ASSESSMENT OF EMBRYO POTENTIAL BY VISUAL AND METABOLIC EVALUATION

Citation
M. Rondeau et al., ASSESSMENT OF EMBRYO POTENTIAL BY VISUAL AND METABOLIC EVALUATION, Theriogenology, 44(3), 1995, pp. 351-366
Citations number
46
Categorie Soggetti
Veterinary Sciences
Journal title
ISSN journal
0093691X
Volume
44
Issue
3
Year of publication
1995
Pages
351 - 366
Database
ISI
SICI code
0093-691X(1995)44:3<351:AOEPBV>2.0.ZU;2-Q
Abstract
Morphological evaluation of embryos is essential to the success of emb ryo transfer procedures and is presumed to reflect embryo metabolic ac tivity. To investigate this assumption, correlations between morpholog ical and metabolic parameters were determined for cultured murine moru lae. After 18 h (n = 47) or 36 h (n = 48) of culture in M16, the devel opmental rate and quality (poor or good) of embryos were estimated, an d, then, either their C-14-glucose utilization or S-35-methionine upta ke and incorporation were measured. Retarded developing, or poor-quali ty embryos had lower mean glucose utilization, uptake and incorporatio n rates than normally developing or good-quality embryos (P < 0.05) Af ter 18 h of culture, an association was found between developmental ra te and metabolic activity, but this was not evident after 36 h of cult ure. Similarly, an association was found between embryo quality and me tabolic activity. As expected, poor embryo quality was indicative of l ow metabolism throughout the culture period, but good quality did not necessarily indicate normal metabolic activity. Thus, morphological pa rameters do not always reflect metabolic competence, and some function al defects were not detectable by visual evaluation alone. Measuring m etabolic parameters could complement visual evaluation for a better se lection of embryos prior to transfer.