Effect of Partial Laser Assisted Hatching on Mouse Embryos

레이져를 이용한 부분적 보조부화술이 생쥐 수정란의 부화에 미치는 효과

Objective: The present study was performed to investigate the efficiency of partial laser assisted hatching (p-LAH; lased 1/2 ZP width from ZP edge) on hatching of mouse blastocysts. Methods: We used non-contact $1.48{\mu}m$ diode laser (MTM, Switzland) to create a precise hole on zona pellucida. 2-cell embryos were collected from the mouse (ICR) oviduct at 48 hours after hCG administration. Collected 2-cell embryos were cultured in the P-1 medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA. For experiments, embryos at 8-cell stage were used after $20{\sim}22$ hours in culture. After conventional (c-LAH) or partial laser assisted hatching, the embryos were further cultured in P-1 medium supplemented with 0.4% BSA for 3 days. To compare efficiency of complete and partial laser assisted hatching, hatching rate, hatching time and blastocyst diameter and zona pellucida thickness at hatching time were investigated. Embryos were examined every 12 hours. Blastocyst diameter and zona pellucida thickness at hatching time were measured with an ocular micrometer. Results: Hatching rates of p-LAH group (84.2%) was significantly higher than that of control group (39.3%), but there was no difference between the p-LAH (84.2%) and c-LAH (91.2%). p-LAH group was hatched 12 hours earlier than control group, but hatched 12 hours later than c-LAH group. The diameter of blastocyst at hatching time of p-LAH group ($113.1{\pm}6.4{\mu}m$) was smaller than that of control group ($122.2{\pm}5.0{\mu}m$), but larger than that of c-LAH group ($102.2{\pm}2.7{\mu}m$). Zona pellucida thickness at hatching time of p-LAH group ($6.4{\pm}0.9{\mu}m$) was thicker than that of control group ($4.5{\pm}1.5{\mu}m$), but thinner than that of c-LAH group ($10.0{\pm}0.8{\mu}m$). Conclusion: These results suggest that p-LAH may maintains the cell arrangement of early embryos to ensure successful development and prevent precocious hatching of blastocyst when compare to c-LAH and conventional (acidic tyrode) AH. Thus, p-LAH may provide a valuable and effective AH technique for human ART program.