Freezing of Human Immature Oocytes Using Cryoloops with Taxol in the Vitrification Solution

Abstract

Purpose : In human frozen immature oocytes, there has been little successful delivery. We examined the feasibility of vitrification solution including Taxol, cytoskeltal stabilizer. Methods : We set four experimental groups that immature oocytes has cumulus cells or not, or including Taxol or not in the vitrification solution. Frozen-thawed oocytes have been performed IVM, ICSI, and IVC. Results : There were no significant differences in survival, maturation, and fertilization rate, respectively. However, in the group enveloped by cumulus cells and including Taxol in the vitrification solution, one embryo was developed to blastocyst. Conclusions : Our results showed that using vitrification solution with Taxol proved so effective.

Animal oocyte and embryo cryopreservation

“…Different carrier tools were applied to minimise the volume and to submerge the sample quickly into the liquid nitrogen, including electron microscope grids (Martino et al 1996), open pulled straw (OPS) (Vajta et al 1998), cryoloops (Fuchinoue et al 2004), cryotops and cryotips (Kuwayama et al 2005). Despite slow freezing continues to be the most widely used technique of cryopreservation for in vivo and in vitro produced embryos, in the last decade vitrification has been tested in different species with good results (Berthelot et al 2000;Vajta et al 1998;Martinez et al 2006).…”

“…Taxol interacts with microtubules and increases the rate of polymerization by reducing the critical concentration of tubulin needed for polymerization. The addition of Taxol to the vitrification solution improves the post-warming development of immature human (Fuchinoue et al 2004) and mature porcine (Shi et al 2006) and bovine (Morato et al 2008) oocytes.…”

Cryopreservation of human embryos by vitrification or slow freezing: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…To date, several vitrification carrier systems have been developed, such as the open pulled straws (IVF, L'Aigle, France), Hemi-Straws (IVF), the Cryoloop (Hampton Research, Laguna Niguel, CA), the Cryotip (Irvine Scientific, Santa Ana, CA), and the Cryotop (Kitazato Supply Co., Fujinomiya, Japan) (5,(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17). In addition, a number of different protocols using various cryoprotectants have been described for vitrifying human embryos, including DMSO, propanediol, glycerol, ethylene glycol, and their combinations (16,(18)(19)(20).…”

Mitochondrial behaviors in the vitrified mouse oocyte and its parthenogenetic embryo: effect of Taxol pretreatment and relationship to competence

“…Taxol pretreatment before cryopreservation could reduce the spindle damage induced by the cryopreservation process and promote successful chromosome segregation during meiosis. Taxol pretreatment before cryopreservation improved the developmental competence of cryopreserved oocytes in mice (23), swine (24), bovines (25,26), ovines (27), and humans (28). However, it is unclear whether Taxol pretreatment is helpful for maintaining normal mitochondrial behaviors in cryopreserved oocytes and their early embryos.…”