Table 1.
Basic Patient information.
Figure 1.
Pregnancy outcome of patients with a normal (Control), low (Group A) and high (Group B) frequency of oocytes with a dark zona pellucida.
There were no significant differences between the three groups in terms of miscarriages and live births. However, the fertilization rates (IVF; 59.4 vs. 76.3%, resp. ICSI 67.7 vs. 82.3%), rate of top quality embryos (51.7 vs. 66.0%), implantation rates (18.6 vs. 34.5%) and clinical pregnancy rates (25.0 vs. 53.3%) was significantly different (*: P<0.0167) between the control versus Group B. The likelihood of the fertilization rate, rate of top quality embryos, implantation rate, and live birth rate after IVF/ICSI treatment and specific study factors (Control group, Group A, and Group B) was presented as the odds ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI). Each bar represents a 95% CI.
Table 2.
Number of retrieved and mature oocytes, and fertilization and cleavage rates.
Figure 2.
Human mature oocytes with a normal (A) and dark (B) zona pellucida.
Scale bar (A, B): 100 µm.
Figure 3.
The electron density of normal (A, C) and dark zona pellucida (B, D).
Scale bar (A, B): 1 µm. Scale bar (C, D): 500 nm.
Figure 4.
Dense cortical granules (CG) and microvilli (MV) in oocytes from control and oocytes with a dark zona pellucid.
A rim of electron-dense cortical granules (arrows) was observed just beneath the oolemma of the MII oocytes with a DZP and MII oocytes in the control group (B, A). Microvilli are numerous and long on the oolemma in each group (A, B). MV: microvilli; CG: cortical granules; PVS: perivitelline space; O: oocyte. Scale bar (A, B): 500 nm.
Figure 5.
Ultrastructural differences in the mitochondria of normal versus oocytes with a dark zona pellucida, and the morphological characteristics and density of mitochondria in normal versus oocytes with a dark zona pellucida.
The arched cristae were determined using electron microscopy (A). Mitochondrial cristae had a spherical or oval shape and presented arch-like cristae, which were located peripherally or transversely (arrows, A). In oocytes with a DZP, an intimate relationship between the SER and abnormal mitochondria was observed (arrows, B); numerous abnormal mitochondria with vesicle complexes (C); distribution and density of mitochondria were similar to the control. The whole part of the oolemma was filled with small and large vacuoles and abnormal mitochondria (arrows, D). M: Mitochondria; AM: abnormal mitochondria; V: vacuole; V1: vesicles encircled by flattened mitochondria; SER: smooth endoplasmic reticulum associated with mitochondria; Scale bar (A, B, C, and D): 500 nm. The rate of abnormal mitochondria was significantly lower in the control group (16.4 vs. 38.7%) (E). There were no significant differences between groups with long diameter/short diameter (1.73 vs. 1.62) and the density of mitochondria in each cytoplasm (1.16 vs. 1.12/µm2) (F and G). Bars indicated the standard deviation (SD) of the mean. *: compared with the control group, the abnormal mitochondria was significantly increased (P<0.05) in oocytes with a DZP. Note: Abnormal mitochondria rate: the number of abnormal mitochondria/total number of mitochondria; density of mitochondria: number of mitochondria/µm2.