Role of total antioxidant capacity and oxidative stress in fertilization and embryo selection in the IVF cycle

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the oxidant and antioxidant parameters in follicular fluid and embryo culture medium in IVF cycles and investigate their effects on embryo quality, fertilization success, and pregnancy. Materials and Methods: Fifty-one patients who underwent IVF/ICSI were included in this prospective study. Two hundred sixty of a total of 454 follicular fluids and the cell culture media of transferred fifty-one embryos (one from each patient) were examined. Antioxidant activity (AOA), Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), thiobarbiturate reactive substances (TBARS), ferric antioxidant power (FRAP), paraoxonase, nitrotyrosine were analyzed. Results: TBARS were significantly lower in the follicular fluid of fertilized oocytes than in non-fertilized oocytes (21 vs. 29.75 nmol/ml). There was no difference in terms of other parameters. TEAC levels were higher in oocytes in the agonist protocol group than in the antagonist protocol group. In terms of embryo quality, there were no differences between the groups in any analysis. TEAC levels were higher in the embryo cell culture medium in the group that became pregnant after embryo transfer on the second day. Conclusion: When oxidative stress and antioxidant parameters were evaluated in both follicle fluid and embryo cell culture medium, it was determined that lipid peroxidation negatively affected fertilization. However, there is no significant difference in terms of embryo quality and pregnancy rates.

Keywords

• ivf
• oksidatif stres
• embriyo kalitesi
• ivf
• oxidative stres
• embryo quality