title: An investigation into the relationship between the metabolic profile of follicular fluid, oocyte developmental potential, and implantation outcome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine whether metabolomic analysis of follicular fluid could prove a useful noninvasive technique for the selection of viable oocytes and embryos.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metabolomic analysis based on proton nuclear magnetic resonance ((1)H NMR) performed on follicular fluid collected from in vitro fertilization (IVF) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  A university research center and a private fertility clinic.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-eight women undergoing IVF treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Follicular fluid collected at the time of oocyte retrieval.
  
  
  METHODS
  Metabolomic profile, assessment of oocyte developmental potential and embryo viability.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The metabolomic profile of follicular fluid from follicles where the oocyte resulted in a fertilized egg that failed to cleave (n = 9) was distinctly different from that where oocytes developed into early cleavage-stage embryos. Discriminating metabolites included glucose, lactate, choline/phosphocholine, and lipoproteins. Comparison of follicular fluid from women who subsequently had a positive β human chorionic gonadotropin (n = 10) to those who were unsuccessful in achieving a pregnancy (n = 12) revealed metabolic differences that were correlated to cycle outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differences in the metabolite composition of follicular fluid correlate with the developmental competence of the human oocyte. Therefore, metabolomic profiling of follicular fluid may prove to be an important technique in gamete/embryo selection.
authors.affiliation: UCD Conway Institute, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science and Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wallace
authors.forename: Evelyn
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cottell
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Gibney
authors.forename: Fionnuala M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: McAuliffe
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wingfield
authors.forename: Lorraine
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brennan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002470:Cell Survival; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D046149:Embryo Culture Techniques; D010064:Embryo Implantation; D004624:Embryo Transfer; D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro; D015571:Follicular Fluid / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D007246:Infertility / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy*; D007494:Ireland; D016018:Least-Squares Analysis; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D055432:Metabolomics / Q000379:methods; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D025341:Principal Component Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers