The effects of different types of media on maturation outcomes of human germinal vesicle oocytes retrieved in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles.

Objective: Optimizing maturation (IVM) media to achieve better outcomes has been a matter of interest in recent years. The aim of this prospective clinical trial was to investigate the effects of different media on the IVM outcomes of immature oocytes at the germinal vesicle (GV) stage.

Methods: A total of 400 immature oocytes at the GV stage with normal morphology were retrieved from 320 infertile women aged 31±4.63 years during stimulated intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles. They were divided into groups of homemade IVM medium (I, n=100), cleavage medium (II, n=100), blastocyst medium (III, n=100), and Sage IVM medium (IV, n=100) and cultured for 24 to 48 hours at 37℃. ICSI was performed, and the rates of fertilization and embryo formation were compared across the four groups.

Results: In the 400 retrieved GV oocytes, the total maturation rates showed significant differences in groups I to IV (55%, 53%, 78%, and 68%, respectively, <0.001). However, there were no significant differences in the fertilization, embryo formation, or arrest rates of metaphase II oocytes across these groups. In all groups, GV maturation was mostly completed after 24 hours, with fewer oocytes requiring 48 hours to mature (<0.01). Moreover, the rate of high-quality embryos was higher in group IV than in the other groups (=0.01).

Conclusion: The quality of the IVM medium was found to affect clinical IVM outcomes. Additionally, blastocyst medium may be a good choice in IVM/ICSI cycles as an alternative IVM medium.