Data of the present study suggest a group of shrunken blastocysts contains many viable and clinically available embryos and time-lapse observation of vitrified-warmed blastocysts is a potential method to distinguish viable embryos from shrunken blastocysts.
Purpose
In vitro
maturation (IVM) of human oocytes offers an invaluable opportunity for infertility treatment. However,
in vitro
matured oocytes often show lower developmental abilities than their
in vivo
counterparts, and molecular mechanisms underlying successful maturation remain unclear. In this study, we investigated gene expression profiles of
in vitro
matured oocytes at the single‐cell level to gain mechanistic insight into IVM of human oocytes.
Methods
Human oocytes were retrieved by follicular puncture and
in vitro
matured. In total, 19 oocytes from 11 patients were collected and subjected to single‐cell RNA‐seq analyses.
Results
Global gene expression profiles were similar among oocytes at the same maturation stage, while a small number of oocytes showed distinct transcriptomes from those at the corresponding maturation stage. Differential gene expression analysis identified hundreds of transcripts that dynamically altered their expression during IVM, and we revealed molecular pathways and upstream regulators that may govern oocyte maturation. Furthermore, oocytes that were delayed in their maturation showed distinct transcriptomes. Finally, we identified genes whose transcripts were enriched in each stage of oocyte maturation.
Conclusions
Our work uncovers transcriptomic changes during human oocyte IVM and the differential gene expression profile of each oocyte.
In human sperm cryopreservation, test yolk buffer and human serum albumin have been used as permeating macromolecular-weight cryoprotectants. In clinical reproductive medicine, human serum albumin is frequently used because of low risks of zoonoses and allergic reactions. However, the risk of allogeneic infectious diseases exists, and the supply may be unstable because human serum albumin is derived from human blood. Therefore, the development of xeno-free human sperm cryopreservative reagents that could overcome the aforementioned problems is warranted. We succeeded in developing a new xeno-free and defined sperm cryopreservation reagent containing glycerol, carboxylated poly-l-lysine, and raffinose. The cryopreservation reagent was not significantly different in terms of sperm motility, viability, and DNA fragmentation and was comparable in performance to a commercial cryopreservation reagent containing human serum albumin. Moreover, the addition of saccharides was essential for its long-term storage. These results may help elucidate the unknown function of macromolecular-weight permeating cryoprotective agents.
Aim: This study aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of a controlled-release dinoprostone vaginal delivery system (PROPESS) and a metreurynter for labor induction. Methods: This retrospective case-controlled study included 117 pregnant women (51 and 66 in the PROPESS and metreurynter groups, respectively) who required labor induction after >37 weeks' gestation at Mie University Hospital between January 2018 and September 2020. The primary outcome was the success rate of vaginal delivery. The secondary outcomes were changes in the Bishop score from the first insertion of PROPESS or the metreurynter to removal, uterine hyperstimulation and non-reassuring fetal status during the first insertion, proportion of pregnant women who needed pre-delivery oxytocin after removal, time to vaginal delivery after the first insertion, proportion of pregnant women who delivered vaginally within 12 or 24 h after the first insertion, and neonatal outcomes. Results: The proportion of pregnant women, especially primiparas, who delivered vaginally was significantly higher in the PROPESS group (26/34 [76.5%]) than in the metreurynter group (25/52 [48.1%]; p = 0.01). Moreover, among multiparas in the PROPESS group who delivered vaginally, nine (56.3%) out of 16 women delivered vaginally within 3 h of labor onset. Conclusions: PROPESS for cervical ripening may reduce the risk of undergoing cesarean section in pregnant women requiring labor induction, especially primiparas. It is important to consider the possibility of precipitate labor when using the PROPESS in multiparas.
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