Lin David Pei-Cheng, Huang Chun Chia, Wu Hui Mei, Cheng Tzu Chun, Chen Chung I, Lee Maw Sheng
Institute of Biochemistry, Chung Shan Medical University, ROC, Taichung, Taiwan.
Fertil Steril. 2004 Jan;81(1):73-9. doi: 10.1016/j.fertnstert.2003.05.005.
To quantify the mitochondrial DNA contents in human embryos with good or poor quality at the 8-cell stage.
Prospective study.
Private infertility clinic.
PATIENT(S): Five women aged 24 to 34 years.
INTERVENTION(S): Embryos obtained in standard superovulation and embryo culture procedures.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy numbers in human embryos at cleavage stage were quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction, in an effort to correlate with morphology.
RESULT(S): The grade 8A embryos contained a mean mtDNA copy number at 1163937 (n = 8, from three patients); grade 8B embryos, at 939345 (n = 5, from two patients); grade 8C(+) embryos, at 637872 (n = 12, from 5 patients); and grade 8C(+) embryos derived from 3PN zygotes, at 300429 (n = 3, from a single patient).
CONCLUSION(S): Great variations were found among blastomeres from a single embryo and among embryos from a single patient. The native variations of mtDNA copy number may affect developmental ability irrespective of morphology.
