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Purpose: In the current study, our aim was to demonstrate that EmbryoScope incubation conditions is comparable to standard laboratory incubation circumstances by comparing embryo quality, development and ongoing pregnancy rates between the EmbryoScope (ES) and a standard incubator (SI). We analyzed 478 embryos from 60 couples undergoing oocyte donation were included in the study., Methods: All embryos retrieved from a patient were randomly distributed in the ES or SI. We calculated blastocyst development rate, blastocyst viability and ongoing pregnancy rate for embryo transfers from ES, SI and mixed (one embryo from the ES and one from the SI). Statistical analysis was conducted by Chi square tests, considering p < 0.05 significant., Results: No significant differences were found between the ES and SI from all the parameters evaluated., Conclusions: Thus we concluded that time-lapse monitoring in the EmbryoScope does not impair embryo quality while allowing for morphological, spatial and temporal analysis of embryo development.

Objective: To compare embryologic and clinical outcomes in terms of preimplantation development, implantation, pregnancy rates, and secretome profile of implanted blastocysts from the preimplantation genetic diagnosis program grown in sequential versus endometrial epithelial cell (EEC) coculture system., Design: Retrospective clinical study and prospective experimental study., Setting: In vitro fertilization clinical unit and university research laboratory., Intervention(s): Blastomere biopsy, embryo culture, blastocyst transfer, and protein analysis of the media conditioned from implanted embryos obtained from coculture and sequential systems., Main Outcome Measure(s): Clinical study: blastocyst, implantation, and gestation rates in own and donated oocytes. Experimental study: differential protein analysis of implanted embryos grown in coculture system versus sequential system., Result(s): Of the 12,377 embryos analyzed, the blastocyst rates were 56.0% versus 45.9% in the coculture versus the sequential system, respectively, with own oocytes. With ovum donation, the rates were 70.5% versus 56.4%, respectively. Reproductive outcomes in terms of pregnancy rates (39.1% vs. 27.5%) and implantation rates (33.3% vs. 20.9%,) were statistically higher in EEC coculture versus sequential media. Furthermore, the protein profile of the EEC coculture versus the sequential system was obtained. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) was the most secreted protein by the EEC culture. Further ELISA experiments showed that the IL-6 present in the sequential medium diminished in implanted blastocysts., Conclusion(s): The coculture system favors blastocyst development and implantation rates, given the contribution of the factors secreted by endometrial epithelial cells, such as IL-6., (Copyright 2010 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: New approaches for non-invasive embryo-quality assessment are among the major goals in Reproductive Medicine. We hypothesize that the detection of changes in the protein profile of the culture media in which blastocysts are cultured could be a potential indicator of the viability of the embryo and, thus, a useful tool for selecting the more appropriate blastocysts to be transferred., Methods: Using protein-array technology, we analysed the protein profile corresponding to 24 h conditioned media of blastocysts that implanted versus those that did not implant. A statistical approach was followed to compare each of these media versus a medium in the absence of blastocysts (control medium). In addition, a gene ontology functional analysis-including those proteins showing a statistical difference among conditions-was performed, and a network with the predicted functional partners and corresponding relationships was obtained., Results: The soluble TNF receptor 1 and IL-10 increased significantly and MSP-alpha, SCF, CXCL13, TRAILR3 and MIP-1beta decreased significantly when the protein profile of the blastocyst culture medium was compared with the control medium. CXCL13 (BLC) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor was also decreased significantly in the implanted blastocyst media compared with that in media from the non-implanted counterparts with a similar morphology. None of the proteins included in the array was increased significantly in the implanted blastocyst-conditioned media., Conclusions: The differences identified in the protein profile of the culture media in the presence of implanted versus non-implanted blastocysts can be considered a new non-invasive approach in the search for new tools to diagnose blastocyst viability.