Clinical and molecular aspects of autologous embryo-cumulus cells co-culture in ifv programs

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Abstract

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of autologous embryo-cumulus cells co-culture in assisted reproductive technology (ART) programs for infertility treatment, as well as to analyze metabolic profile of culture media after culturing cumulus cells.

Materials and methods: 127 married couples who underwent infertility treatment using ART were tested. Embryological indicators and treatment effectiveness were assessed. The prospective study of metabolome in cumulus cells and culture media after cumulus cells co-culture was performed by high performance liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry using 90 samples of culture media after culturing cumulus cells, 90 samples of cumulus cells, as well as 10 control samples of culture media without cumulus cells.

Results: The prospective study of the influence of embryo-cumulus cells co-culture on the morphology of blastocysts and possibility of their implantation versus standard-based method using conventional culture media was performed. The study showed that autologous embryo-cumulus cells co-culture reduces the chances of implantation in women of late reproductive age by 1.2 times, and is not advisable for young patients. At the same time, co-culture significantly increases the number of high-quality blastocysts suitable for cryopreservation in the general cohort. This results in a greater likelihood of having a child with the use of a single ovarian stimulation protocol. Assessment of metabolism of cumulus cells showed that in culture media, co-cultivation increases the concentration of some amino acids (leucine, valine, serine) and amino-acid containing dipeptides. The obtained data suggest that cumulus cells are involved in lipid metabolism, initiating fatty acid oxidation, which is essential for normal embryonic development.

Conclusion: The results obtained in this study suggest that it is reasonable to refuse embryo-cumulus cells co-culture in women aged over 36 years, who had multiple IVF failures in anamnesis. Autologous embryo-cumulus cells co-culture significantly increases the number of high-quality embryos in young women.

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About the authors

Gunay R. Asfarova

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Author for correspondence.
Email: asfarovag@gmail.com

postgraduate student, B.V. Leonov Department of Assisted Technologies for the Treatment of Infertility

Russian Federation, Moscow

Veronika Yu. Smolnikova

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: v_smolnikova@oparina4.ru

Dr. Med. Sci., Leading Researcher at the B.V. Leonov Department of Assisted Technologies for the Treatment of Infertility

Russian Federation, Moscow

Natalya P. Makarova

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: np_makarova@oparina4.ru

Dr. Bio. Sci., Leading Researcher, B.V. Leonov Department of Assisted Technologies for the Treatment of Infertility

Russian Federation, Moscow

Mikhail Yu. Bobrov

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: m_bobrov@oparina4.ru

PhD, Head of Molecular Pathophysiology Laboratory

Russian Federation, Moscow

Chupalav M. Eldarov

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: ch_eldarov@oparina4.ru

PhD, Senior Researcher at Molecular Pathophysiology Laboratory

Russian Federation, Moscow

Boris V. Zingerenko

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: b_zingerenko@oparina4.ru

Junior Researcher at the B.V. Leonov Department of Assisted Technologies for the Treatment of Infertility

Russian Federation, Moscow

Elena A. Kalinina

Academician V.I. Kulakov National Medical Research Center for Obstetrics, Gynecology and Perinatology, Ministry of Health of Russia

Email: e_kalinina@oparina4.ru

Dr. Med. Sci., Professor, Head of the B.V. Leonov Department of Assisted Technologies for the Treatment of Infertility

Russian Federation, Moscow

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2. Fig. Multivariate OPLS-DA statistical analysis comparing a group of culture media containing cumulus cells with control media without cells

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