Influence of embryo transfer on blastocyst viability.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the impact of injection speeds of the transferred load on embryo viability.


METHODS
Laboratory model for in vitro simulation of embryo transfer (ET).


METHODS
Academic research institutes of reproduction biotechnology and private centers of reproductive medicine.


METHODS
Mouse hybrid F1 females, C57bl/10J × CBA-H (N = 15), aged 2 to 3 months.


METHODS
In vitro exposure of mouse blastocysts to either fast ET with an ejection speed of the transferred load of >1 m/s or slow ET with an ejection speed of <0.1 m/s.


METHODS
Morphologic changes and apoptotic index of blastocysts.


RESULTS
Morphologic changes in response to ET were most prevalent in blastocysts exposed to fast ET. The mean apoptotic index was 52% in the group exposed to fast ET, 25% in the group exposed to slow ET, and 12.8% in control group.


CONCLUSIONS
Fast ejection of the transferred load can trigger both morphologic changes and apoptosis in mouse blastocysts. A reduction of the ejection speed of the transferred load minimizes injury to the embryos. Therefore, embryos should be transferred at the lowest possible speed.
Grygoruk
Cezary
C
Center for Reproductive Medicine BOCIAN, Bialystok, Poland. cezary.grygoruk@gmail.com
Sieczynski
Piotr
P
Modlinski
Jacek A
JA
Gajda
Barbara
B
Greda
Pawel
P
Grad
Izabela
I
Pietrewicz
Piotr
P
Mrugacz
Grzegorz
G
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001755:Blastocyst / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D004624:Embryo Transfer / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011247:Pregnancy