title: Molecular profiling of human oocytes after vitrification strongly suggests that they are biologically comparable with freshly isolated gametes.
abstract: To assess the effects of vitrification on the biomolecular profile of oocytes, we analyzed through real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction eight genes encoding critically important proteins for embryo development and compared this partial transcriptome with that of freshly collected gametes isolated from the same women. The comparison of the molecular profiles demonstrated that our vitrification protocol does not alter the biomolecular quality of oocytes: in fact, between the two groups we found the absence of statistically significant variations. Accordingly, this cryopreservation technique might be helpful in preserving women's fertility.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Biologia Generale, Biologia Cellulare, Genetica molecolare G. Sichel, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy. dipietro@unict.it
authors.forename: Cinzia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Di Pietro
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vento
authors.forename: Maria Rosa
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Guglielmino
authors.forename: Placido
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Borzì
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Santonocito
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ragusa
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Barbagallo
authors.forename: Laura Rita
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Duro
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Majorana
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: De Palma
authors.forename: Maria Rita
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Garofalo
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Minutolo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scollo
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Purrello
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020871:RNA Stability / Q000502:physiology; D054928:Validation Studies as Topic; D058989:Vitrification