Co-culture with assisted hatching of human embryos using Buffalo rat liver cells.
Commercially obtained Buffalo rat liver (BRL) cells were grown in monolayer culture. The effect of BRL cell co-culture with assisted hatching on embryo development, implantation and pregnancy was investigated in a population of 200 'first-time' in-vitro fertilization (IVF) patients, subdivided into three groups according to the methods of fertilization [IVF; intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI); ICSI/IVF]. Assisted hatching was performed on all embryos chosen for transfer. Following co-culture, the overall embryo quality, implantation rate and pregnancy rates were not significantly different from the controls. However, when grouped according to fertilization method, co-culture was found to have an impact on pregnancy and implantation rates in the group undergoing conventional IVF. Using co-culture with assisted hatching, we were able to achieve a 58% (38/65) clinical pregnancy rate with a 49% (32/65) live birth rate and a 26% (60/235) implantation rate. No changes in the pregnancy and implantation rates were apparent in ICSI or ICSI/IVF subgroups. This is the first prospective, randomly controlled study which reports the use of BRL cell co-culture for human IVF for a large number of patients undergoing IVF for the first time.
Hu
Y
Y
Northwest Centre for Infertility and Reproductive Endocrinology, Margate, FL 33063, USA.
Maxson
W
W
Hoffman
D
D
Ory
S
S
Eager
S
S
Dupre
J
J
Worrilow
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D010064:Embryo Implantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000502:physiology*; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology*; D008423:Maternal Age; D011247:Pregnancy; D011256:Pregnancy Outcome; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D051381:Rats; D011915:Rats, Inbred BUF