/oocyte maturation/smooth endoplasmic reticulum cluster
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