Use of mineral oil in IVF culture systems: physico-chemical aspects, management, and safety

Scarica, Catello; Borini, Andrea; Borini, Andrea; Pontemezzo, Elena; Bonanni, Valentina; Santis, Lucia De; Zacà, Carlotta; Coticchio, Giovanni

doi:10.1007/s10815-022-02479-z

Cited by 6 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 31 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Such a constraint likely derives from the enhanced in and out unwanted solute exchanges between oil and medium when drop volume is progressively reduced. Oil has been shown to sequester from the culture medium apolar solutes such as steroid hormones and release toxic solutes like alkenals, aldehydes, triton X-100, etc., damaging embryo development [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. This concept seems to be in contrast with the present findings, as the calculated surface/volume ratio during single microwell culture is 2.85, i.e., approximately equal to the ratio of 2.5 µL drops (approximating the drop geometry to a hemisphere) in which bovine zygotes reportedly do not successfully develop to the blastocyst stage.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…According to these concepts, different studies were addressed to improve the in vitro embryo culture conditions, reducing the volume of the culture medium drops under mineral oil [18,19]. However, reduced drop volumes exerted detrimental impacts on bovine embryo development [20], likely due to the increased surface exposed to oil relative to the drop volume, resulting in a higher in and out exchange of apolar solutes between the oil and medium [21][22][23][24][25][26][27]. Vajta et al (2021) introduced a semi-confined group culture procedure, termed "Well of the Well" (WOW), whereby multiple embryos individually reside within microwells while sharing a common drop of medium with the other embryos (reviewed in [1]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Individually Cultured Bovine Zygotes Successfully Develop to the Blastocyst Stage in an Extremely Confined Environment

Travaglione,

Candela,

De Gregorio

et al. 2024

Cells

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The possibility of detecting the developmental competence of individually cultured embryos through analysis of spent media is a major current trend in an ART setting. However, individual embryo culture is detrimental compared with high-density group culture due to the reduced concentration of putative embryotropins. The main aim of this study was to identify an individual culture system that is not detrimental over high-density group culture in the bovine model. Blastocyst rates and competence were investigated in a conventional (GC) group, semi-confined group (MG), and individual culture (MS) in a commercial microwell device. Main findings showed that: (1) individual embryos can be continuously cultured for 7 days in ~70 nL microwells (MS) without detrimental effects compared with the GC and MG; (2) MS and MG blastocysts had a reduced number of TUNEL-positive cells compared to GC blastocysts; (3) though blastocyst mean cell numbers, mitochondrial activity, and lipid content were not different among the three culture conditions, MS blastocysts had a higher frequency of small-sized lipid droplets and a reduced mean droplet diameter compared with GC and MG blastocysts. Overall, findings open the way to optimize the development and competence of single embryos in an ART setting.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individually Cultured Bovine Zygotes Successfully Develop to the Blastocyst Stage in an Extremely Confined Environment

Travaglione,

Candela,

De Gregorio

et al. 2024

Cells

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Therefore, removal of IVP plates to manipulate, apply treatment, or undergo a necessary procedure (e.g., fertilization) for oocytes and embryos can influence pH and embryo developmental potential. Covering media with mineral oil not only limits media evaporation but it also can assist with maintaining the pH [67,68]. Without the utilization of mineral oil, the pH can increase within the first 1-2 min of plates being exposed to a non-gassed atmosphere and take 30-35 min to reequilibrate [69].…”

Section: Accumulation Of Reactive Species With In Vitro Productionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Overview of Reactive Oxygen Species Damage Occurring during In Vitro Bovine Oocyte and Embryo Development and the Efficacy of Antioxidant Use to Limit These Adverse Effects

Keane,

Ealy

2024

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The in vitro production (IVP) of bovine embryos has gained popularity worldwide and in recent years and its use for producing embryos from genetically elite heifers and cows has surpassed the use of conventional superovulation-based embryo production schemes. There are, however, several issues with the IVP of embryos that remain unresolved. One limitation of special concern is the low efficiency of the IVP of embryos. Exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS) is one reason why the production of embryos with IVP is diminished. These highly reactive molecules are generated in small amounts through normal cellular metabolism, but their abundances increase in embryo culture because of oocyte and embryo exposure to temperature fluctuations, light exposure, pH changes, atmospheric oxygen tension, suboptimal culture media formulations, and cryopreservation. When uncontrolled, ROS produce detrimental effects on the structure and function of genomic and mitochondrial DNA, alter DNA methylation, increase lipid membrane damage, and modify protein activity. Several intrinsic enzymatic pathways control ROS abundance and damage, and antioxidants react with and reduce the reactive potential of ROS. This review will focus on exploring the efficiency of supplementing several of these antioxidant molecules on oocyte maturation, sperm viability, fertilization, and embryo culture.

