Molecular profiling of human oocytes after vitrification strongly suggests that they are biologically comparable with freshly isolated gametes.
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.
Di Pietro
Cinzia
C
Dipartimento di Scienze Biomediche, Sezione di Biologia Generale, Biologia Cellulare, Genetica molecolare G. Sichel, Università degli Studi di Catania, Catania, Italy. dipietro@unict.it
Vento
Marilena
M
Guglielmino
Maria Rosa
MR
Borzì
Placido
P
Santonocito
Manuela
M
Ragusa
Marco
M
Barbagallo
Davide
D
Duro
Laura Rita
LR
Majorana
Alessandra
A
De Palma
Adele
A
Garofalo
Maria Rita
MR
Minutolo
Elisa
E
Scollo
Paolo
P
Purrello
Michele
M
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