Day-3 embryo metabolomics in the spent culture media is altered in obese women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether the global metabolomic profile of the spent culture media (SCM) of day-3 embryos is different in obese and normoweight women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Design: Prospective cohort analysis.

Setting: IVF clinic.

Patient(s): Twenty-eight young, nonsmoking women with normoweight, nonsmoking male partners with mild/normal sperm factors undergoing a first IVF attempt for idiopathic infertility, tubal factor infertility, or failed ovulation induction: obese ovulatory women (n = 12); obese women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS; n = 4); normoweight ovulatory women (n = 12).

Intervention(s): Fifty μl of SCM collected from two day-3 embryos of each cohort.

Main outcome measure(s): Metabolomic profiling via ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry of SCM from a total of 56 embryos.

Result(s): The untargeted metabolomic profile was different in obese and normoweight women. Partial least squares discriminant analysis resulted in a clear separation of samples when a total of 551 differential metabolites were considered. A prediction model was generated using the most consistent metabolites. Most of the metabolites identified were saturated fatty acids, which were detected in lower concentrations in the SCM of embryos from obese women. The metabolomic profile was similar in obese women with or without PCOS.

Conclusion(s): The metabolomic profile in the SCM of day-3 embryos is different in normoweight and obese women. Saturated fatty acids seem to be reduced when embryos from obese patients are present.

Clinical trial registration number: NCT01448863.

Keywords: Day-3 embryos; female obesity; metabolomics; saturated fatty acids; spent culture media.