Oocyte morphology and early zygote cleavage does not appear to be related to intrafollicular concentrations of inhibin-A or -B.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to investigate the relationship of intrafollicular inhibin dimers A and B with human oocyte morphology and subsequent embryo potential.


METHODS
Sixty-eight oocytes were isolated from 31 women undertaking intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin, sex hormone-binding globulin, inhibin-A and inhibin-B was assayed in corresponding follicular fluid.


RESULTS
The mean (+/- SD) concentration for inhibin-A was 9.7 +/- 9.8 ng/ml (range, 1.1-60.0 ng/ml) and for inhibin-B was 269.4 +/- 185.2 ng/ml (range, 33.1-811.0 ng/ml). In a correlation matrix there were no marked relationships (r < 0.556) between inhibin and steroid or gonadotropin concentrations. Similarly, when inhibin concentrations were divided according to whether the oocytes had mature or immature cumulous complexes, were viable or necrotic, were meiotically immature or mature, became fertilized or not, or had different embryo gradings after cleavage, no statistically significant difference could be seen between groupings.


CONCLUSIONS
Because the range of values was large and the data often skewed, neither inhibin dimer has discriminatory power to reflect the potential of the oocyte.
Li
J
J
ART Centre, First Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Sciences, Guang Zhou, China.
Cooke
S
S
Tyler
J P
JP
Bentley
M J
MJ
Kime
L
L
Driscoll
G L
GL
D000328:Adult; D002970:Cleavage Stage, Ovum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007265:Inhibins; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D008597:Menstrual Cycle; D008875:Middle Aged; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic / Q000379:methods*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D015053:Zygote / Q000166:cytology*
D006133:Growth Substances; D010455:Peptides; D029584:Prostatic Secretory Proteins; C043076:beta-microseminoprotein; C094377:inhibin-alpha subunit; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007265:Inhibins; D011388:Prolactin; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone