Detection of endotoxin in human in vitro fertilization by the zona-free mouse embryo assay.
Endotoxin has been found to be a contaminant in human in vitro fertilization (IVF), leading to low pregnancy rates, mostly through embryo fragmentation. We wished to determine if standard quality control assays (one-cell and two-cell mouse embryo culture) were able to detect the presence of endotoxin and how they compared with the zona-free mouse embryo assays. Endotoxin was detected by the zona-free mouse embryo assays but not by the one- or two-cell mouse embryo assays. When excessive embryo fragmentation is noticed in the human IVF system, the use of zona-free mouse embryo assays is recommended.
Montoro
L
L
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of California, San Francisco-Fresno.
Subias
E
E
Young
P
P
Baccaro
M
M
Swanson
J
J
Sueldo
C
C
D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D001755:Blastocyst; D003470:Culture Media; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D004731:Endotoxins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology
D003470:Culture Media; D004731:Endotoxins