Autologous mature follicular fluid: its role in in vitro maturation of human cumulus-removed oocytes.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of autologous mature follicular fluid (FF) on the in vitro maturation (IVM) outcome of human cumulus-removed oocytes from routine stimulated ovaries, particularly on the IVM co-culture outcome with autologous cumulus cells.


METHODS
Prospective comparison study.


METHODS
A provincial reproductive medicine and research center.


METHODS
A total of 196 germinal vesicle (GV) and 192 metaphase I (MI) stage oocytes were recruited from 151 infertile women by ovarian stimulation for routine intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) program.


METHODS
Two novel IVM systems assisted with either autologous mature FF alone or both autologous mature FF and autologous cumulus cells were developed to mature in vitro MI and GV stage oocytes, respectively. A standard IVM system was used as the control.


METHODS
Cumulative IVM rate of oocytes and the subsequent fertilization, cleavage, and preimplantation embryonic development.


RESULTS
By adding autologous mature FF to the medium of the IVM system, the nuclear maturation of human cumulus-removed oocytes was significantly promoted in both speed and rate, but not the corresponding fertilization, cleavage, and preimplantation embryonic development.


CONCLUSIONS
Autologous mature FF favors the IVM of human cumulus-removed oocytes, including the IVM co-culture with autologous cumulus cells, mainly in nuclear, but not cytoplasmic, maturation.
Zhu
Xiao-Ming
XM
Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Women's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Zhu
Yi-Min
YM
Xu
Chen-Ming
CM
Qian
Yu-Li
YL
Jin
Fan
F
Huang
He-Feng
HF
D000328:Adult; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016922:Cellular Senescence; D054885:Cumulus Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval / Q000379:methods*