G Hartshorne1, S Montgomery, L Klentzeris. 1. Centre for Reproductive Medicine, Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom. hx@dna.bio.warwick.ac.uk
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To study a couple for whom all oocytes failed to mature during three attempts at IVF/ICSI treatment. Our aims were (a) to promote oocyte maturation in vitro and (b) to identify the stage of maturation arrest. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Infertility treatment center with academic research links. PATIENT(S): Couple with unexplained infertility. INTERVENTION(S): Exogenous gonadotropin stimulation culminating in the retrieval of eight oocyte-cumulus complexes that were exposed to gonadotropins for 24 hours in vitro. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Observation of oocyte cumulus complexes, measurements of oocyte diameter, oocyte chromatin staining with Hoechst 33258. RESULT(S): The cumulus complexes varied in appearance and expanded in vitro, but yielded immature oocytes. Germinal vesicle breakdown occurred in all oocytes and chromatin was consistent with arrest at entry into M-phase. The oocytes were of a size normally competent to mature. CONCLUSION(S): Infertility in this couple was attributed to the failure of oocytes to enter M-phase. This was not overcome by exposure to gonadotropins in vitro nor associated with incompetence due to small oocyte size.
OBJECTIVE: To study a couple for whom all oocytes failed to mature during three attempts at IVF/ICSI treatment. Our aims were (a) to promote oocyte maturation in vitro and (b) to identify the stage of maturation arrest. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: Infertility treatment center with academic research links. PATIENT(S): Couple with unexplained infertility. INTERVENTION(S): Exogenous gonadotropin stimulation culminating in the retrieval of eight oocyte-cumulus complexes that were exposed to gonadotropins for 24 hours in vitro. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Observation of oocyte cumulus complexes, measurements of oocyte diameter, oocyte chromatin staining with Hoechst 33258. RESULT(S): The cumulus complexes varied in appearance and expanded in vitro, but yielded immature oocytes. Germinal vesicle breakdown occurred in all oocytes and chromatin was consistent with arrest at entry into M-phase. The oocytes were of a size normally competent to mature. CONCLUSION(S): Infertility in this couple was attributed to the failure of oocytes to enter M-phase. This was not overcome by exposure to gonadotropins in vitro nor associated with incompetence due to small oocyte size.
Authors: Ruizhi Feng; Zheng Yan; Bin Li; Min Yu; Qing Sang; Guoling Tian; Yao Xu; Biaobang Chen; Ronggui Qu; Zhaogui Sun; Xiaoxi Sun; Li Jin; Lin He; Yanping Kuang; Nicholas J Cowan; Lei Wang Journal: J Med Genet Date: 2016-06-06 Impact factor: 6.318