Pregnancy after the calcium ionophore correction of pronuclei position in oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
OBJECTIVE
To report a successful pregnancy after transfer of embryos derived from oocytes after calcium ionophore correction of the pronuclei localization after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI).


METHODS
Case report.


METHODS
University hospital.


METHODS
A 30-year-old patient and her 30-year-old husband, diagnosed with asthenoteratozoopermia, underwent ICSI because of three unsuccessful IUI attempts.


METHODS
Thirteen metaphase II oocytes were injected with morphologically normal spermatozoa and immediately divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 7) was the untreated control and in group 2 (n = 6), the oocytes were treated with 10 μM calcium ionophore solution for 20 minutes at 37°C in 6% CO(2). The fertilization was checked 18 hours later and location of pronuclei in cytoplasm was assessed. Transfer of two embryos was performed on the third day after oocyte retrieval.


METHODS
Pregnancy after transfer of embryos after calcium ionophore correction of pronuclei localization.


RESULTS
Fertilized zygotes from calcium ionophore-treated oocytes with physiologically normal central localization of pronuclei were chosen for ET. Clinical pregnancy was confirmed at 7 weeks of gestation.


CONCLUSIONS
Post-ICSI calcium ionophore activation of oocytes can be used for correction of the pronuclei localization, which can increase developmental rate of embryos.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Women Hospital Ulm, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany. e.isachenko@yahoo.de
Evgenia
E
Isachenko
Vladimir
V
Isachenko
Plamen
P
Todorov
Vasiliy
V
Ostashko
Rolf
R
Kreienberg
Manfred
M
Kaufmann
Karl
K
Sterzik
Inka
I
Wiegratz
D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007476:Ionophores / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D011247:Pregnancy; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017388:Zygote Intrafallopian Transfer
D007476:Ionophores; D002118:Calcium