Abstract
Vol.41 No.1
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Factors affecting the survival of mammalian oocytes and embryos after cryopreservation
JMOR, 41(1) 9-13, 2024
The permeability of the plasma membrane to water and permeating cryoprotectants is important for the survival of mammalian oocytes and embryos after cryopreservation because it is closely related to major types of cryoinjuries: damages caused by intracellular ice formation, the toxicity of cryoprotectants, and osmotic shrinkage/swelling. Mammalian oocytes and embryos at early cleavage stages have low permeability to water and cryoprotectants and the movements across the plasma membrane are principally dependent on simple diffusion through the lipid bilayer. On the other hand, late stage embryos have high permeability to water and cryoprotectants and the movements across the plasma membrane are principally dependent on diffusion facilitated by aquaporins. Recently, we developed a new equilibrium vitrification method in which mouse embryos at multiple stages were vitrified in a highly dehydrated/concentrated state using solutions containing low concentrations of permeating cryoprotectants. Mouse embryos can be vitrified using this method without skilled techniques, miniature devices and a programmable freezer, and they can be transported with dry ice.
