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Review
. 2014 Mar;32(2):141-52.
doi: 10.1055/s-0033-1363556. Epub 2014 Feb 10.

Metabolomic assessment of embryo viability

Asli Uyar  1 , Emre Seli  1
Affiliations
Review

Metabolomic assessment of embryo viability

Asli Uyar et al. Semin Reprod Med. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Preimplantation embryo metabolism demonstrates distinctive characteristics associated with the developmental potential of embryos. On this basis, metabolite content of culture media was hypothesized to reflect the implantation potential of individual embryos. This hypothesis was tested in consecutive studies reporting a significant association between culture media metabolites and embryo development or clinical pregnancy. The need for a noninvasive, reliable, and rapid embryo assessment strategy promoted metabolomics studies in vitro fertilization (IVF) in an effort to increase success rates of single embryo transfers. With the advance of analytical techniques and bioinformatics, commercial instruments were developed to predict embryo viability using spectroscopic analysis of surplus culture media. However, despite the initial promising results from proof-of-principal studies, recent randomized controlled trials using commercial instruments failed to show a consistent benefit in improving pregnancy rates when metabolomics is used as an adjunct to morphology. At present, the application of metabolomics technology in clinical IVF laboratory requires the elimination of factors underlying inconsistent findings, when possible, and development of reliable predictive models accounting for all possible sources of bias throughout the embryo selection process.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Alteration of carbohydrate metabolism and protein synthesis during preimplantation embryo development. In the early stages of development, TCA cycle predominate using pyruvate and lactate as the main sources of energy. From the zygote stage to compaction, glycolysis becomes increasingly more utilized for energy production and at last glucose is consumed preferentially at the blastocyst stage. Protein synthesis, on the other hand, is regulated through embryonic genome activation that occurs at 4- to 8-cell stage in human and is associated with degradation of maternal mRNAs and initiation of embryonic transcription. mRNA, messenger RNA; TCA, tricarboxylic acid.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Metabolomic assessment of embryo viability through spectroscopic analysis of spent culture media and computerized predictive models.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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