Embryo developmental potential of microsurgically corrected human three-pronuclear zygotes

Abstract

We explored the embryo development potential of human three-pronuclear (3PN) zygotes reduced to two-pronuclear (2PN) zygotes (3 → 2PN zygotes) by micropuncture. In this study, there were three groups, the 3 → 2PN group (338 zygotes), the non-corrected 3PN group (381 zygotes), and the normal 2PN group (359 zygotes). The first cleavage mode (2-cell cleavage or 3-cell cleavage), 6–8 cell embryogenesis rate, high-quality embryogenesis rate and Day 5/Day 6 blastulation rate were compared between the three groups. The success rate of enucleation was 92.9%. The 2-cell cleavage rate was significantly higher in the 3 → 2PN group (74.3%) than in the 3PN group (36.4%) (P < 0.05), but had no statistical difference compared with the 2PN group (86.0%) (P > 0.05). The 6–8 cell embryogenesis rate was significantly higher in the 3 → 2PN group (91.1%) as compared to the 2PN group (85.6%) (P < 0.05), but had no statistical difference compared with the 3PN group (95.0%) (P > 0.05). Total blastulation rate was significantly higher in the 2PN group (58.8%) as compared to the 3PN group (21.5%) (P < 0.01), and in the 3 → 2PN group as compared to the 3PN group (5.6%) (P < 0.01). Also D5 blastulation rate was significantly higher in the 2PN group (53.7%) as compared to the 3 → 2PN group (8.9%) (P < 0.01), and in the 3 → 2PN group as compared to the 3PN group (1.9%) (P < 0.01). In 3 → 2PN zygotes, the first cleavage mode is mainly 2 cells which is significantly higher than that in 3PN zygotes. Compared with 3PN zygotes, the embryo developmental potential of 3 → 2PN zygotes is improved, but still is lower than that in 2PN zygotes.

• Blastula
• micropuncture
• polyspermic fertilization
• three-pronuclear zygotes

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this paper.

This study was supported by National Natural Science Foudation of China(NSFC) (No.31271605), Henan Province Programs for Science and Technology Development (No.122300410077) and Henan Province Medical Programs for Science and Technology Development (No.20130307).

Author contributions

Conceived and designed the study: H-xJ, Y-pS; Performed the study: H-xJ, S-jD; Analyzed the data: W-yS, G-dY, S-lS; Wrote the manuscript: H-xJ.