Morphokinetics of early equine embryo development in vitro using time-lapse imaging, and use in selecting blastocysts for transfer
Niamh Lewis
A G H , Karen Schnauffer B , Katrin Hinrichs C , Monica Morganti D , Stephen Troup E and Caroline Argo F
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Neston CH64 7TE, UK.
B Reproductive Health Group, Daresbury Park, Daresbury, Cheshire WA4 4GE, UK.
C College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
D Twemlows Stud Farm, Whitchurch, Shropshire SY132EZ, UK.
E Reproductive Science Consultancy, 3A Kennerley’s Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5EQ, UK.
F North Faculty, Scotland’s Rural College, Craibstone Estate, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB21 9YA, UK.
G Present address: Equine Fertility Solutions, Navan Road, Dublin 7, Ireland.
H Corresponding author. Email: n.lewis@liv.ac.uk
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 31(12) 1851-1861 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD19225
Submitted: 17 June 2019 Accepted: 17 September 2019 Published: 22 October 2019
Abstract
The use of time-lapse imaging (TLI) in the evaluation of morphokinetics associated with in vitro developmental competence is well described for human, cattle and pig embryos. It is generally accepted that embryos that complete early cleavage sooner are more likely to form blastocysts and that timing of later events, such as blastocyst formation and expansion, are predictive of implantation potential and euploid status. In the horse, morphokinetics as a predictor of developmental competence has received little attention. In this study we evaluated the morphokinetics of early equine embryo development in vitro for 144 oocytes after intracytoplasmic sperm injection and report the timings of blastocyst development associated with ongoing pregnancy for the first time. There was a tendency for time of cytoplasmic extrusion and first cleavage to occur earlier in the embryos that went on to form blastocysts (n = 19) compared with those that arrested, and for first cleavage to occur earlier in blastocysts that established pregnancies that were ongoing (n = 4) compared with pregnancies that were lost (n = 2). TLI was clinically useful in identifying blastocysts when evaluation of morphology on static imaging was equivocal.
Additional keywords: horse, intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), IVF, pregnancy, Primo Vision.
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