Human embryo development and pregnancies in an homologous granulosa cell coculture system.
OBJECTIVE
Our purpose was to determine the effects of the coculture of embryos on human granulosa cells (GCs) in patients in the first cycle of IVF-ET treatment and in patients with repeated implantation failures and to investigate the presence of specific proteins in a 48-hr GC conditioned medium and the GC ultrastructural characteristics.


METHODS
Eighteen patients with tubal or idiopathic infertility were enrolled in this study: 7 patients (Trial 1) were in the first cycle of IVF-ET treatment and 11 patients (Trial 2) had repeated implantation failures (one to five). Embryos from each patient were cocultured randomly either on homologous granulosa cells or on a conventional culture medium.


RESULTS
At the end of the coculture period (day 5 or 6), 50% of the embryos (Trial 1) reached the blastocyst stage, with respect to 35% in Trial 2. The pregnancy rate per retrieval was 14.2 and 9%, respectively, in Trial 1 and in Trial 2. Many conditioned media showed proteins of 24-29 kDa. and some of them showed additional proteins of 90 kDa. The ultrastructural analysis of GCs showed healthy, metabolically active, protein-synthesizing, and mostly steroidogenic cells.


CONCLUSIONS
GC cultures improve embryo development but not pregnancy rates both in Trial 1 and in Trial 2.
Fabbri
R
R
Infertility and IVF Centre, University of Bologna, Italy.
Porcu
E
E
Marsella
T
T
Primavera
M R
MR
Cecconi
S
S
Nottola
S A
SA
Motta
P M
PM
Venturoli
S
S
Flamigni
C
C
D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology*; D018920:Coculture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D006107:Granulosa Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000628:therapy; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism
D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D011506:Proteins