Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-dfsvx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T10:59:11.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Sample preparations are important for fluorescence in situ hybridization of cells biopsied from preimplantation embryos

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 January 2013

Lifei Li
Affiliation:
The Reproductive Medicine Research Center of the 1st Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu Province 730000, China.
Xuehong Zhang
Affiliation:
The Reproductive Medicine Research Center of the 1st Hospital of Lanzhou University, Gansu Province 730000, China.
Weihua Wang*
Affiliation:
Houston Fertility Institute, 2500 Fondren Rd., Suite 350, Houston, Texas, USA.
*
All correspondence to Weihua Wang, Houston Fertility Institute, 2500 Fondren Rd., Suite 350, Houston, Texas, USA. Fax: +1 713 782 752. e-mail: wangweihua11@yahoo.com

Summary

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a cytogenetic technology used to detect chromosomal abnormalities in preimplantation human embryos. However, its efficiency is not stable due to improper sample preparation. The present study was designed to modify the current sample preparation technique and then to evaluate its efficiency in human preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Day 3 cleavage embryos as well as day 5 and 6 blastocysts were biopsied by mechanical aspiration method. In the present study, two methods were used for sample preparation of the biopsied cells. Method I was the traditional method, in which each blastomere was placed in a hypotonic solution for 5 min and then fixed on glass slides. The slides were kept at room temperature before the FISH procedures. Method II was a modified method, in which all blastomeres were placed individually in hypotonic solution drops covered by oil for at least 5 min and then fixed on slides with 0.1% Tween/HCl. After fixation, the slides were kept at –20°C for at least 30 min before the FISH procedures. The two methods were compared in terms of time consumption and proportions of blastomeres with FISH signals. In total, 329 blastomeres from day 3 embryos were fixed by Method I with an average fixation time of 8–10 min for each blastomere. By contrast, with Method II, 362 blastomeres were fixed and the average time was 3–4 min for each blastomere. After FISH, more nuclei had signals with Method II (97.2%) than with Method I (86.9%). All cells that were biopsied from blastocysts and prepared with Method II had FISH signals. However, Method I was not suitable for the fixation of multiple cells biopsied from blastocysts as cells were not traceable during the fixation. The present study indicates that proper sample preparation is critical for obtaining FISH signals in cells biopsied from preimplantation human embryos; hence these modifications can increase the efficiency of human PGD.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Coonen, E., Dumoulin, J.C.M., Ramachers, F.C.S. & Hopman, A.H.N. (1994). Optimal preparation of preimplantation embryo interphase nuclei for analysis by fluorescence in-situ hybridization. Hum. Reprod. 9, 533–7.Google Scholar
Dozortev, D.I. & McGinnis, K.T. (2001). An improved fixation technique for fluorescence in situ hybridization for preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Fertil. Steril. 76, 186–8.Google Scholar
Munne, S., Wells, D. & Cohen, J. (2010). Technology requirements for preimplantation genetic diagnosis to improve assisted reproduction outcome. Fertil. Steril. 94, 408–30.Google Scholar
Tarkowski, A.K. (1966). An air drying method for chromosome preparations for mouse eggs. Cryogenetics 5, 394400.Google Scholar
Velilla, E., Escudero, T. & Munne, S. (2002). Blastomere fixation techniques and risk of misdiagnosis for PGD of aneuploidy. Reprod. Biomed. Online 4, 210–7Google Scholar
Xu, K., Huang, T., Tiezheng, L., Zhongmig, S. & Rosenwaks, Z. (1998). Improved the fixation method for preimplantation genetic diagnosis for fluorescent in-situ hybridization. J. Assisted Reprod. Genet. 13, 570–4.CrossRefGoogle Scholar