Slow and ultrarapid cryopreservation of biopsied mouse blastocysts and its effect on DNA integrity index.

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of slow and ultra-rapid freezing on biopsied blastocysts' DNA integrity.

Methods: Forty eight mouse blastocysts were biopsied of which 16 were cryopreserved by slowly freezing and 17 by vitrification. Fourteen intact blastocysts were slowly cryopreserved and 24 were vitrified.

Factors affecting the outcome of human blastocyst vitrification.

With single blastocyst transfer practice becoming more common in ART, there is a greater demand for a convenient and reliable cryostorage of surplus blastocysts. Vitrification has emerged in the last decade as an alternative promising substitute for slow freezing. Blastocysts represent a unique challenge in cryostorage due to their size, multicellular structure and presence of blastocoele.

Effect of varying equilibration time in a two-step vitrification method on the post-warming DNA integrity of mouse blastocysts.

Objective: To assess the effect of equilibration time on the DNA integrity of vitrified-warmed mouse blastocysts.

Design: Prospective in vitro study.

Setting: Embryology research laboratory.

Mouse blastocyst previtrification interventions and DNA integrity.

Objective: To assess the effect of implementing different previtrification interventions on the postwarming DNA integrity of vitrified blastocysts.

Design: Prospective in vitro study.

Setting: Center for Reproductive Medicine laboratory in a tertiary hospital setting.

Vitrification of isolated mice blastomeres using a closed loading device.

Isolated blastomeres obtained by embryo biopsy serve mainly for preimplantation genetic screening. Blastomeres are undifferentiated embryonic cells that include all the embryo genetic information. A lot of developing technologies may benefit by the efficient cryopreservation of blastomeres for future potential use, especially for stem cell culture and differentiation control.

Evaluation of post-thaw DNA integrity of mouse blastocysts after ultrarapid and slow freezing.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of vitrification and two other methods of slow cryopreservation on DNA integrity in expanded and nonexpanded blastocysts.

Design: Prospective in vitro study.

Setting: Tertiary care academic hospital.