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The interaction between the environment and embryo development in assisted reproduction
Urban Besenfelder1, Vitezslav Havlicek1
1Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Vienna, Austria.
Animal Reproduction
|September 13, 2023
Summary
Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) can bypass natural selection, potentially impacting embryo development. Understanding in vivo and in vitro factors is crucial for improving ART success rates in animals.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Science
- Reproductive Biology
- Embryology
Background:
- Natural selection and developmental conditions optimize animal embryogenesis for healthy offspring.
- Assisted reproductive techniques (ARTs) bypass natural selection, using expanded germ cell pools and external embryo culture.
- Extracorporeal embryo culture and in vivo stress significantly influence early embryonic development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent techniques focusing on the Fallopian tube's complex processes.
- To contrast in vivo and in vitro prerequisites for early embryonic development.
- To identify new strategies for enhancing the feasibility of ARTs.
Main Methods:
- Review of current literature on assisted reproductive techniques.
- Comparative analysis of in vivo and in vitro embryonic development models.
- Focus on extracorporeal embryo culture and its impact on bovine embryos.
Main Results:
- ARTs involve culturing embryos outside the natural environment, posing risks to normal development.
- In vitro production and metabolic/endocrine changes offer insights into embryonic development.
- Understanding in vivo and in vitro conditions is key to identifying developmental abnormalities.
Conclusions:
- ARTs require careful consideration of factors influencing early embryonic development.
- Further research into the Fallopian tube environment can optimize ART protocols.
- Developing more feasible ARTs is essential for animal reproductive health.
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