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Updated: Jul 6, 2026
09:12
In Vitro Model of Fetal Human Vessel On-chip to Study Developmental Mechanobiology
Published on: July 28, 2023
Vascular endothelial growth factor level changes during human embryo development in culture medium
Paolo Giovanni Artini1, Valeria Valentino, Patrizia Monteleone
1Department of Reproductive Medicine and Child Development, Division of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. g.artini@obgyn.med.unipi.it
Summary
Human embryos synthesize vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during development. Blastocysts show significantly higher VEGF levels in culture medium compared to earlier stages, indicating its importance in embryo development.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Embryology
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Embryo implantation involves complex interactions between embryo and endometrium.
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is implicated in human blastocyst development and implantation processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels during different stages of human embryo development in vitro.
- To quantify VEGF concentrations in human embryo culture medium.
Main Methods:
- Assisted reproduction techniques, specifically in vitro fertilization with intracytoplasmic sperm injection and blastocyst transfer.
- Culture of human oocytes and embryos in vitro.
- Measurement of VEGF concentrations in the culture medium at different developmental stages (oocytes, pronuclear, blastocyst).
Main Results:
- Significantly higher vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were detected in the culture medium at the blastocyst stage.
- VEGF levels at the blastocyst stage (12.16 +/- 2.80 pg/ml) were compared to those at the pronuclear stage (13.58 +/- 2.32 pg/ml) and microinjected oocytes (12.80 +/- 3.45 pg/ml).
Conclusions:
- Human blastocysts actively synthesize vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) during their development.
- The findings suggest a significant role for VEGF in human embryo development and potentially implantation.
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