Naoharu Morimoto1,2,3, Shu Hashimoto4, Masaya Yamanaka1, Manabu Satoh1, Yoshiharu Nakaoka1, Atsushi Fukui3, Yoshiharu Morimoto5, Hiroaki Shibahara3. 1. IVF Namba Clinic, Osaka, 550-0015, Japan. 2. Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. 3. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, 663-8501, Japan. 4. Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University, Osaka, 545-8585, Japan. hashimoto@ivfnamba.com. 5. HORAC Grand Front Osaka Clinic, Osaka, 530-0011, Japan.
Abstract
PURPOSE: Laevo (l)-carnitine plays important roles in reducing the cytotoxic effects of free fatty acids by forming acyl-carnitine and promoting beta-oxidation, leading to alleviation of cell damage. Recently, the mitochondrial functions in morula has been shown to decrease with the maternal age. Here, we assessed the effect of l-carnitine on mitochondrial function in human embryos and embryo development. METHODS: To examine the effect of L-carnitine on mitochondrial function in morulae, 38 vitrified-thawed embryos at the 6-11-cell stage on day 3 after ICSI were donated from 19 couples. Each couple donated two embryos. Two siblings from each couple were divided randomly into two groups and were cultured in medium with or without 1 mM L-carnitine. The oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) were measured at morula stage. The development of 1029 zygotes cultured in medium with or without L-carnitine was prospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Addition of L-carnitine to the culture medium significantly increased the OCRs of morulae and improved the morphologically-good blastocyst formation rate per zygote compared with sibling embryos. Twenty healthy babies were born from embryos cultured in L-carnitine-supplemented medium after single embryo transfers. CONCLUSION(S): L-carnitine is a promising culture medium supplement that might be able to counteract the decreased mitochondrial function in human morula stage embryos.
PURPOSE: Laevo (l)-carnitine plays important roles in reducing the cytotoxic effects of free fatty acids by forming acyl-carnitine and promoting beta-oxidation, leading to alleviation of cell damage. Recently, the mitochondrial functions in morula has been shown to decrease with the maternal age. Here, we assessed the effect of l-carnitine on mitochondrial function in human embryos and embryo development. METHODS: To examine the effect of L-carnitine on mitochondrial function in morulae, 38 vitrified-thawed embryos at the 6-11-cell stage on day 3 after ICSI were donated from 19 couples. Each couple donated two embryos. Two siblings from each couple were divided randomly into two groups and were cultured in medium with or without 1 mM L-carnitine. The oxygen consumption rates (OCRs) were measured at morula stage. The development of 1029 zygotes cultured in medium with or without L-carnitine was prospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Addition of L-carnitine to the culture medium significantly increased the OCRs of morulae and improved the morphologically-good blastocyst formation rate per zygote compared with sibling embryos. Twenty healthy babies were born from embryos cultured in L-carnitine-supplemented medium after single embryo transfers. CONCLUSION(S): L-carnitine is a promising culture medium supplement that might be able to counteract the decreased mitochondrial function in human morula stage embryos.
Authors: Martina Placidi; Giovanna Di Emidio; Ashraf Virmani; Angela D'Alfonso; Paolo Giovanni Artini; Anna Maria D'Alessandro; Carla Tatone Journal: Antioxidants (Basel) Date: 2022-04-08