Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2017 Sep;44(3):126-131.
doi: 10.5653/cerm.2017.44.3.126. Epub 2017 Sep 26.

The association of follicular fluid volume with human oolemma stretchability during intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Taketo Inoue  1   2 , Yoshiki Yamashita  1 , Yoshiko Tsujimoto  1 , Shuji Yamamoto  1 , Sayumi Taguchi  1 , Kayoko Hirao  1 , Mikiko Uemura  3 , Kayoe Ikawa  1 , Kazunori Miyazaki  1
Affiliations

The association of follicular fluid volume with human oolemma stretchability during intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Taketo Inoue et al. Clin Exp Reprod Med. 2017 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: Oocyte degeneration often occurs after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and the risk factor is low-quality oocytes. The follicular fluid (FF) provides a crucial microenvironment for oocyte development. We investigated the relationships between the FF volume aspirated from individual follicles and oocyte retrieval, oocyte maturity, oolemma stretchability, fertilization, and development.

Methods: This retrospective study included data obtained from 229 ICSI cycles. Ovarian stimulation was performed according to a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist protocol. Each follicle was individually aspirated and divided into six groups according to FF volume (<1.0, 1.0 to <2.0, 2.0 to <3.0, 3.0 to <4.0, 4.0 to <5.0, and ≥5.0 mL). Oolemma stretchability during ICSI was evaluated using a mechanical stimulus for oolemma penetration, that is, the stretchability was assessed by oolemma penetration with aspiration (high stretchability) or without aspiration (low stretchability).

Results: Oocyte retrieval rates were significantly lower in the <1.0 mL group than in the ≥1.0 mL groups (46.0% [86/187] vs. 67.5%-74.3% [172/255 to 124/167], respectively; p<0.01). Low oolemma stretchability was significantly more common in the <1.0 mL group than in the ≥1.0 mL groups during ICSI (22.0% [13/59] vs. 5.8%-9.4% [6/104 to 13/139], respectively; p=0.018). There was a relationship between FF volume and oolemma stretchability. However, there were no significant differences in the rates of fertilization, cleavage, ≥7 cells at day 3, and blastocyst development among all groups.

Conclusion: FF volume is potentially associated with the stretchability of metaphase II oolemma during ICSI. Regarding oolemma stretchability, ensuring a uniform follicular size during ovarian stimulation is crucial to obtain good-quality oocytes.

Keywords: Fertilization; Gonadotropin-releasing hormone; Infertility; Membranes; Oocytes; Ovarian follicle; Ovulation induction; Sperm injections, Intracytoplasmic.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

References

    1. Mansour R, Fahmy I, Tawab NA, Kamal A, El-Demery Y, Aboulghar M, et al. Electrical activation of oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a controlled randomized study. Fertil Steril. 2009;91:133–139. - PubMed
    1. Richter KS, Davis A, Carter J, Greenhouse SJ, Mottla GL, Tucker MJ. No advantage of laser-assisted over conventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized controlled trial [NCT001 14725] J Exp Clin Assist Reprod. 2006;3:5. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Krause I, Pohler U, Grosse S, Shebl O, Petek E, Chandra A, et al. Characterization of the injection funnel during intracytoplasmic sperm injection reflects cytoplasmic maturity of the oocyte. Fertil Steril. 2016;106:1101–1106. - PubMed
    1. Ebner T, Moser M, Sommergruber M, Puchner M, Wiesinger R, Tews G. Developmental competence of oocytes showing increased cytoplasmic viscosity. Hum Reprod. 2003;18:1294–1298. - PubMed
    1. Iwayama H, Hochi S, Yamashita M. Low stretching ability of human oolemma during piezo-ICSI as a risk factor on post-injection survival and implantation. J Mamm Ova Res. 2010;27:150–156.