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2010-03-01
Use of sub optimal oil can have negative effect on embryo development |
| Most clinics today use oil to cover embryo culture media in culture dishes in order to maintain stable temperature, osmolality and pH.
The quality of such oil plays a very important role for the success of IVF. If using a sub optimal oil for overlay of media, embryo development can be affected. |
Peroxidised oil can become toxic |
Mineral oil is produced from crude oil. After refining, the resulting oil may contain harmful residues, such as aromatic and non saturated substances. They may be harmful either directly or by making the oil more prone to forming peroxides. Peroxides function as reactive oxygen species causing radicals that damage DNA and other molecules in the cells.
Further refined oil contains mostly paraffins, which are less reactive, hence less prone to oxidation.
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The effect of peroxidation |
Japanese researchers Otsuki et al wanted to investigate a problem of embryo development, and sent the oil they were using for analysis of hydrogen peroxide(1).
Results showed an elevation of peroxide, even in unopened bottles and before the expiry date had passed. With elevated levels of peroxide, embryo development, especially blastocyst development, was seriously affected.
Otsuki et al concludes "Results strongly suggest that toxic effects of the mineral oil used in our laboratory were due to peroxidation during transport and/or storage by the supplier and/or distributor. Importantly, significant peroxide elevation was detected in unopened mineral oils that still had not reached the expiration date. The use of such oils was associated with significant decreases in fertilisation, cleavage, and blastocyst development rates".
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HSA in media further decreased toxic effect |
Otsuki et al made a follow up study(2) to investigate if HSA in the culture media was in any way associated with the toxic effect of peroxides. It was found that HSA functions as a carrier of the toxic agents in the peroxidised oils and hence lowers the time it takes for cells to become affected by the peroxides. The higher the concentration of peroxides in the oil, the shorter time or cells to become affected by the peroxides.
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OVOIL™ by Vitrolife is not washed with HSA containing medium |
Culture media commonly contains HSA, making it even more important to use peroxide-free oil for IVF procedures. A number of manufacturers wash their oil with HSA-containing medium. This practice may become a double edged sword.
As Otsuki et al describes: "because albumin has both lipophilic and hydrophilic binding sites, washing with a medium containing albumin may lower both toxic lipophilic and toxic hydrophilic contaminations in the mineral oil. However, it is possible that the oil becomes susceptible to oil peroxidation because of unsaturated fatty acids, which may be released from the dissolved albumin".(2)
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OVOIL™ tested for peroxides and embryo development |
Embryo development and viability was evaluated using oils from 6 different manufacturers. (3) Embryos cultured under OVOIL™ showed significantly better development (p<0.01) on all embryos viability parameters studied; number of cells in the trophectoderm and in the inner cell mass, and the total number of cells in the blastocyst.
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REF
1. Otsuki, J. et al. Peroxidation of mineral oil used in droplet culture is detrimental to fertilization and embryo development. Fertil Steril 2007;88:741-743
2. Otsuki, J et al. Damage of embryo development caused by peroxidized oil and its assocaiation with albumin in culture. Fertil & Steril. 2009;91:1745-1749
3. Linck D, SIRT, Australia 2008.
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