title: Cryopreservation of unfertilized human oocytes.
abstract: Previous investigations revealed that choline-based freezing media developed in our laboratory were superior to conventional sodium-based media for storing mouse oocytes. This paper examines the ability of the choline-based medium CJ2 and a modified form of this medium, CJ3, to cryopreserve unfertilized human oocytes. Oocytes that were consented for research and matured overnight, as well as freshly collected, donor, mature metaphase II (MII) oocytes, were cryopreserved using choline-based media and an optimized slow-cooling protocol. The results showed higher survival and fertilization rates when CJ3 supplemented with 0.2 mmol/l sucrose was used as compared with CJ2 supplemented with either 0.1 mmol/l or 0.2 mmol/l sucrose. Freshly collected oocytes were more difficult to cryopreserve than those matured in vitro. Modification of the base medium proved to be one of the key factors in obtaining survival rates over 90%. Fertilization rates, embryo development, and genetic analysis of embryos resulting from control and frozen-thawed oocytes are provided. There appears to be a high correlation between chromosomal anomalies and abnormal morphology in embryos from thawed oocytes.
authors.affiliation: Tyho-Galileo Research Laboratories, 101 Old Short Hills Road, Suite 501, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA. James@galileoivf.com
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Stachecki
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garrisi
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Munné
authors.forename: Colleen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: Steen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Willadsen
mesh_terms: D002794:Choline / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003451:Cryoprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003470:Culture Media; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003451:Cryoprotective Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D002794:Choline