Morphokinetic changes and apoptotic cell death in vitrified and non-vitrified in vitro-produced ovine embryos

Fryc, Karolina; Nowak, Agnieszka; Kij, Barbara; Kochan, Joanna; Bartlewski, Pawel M.; Murawski, M.

doi:10.1016/j.repbio.2023.100750

Cited by 1 publication

(2 citation statements)

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“…We found that increased numbers of freeze-thaw cycles is associated with a decline in cryosurvival and a higher number of non-viable embryos, indicating deteriorating embryo quality. Supporting this, recent literature in an ovine model has shown that vitrified embryos are more susceptible to cellular apoptosis and exhibit lower cryosurvival rates compared to their non-vitrified counterparts 14 . Furthermore, vitrification-induced cellular apoptosis of blastocyst-stage embryos is known to be associated with mitochondrial dysfunction, compromising the developmental potential of bovine and porcine embryos 23–24 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%

“…While many studies have showed that vitrification, an ultra-rapid cryopreservation procedure, has comparable pregnancy rates and postnatal outcomes compared to fresh embryo transfers 7–11 , there are contradictory studies that showed detrimental impact on clinical pregnancy rate and live birth rate 12–13 . Additionally, a recent study in an ovine model showed that cryopreserved embryos are prone to apoptosis and have lower cryosurvival rates compared to non-cryopreserved embryos 14 . However, the impact of cryopreservation on the developmental and implantation potential of embryo remains unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of repeated cryopreservation on embryo health and implantation potential

Li,

Chow

et al. 2023

Preprint

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In IVF clinics, preimplantation genetic testing (PGT) is a common practice that involves a biopsy and cryopreservation of embryos for genetic evaluation. When testing fails or is required for already cryopreserved embryos, multiple freeze-thaw cycles occur. Though known to impact live birth rates, the exclusive influence of cryopreservation has not been elucidated. Here, we evaluate the effect of repeated cryopreservation on embryo health and implantation potential. Blastocyst-stage murine embryos were subjected to one, two or three freeze-thaw cycles with fresh embryos serving as a control. Outcomes assessed included post-thaw survival rate, allocation of cells to the inner cell mass (ICM) vs. trophectoderm cell lineages, implantation potential and offspring health. Post-thawing, embryos that were subjected to three freeze-thaw cycles had a significantly lower survival rates compared to embryos that had undergone one cycle (P<0.001). Additionally, the number of ICM cells was significantly reduced in embryos subjected to two or three freeze-thaw cycles compared to fresh or single-cycle embryos (P<0.001). No statistically significant differences were found for pregnancy rate, number of implantations, viable fetuses or resorption sites between treatment groups. We did however, find a non-significant yet interesting trend: three freeze-thaw cycles were associated with a 20% decrease in viable fetuses and a 20% increase in resorption sites compared to one freeze-thaw cycle group. These findings demonstrate that repeated cryopreservation adversely affects embryo health and may decrease implantation potential. Consequently, caution is advised regarding the repeated application of cryopreservation in IVF clinics, underscoring the need for further research to optimise cryopreservation protocols.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 73%