Effect of sequential versus single-step culture medium on IVF treatments, including embryo and clinical outcomes: a prospective randomized study

• Published in: Archives of gynecology and obstetrics Vol. 305; no. 3; pp. 757 - 765
• Main Authors: Tao, Ping, Zhou, Weidong, Yan, Xiaohong, Wu, Rongfeng, Cheng, Ling, Ye, Yuanyuan, Wang, Zhanxiang, Li, Youzhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.03.2022; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Clinical outcomes; Culture Media; DNA methylation; Embryo Culture Techniques; Embryos; Endocrinology; Female; Fertilization in Vitro; Gynecologic Endocrinology and Reproductive Medicine; Gynecology; Human Genetics; Humans; In vitro fertilization; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Obstetrics; Obstetrics/Perinatology/Midwifery; Ovulation; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Rate; Prospective Studies; Reproductive health; Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; Culture media; Single-step; Embryo compaction; Sequential; Embryo culture; Embryo quality
• ISSN: 0932-0067; 1432-0711
• DOI: 10.1007/s00404-021-06219-z

Purpose Sequential media G5 series (Vitrolife) and single-step medium Continuous Single Culture Complete (CSC-C) (Irvine Scientific) are two different culture media. We want to examine difference between culturing effects of the two media. Methods To compare the fertilization and early embryo development, a prospective randomized controlled trial with sibling oocytes in infertile patients, aged ≤ 45 years with ≥ 8 oocytes (226 cycles) was conducted. Each half of the retrieved oocytes from the same patient were randomly allocated to two culture media separately. The remaining fresh cycles were randomly assigned to two culture media during the same period (179 cycles). We compared the clinical outcomes based on the total fresh ET cycles in this periods, in which the transferred embryos were only from one culture medium. Results Embryo outcomes: 226 cycles, included 176 IVF and 50 ICSI cycles, were analyzed, which correspond to 3518 inseminated or micro-injected oocytes. Clinical outcomes: 71 (CSC-C) and 71 (G5 series) fresh ET cycles were compared. There were no significant differences in clinical outcomes and general fertilization rate. However, the fertilization rate was superior in the CSC-C when compared with G5 in ICSI cycles (76.51% vs. 67.25%, P  = 0.008). In addition, the compacted embryo development rate was significantly higher in CSC-C on day 3. The cycles that had compacted embryos on day 3 demonstrated better outcomes both in embryos as well as clinically. Conclusions CSC-C had higher fertilization rates than G5 series in ICSI cycles. In addition, the compaction rates of day 3 embryos were significantly higher in CSC-C.