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Maternal age effect on early human embryonic development and blastocyst formation
Author(s) -
Janny Laurent,
Menezo Yves J.R.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
molecular reproduction and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.745
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1098-2795
pISSN - 1040-452X
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1098-2795(199609)45:1<31::aid-mrd4>3.0.co;2-t
Subject(s) - blastocyst , biology , embryo , andrology , oocyte , embryogenesis , zygote , human fertilization , embryo quality , advanced maternal age , genetics , pregnancy , fetus , medicine
In humans, age‐related decline in female fertility can be explained by a reduction in quality either of the older uterus or of the embryos arising from aging oocytes. The aim of this study was to examine the latter hypothesis, using in vitro fertilization (I.V.F.) and coculture of embryos until the blastocyst stage. We determined the blastocyst formation rate ([expanded blastocysts/blastocysts]*100) according to the patient's age the day of I.V.F. With increase in age, the number of retrieved oocytes decreased, without alteration of the cleavage rate. In patients above age 30 years, preimplantation development to blastocysts declined due to an increase in embryo arrest at the morula stage. If blastocyst stage was reached, a negative linear relationship between blastocyst expansion rate and patient age was observed. Drops in gamete production and embryo development with increasing age led to a drastic decrease in patients having at least one expanded blastocyst (<30 years, 82%; ≥40 years, 36%). A high delivery rate per oocyte retrieval (25.8%) was observed in patients above age 40 years after embryo transfer at the blastocyst stage. These results give a clear indication of decline in the quality of human embryos arising from aging oocytes. The origin of this alteration is discussed in terms of chromosome abnormalities, role of maternally‐inherited products from the oocyte, timing of genomic activation, and temporal pattern of gene expression during initial development of the human embryo. © 1996 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.