title: Noninvasive assays of in vitro matured human oocytes showed insignificant correlation with fertilization and embryo development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recently, the upgrading of in vitro maturation (IVM) of human oocytes as a promising strategy has emerged in assisted reproductive technology (ART). The goal was to evaluate the correlation of the in vitro matured oocytes selected on the basis of the zona pellucida (ZP) birefringence and meiotic spindles (MS) detection with fertilization and subsequent embryo development in ICSI program.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 168 immature oocytes [germinal vesicle (n = 140) and metaphase I (n = 28)] obtained from patients undergoing oocytes retrieval for ICSI. After in vitro culture for 24-40 h, 112 (67 %) oocytes reached to MII stage. Using a polarized microscopy, the presence of MS and ZP birefringence were assessed in matured oocytes, followed by ICSI performance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rates of fertilization in oocytes with spindles (51.3 %) were similar to that of the oocytes without spindles (50.7 %; P = 1.00). Moreover, the fertilization rates in high birefringence (HB) oocytes was not statistically different than oocytes with low birefringence (LB) (P = 0.44). The findings also showed that 64.9 % of the fertilized oocytes developed to embryos, in which 33.3 % were derived from spindle-detected oocytes. Regarding the ZP birefringence, 35.5 % of the embryos were derived from HB oocytes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There were insignificant relationships between the MS detection and ZP birefringence score with the rates of fertilization and embryo development in IVM oocytes.
authors: Research and Clinical Center for Infertility, Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
authors: Sareh
authors: S
authors: Ashourzadeh
authors: Mohammad Ali
authors: MA
authors: Khalili
authors: Marjan
authors: M
authors: Omidi
authors: Seyed Nooraldin Nematollahi
authors: SN
authors: Mahani
authors: Seyed Mehdi
authors: SM
authors: Kalantar
authors: Abbas
authors: A
authors: Aflatoonian
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Habibzadeh
mesh_terms: D001718:Birefringence; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization; D006801:Humans; D059471:In Vitro Oocyte Maturation Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D008677:Metaphase; D054315:Oocyte Retrieval; D009865:Oocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009866:Oogenesis; D010062:Ovulation Induction / Q000379:methods; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D008941:Spindle Apparatus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000648:ultrastructure*