01-07-2008 | Animal
Effect of laser-assisted hatching and necrotic blastomere removal on the development of vitrified–warmed four-cell mouse embryos
Published in: Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics | Issue 7/2008
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Purpose
To investigate the effect of laser-assisted hatching and necrotic blastomere removal on the development of vitrified–warmed mouse embryos.
Methods
The vitrified–warmed four-cell stage mouse embryos were divided into five groups; vitrified intact with no laser-assisted hatching, vitrified intact with laser-assisted hatching, vitrified damaged with neither laser assisted hatching nor necrotic blastomere removal, vitrified damaged with laser-assisted hatching, and vitrified damaged with necrotic blastomere removal. Thereafter blastocyst formation, blastomere and apoptotic cell number within all groups were statistically compared.
Results
The rate of blastocyst formation showed a significant improvement in the group vitrified intact with laser-assisted hatching. However, neither laser-assisted hatching nor necrotic blastomere removal can improve a delayed vitrified–warmed damaged embryos in term of blastocyst formation and total cell number. Nevertheless, apoptotic cell number was significantly reduced after application of both techniques.
Conclusions
Laser-assisted hatching can improve the development of vitrified–warmed intact four-cell stage mouse embryos, whereas necrotic blastomere removal has no significant effect on the development of vitrified–warmed four-cell stage damaged embryos.