show abstract

“…The efficacy of ART relies heavily on maintaining stringent control over environmental conditions to ensure the optimal development of in vitro embryos ( Wale and Gardner, 2016 ; Cairo Consensus Group, 2020 ). However, the combined toxicity resulting from various environmental pollutants, chemicals, and physical factors presents a significant threat to the viability and health of developing embryos ( Scarica et al , 2022 ). The use of devices during IVF procedures has raised concerns regarding their potential embryotoxic effects.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disposables used cumulatively in routine IVF procedures could display toxicity

Delaroche,

Besnard,

Ouary

et al. 2024

Human Reproduction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

STUDY QUESTION Is there a cumulative toxicity of disposables used in IVF procedures? SUMMARY ANSWER A toxicity may be detected when consumables are used cumulatively, while no toxicity is detected when the same consumables are used and tested individually. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Many components of items used in IVF laboratories may impair human embryonic development. Consequently, it is necessary to screen all reagents and materials which could be in contact with gametes and embryos. Toxicity tests, such as the mouse embryo assay and the human sperm motility assay (HSMA), are used by manufacturers as quality control tools to demonstrate the safety of their products. This evaluation is currently individually performed for each single consumable. However, during an IVF cycle, several devices are used sequentially, potentially creating a cumulative exposure to chemical contaminants, which could not be detected for individually tested consumables. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION The objective of this observational study conducted from March 2021 to October 2022 was to evaluate with the HSMA methodology if there was a cumulative toxicity when several disposables are sequentially used. Fourteen categories of consumables currently used in routine IVF procedures were studied, which included devices used for sperm and oocyte collection (cups, condoms, and oocyte aspiration needles), manipulation (flasks, tubes, tips, pipettes, embryo transfer catheters, syringes, and gloves), culture (dishes), and storage (straws). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS After obtaining patient consent, the surplus semen assessed as having normal parameters according to the World Health Organization 2010 criteria were used to perform the HSMAs. First, each consumable was tested individually. Then, associations of three, four, and five consumables, previously validated as non-toxic when tested individually, were analyzed. HSMAs were conducted three times to ensure reproducibility, with a defined toxicity threshold of a sperm motility index (SMI) below 0.85 in at least two of three tests. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Thirty-six references of disposables were first individually tested across 53 lots. Forty-nine (92%) demonstrated compliance. However, four (8%) devices revealed toxicity: one lot of 1 ml syringes, two lots of sperm cups, and one lot of 25 cm2 flasks. These four references were excluded from the IVF routine procedures. A total of 48 combinations of consumables were assessed, involving 41 lots from 32 references that were previously individually tested. Among the evaluated combinations, 17 out of 48 (35%) associations exhibited toxicity with a SMI below 0.85 for two of the three tests (n = 8) or all the three tests (n = 9). Notably, three out of 17 (18%) of the three-consumable associations, five out of 16 (31%) of the four-consumable associations, and nine out of 15 (60%) of the five-consumable associations were found not compliant. The toxicity did not originate from a single consumable, because only consumables that were individually pre-validated as non-toxic were included in the combinations, but the toxicity had a cumulative origin. The risk of cumulative toxicity increased with the number of consumables included in the association (Cochran–Mantel–Haenszel statistic, P = 0.013). LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION The high proportion of non-compliant combinations of disposables can be attributed directly to the extreme rigorous extraction conditions employed during the tests, which could deviate from the conditions encountered in routine clinical use. Also, the methodology employed in the HSMAs (e.g. toxicity extraction duration, sperm concentrations, and protein supplementation of the medium) can influence the sensitivity of the tests. WIDER IMPLICATIONS OF THE FINDINGS This study highlights the significance of performing toxicity testing on devices before introducing them into clinical practice. Disposables should be tested individually to detect immediate toxicities and also in combination. Our results advocate rationalizing the number of consumables used in each IVF procedure and re-evaluating the use of glass consumables. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTEREST(S) This study received fundings from GCS Ramsay Santé pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche (Paris, France) and the Centre de Biologie Médicale BIOGROUP (Le Chesnay-Rocquencourt, France). The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the reported research. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER N/A.

show abstract

Use of mineral oil in IVF culture systems: physico-chemical aspects, management, and safety

Cited by 6 publications

References 31 publications

Individually Cultured Bovine Zygotes Successfully Develop to the Blastocyst Stage in an Extremely Confined Environment

Individually Cultured Bovine Zygotes Successfully Develop to the Blastocyst Stage in an Extremely Confined Environment

An Overview of Reactive Oxygen Species Damage Occurring during In Vitro Bovine Oocyte and Embryo Development and the Efficacy of Antioxidant Use to Limit These Adverse Effects

Disposables used cumulatively in routine IVF procedures could display toxicity

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About