Embryonic development in vitro is compromised by the ICSI procedure.
The implantation rates achieved with intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) are equivalent to those with conventional in-vitro fertilization (IVF) but information on embryonic development in vitro after ICSI is scant. In this paper we compare blastocyst formation after IVF and ICSI; we have also investigated the effect of the ICSI procedure with internal control of extrinsic (including paternal) factors. The first series comprised cases of IVF treatment (n = 101) for tubal infertility and ICSI (n = 96) for male infertility. The proportions of embryos developing to the blastocyst stage was significantly lower after ICSI (8.9%, P < 0.001) than after conventional IVF (23.5%). In order to investigate the effect of the ICSI procedure in isolation, blastocyst formation was analysed in a second series of eight cases, in which sibling oocytes were non-selectively subjected to ICSI (n = 78) or IVF (n = 67) with spermatozoa from the same semen sample. It was found that 20% of ICSI embryos and 50% of IVF embryos formed blastocysts (P < 0.01), demonstrating that the ICSI procedure contributes to a reduced capacity for blastocyst formation in vitro.
Griffiths
T A
TA
Reproductive Medicine, BioScience Centre, International Centre for Life, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 4EP, UK.
Murdoch
A P
AP
Herbert
M
M
D000328:Adult; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000502:physiology; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development; D005184:Fallopian Tube Diseases / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000009:adverse effects*