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Related Experiment Videos

Quality control in human in vitro fertilization.

David K Gardner1, Laura Reed, Donald Linck

  • 1Colorado Center for Reproductive Medicine, Englewood, Colorado, USA. dgardner@colocrm.com

Seminars in Reproductive Medicine
|December 1, 2005
PubMed
Summary

The mouse embryo assay (MEA) can assess culture media quality for human in vitro fertilization (IVF) labs. Optimizing MEA conditions and assessing embryos at multiple stages improves detection of subtle developmental impairments, but multiple assays are recommended.

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Area of Science:

  • Reproductive biology
  • Laboratory science
  • Embryology

Background:

  • Quality control (QC) is essential for human in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory accreditation and success.
  • Various assays are used to screen IVF culture media and supplies.
  • The mouse embryo assay (MEA) is a common QC method, but its effectiveness has been debated.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the impact of MEA conditions and embryonic developmental stage on assay outcomes.
  • To explore methods for enhancing the MEA's ability to detect subtle culture system defects.
  • To determine the MEA's utility as a QC tool in human IVF.

Main Methods:

  • Assessing mouse embryos at multiple preimplantation developmental time points.
  • Quantifying key embryonic parameters, including blastocyst cell number.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analyzing the effects of varying MEA assay conditions and embryonic stage selection.

    • Main Results:

    • MEA outcomes are significantly influenced by assay conditions and the embryonic stage used.
    • Assessing embryos at multiple time points and quantifying cell numbers can reveal suboptimal culture components.
    • The MEA can detect not only outright embryonic demise but also impaired development under optimized conditions.

    Conclusions:

    • The MEA, when appropriately conducted, is a valuable supplementary QC tool for human IVF.
    • Optimized MEA protocols can identify subtle culture system defects beyond simple blastocyst formation.
    • Employing multiple QC assays in parallel provides a more comprehensive assessment than a single test.