Lecture 10: Assisted Reproductive Technologies I Flashcards
What are ARTs?
Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) –> refers to methods used to achieve pregnancy artificially, infertility treatments
What are both the Female and Male Causes of Infertility?
Female Factors:
- Tubal Factor where ovulating can be blocked
- PCOS (polysystic ovarian syndrome)
- Endometriosis
- advanced maternal age
- unexplained
Male Factors:
- CAVD (congenital absence of vas deferens)
- vasecomy –> even after reversal can experience infertility
- Varicocele
- spinal cord injury / disease (cancer)
- unexplained
What are some Sperm properties?
- ejaculate in large numbers and can be maintained outised the body
- tolerates cryopreservation
- X and Y chromosome bearing sperm are genetically distinct
What are properties of Oocyte/ Embryo?
- hormonal induction of multiple ovulation
- embryos are free-floating and can be maintained outside the body
- tolerates cryopreservation, bisection, and biopsy
What are properties of Gametes and Pre-implantation Embryos?
- small cell number that is undifferentiated specialized structures (ex. zona pellucida)
- can live outside of body under proper conditions and can withstand cryopreservation
- resilient to manipulation as it adapts with mechanisms to cope with environmental stress
The Applications of ARTs started with;
- Labratory Animals
- Companion Animals
- Livestock
- Human’s
- Non-domestic animals
What are the application for ARTs?
- Overcome poor reproductive function
- diminished/absent capacity to produce viable offspring due to hormonal, anatomical, infectious, or genetic influence - Manage breeding
- Increase reproductive yield
- Preserve valuable genetics
- Facilitate distribution of genetics
- Generate superior/unique individuals through gene editing
- Models for biomedical research
- Reduce disease transmission
What are the 3 main groups you need to understand in order to contribute to Embryo Breeding in animals?
What are the Assisted Reproductive Technologies from least invasiveness, complexity and cost?
What is a way for Hormone Manipulation?
Through the Pharmaceutical Industry:
- estrus synchronization
- ovulation induction
- superovulation –> FSH agonists for follicular growth to produce more molecules for mature egg
- contraception –> birth control
What is Artificial Insemination?
Insertion of sperm directly into woman’s cervix, fallopian tubes, or uterus
- most common method called “Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) in humans
In farm animals: (oocyte retrieval)
- Transcervical
- Laparoscopic
What is Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)?
injection of washed sperm into the uterus with a catheter
- if unwashed, protaglandins are irritated = causing pain
IUI used for:
- moderate male factor –> must have small reduction in motility
- incapability to ejaculate in vagina
- unexplained infertility
What is In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)?
- overcoming varieties of infertility problems (tubual and/or sperm problems)
- oocytes are fertilized outside of body –> fertilized sperm and embryos will be transferred back to uterus
Four-stage procedure:
Stage 1: Hormonal Injection –> follicle development through FSH agonists
Stage 2: Mature eggs are retrieved from ovaries
Stage 3: Eggs fertilized by sperm in vitro
Stage 4: Embryo(s) inserted back into uterus –> at blastocyst stage
What is the development of Human in vitro Embryo?
How does In Vitro Fertilization take place?
Through Embryo Culture:
- undefined vs defined –>[ingredient] mentions
- animal product-free
- growth factors
- anti-oxidants
- Amino Acids and Growth Factors –> important for culture media
What is Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI)?
in vitro fertilization procedure where a single sperm cell is injected directly into cytoplasm of egg
- used for 25-30% cases of infertility due to male factor
Overcomes poor IVF rates:
- when sperm quality is low
- bypasses capacitation
ICSI Development:
- most widely used insemination method (worldwide)
- tools and equipment more successful
