Clinical and Experimental Reproductive Medicine  2017;44(4):193-200

doi:10.5653/cerm.2017.44.4.193

Effects of laser-assisted hatching and exposure time to vitrification solution on mouse embryo development.

Hye Jin KIM 1 ; Sung Baek PARK ; Jung Bo YANG ; Young Bae CHOI ; Ki Hwan LEE

Affiliations

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Keywords

Blastulation; Laser assisted hatching; Mouse embryo; Vitrification

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of laser-assisted hatching (LAH) and various vitrification times for embryonic development and blastocyst cell numbers. METHODS: First, 2-cell and 8-cell embryos were collected by flushing out the oviducts. In the control groups, they were vitrified for 8 or 10 minutes without LAH. The LAH groups underwent quarter laser zona thinning-assisted hatching before vitrification (4, 6, and 8 minutes or 4, 7, and 10 minutes, respectively). After incubation, double-immunofluorescence staining was performed. RESULTS: The hatched blastocyst rate 72 hours after the 2-cell embryos were thawed was significantly higher in the 2LAH-ES8 group (33.3%) than in the other groups (p < 0.05). In the control-8 group (22.1±4.6), the cell number of the inner cell mass was higher than in the LAH groups (p < 0.05). The number of trophectoderm cells was higher in the 2LAH-ES6 group (92.8±8.9) than in the others (p < 0.05). The hatched blastocyst rate 48 hours after the 8-cell embryos were thawed was higher in the 8LAH-ES4 group (45.5%) than in the other groups, but not significantly. The inner cell mass cell number was highest in the 8LAH-ES7 group (19.5±5.1, p < 0.05). The number of trophectoderm cells was higher in the 8LAH-ES10 group (73.2±12.1) than in the other groups, but without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: When LAH was performed, 2-cell embryos with large blastomeres had a lower hatched blastocyst rate when the exposure to vitrification solution was shorter. Conversely, 8-cell embryos with small blastomere had a higher hatched blastocyst rate when the exposure to vitrification solution was shorter.