Study in Human Oocyte Cryopreservation - Essay Example

This was achieved through examining the biophysical attributes of oocytes under sub-zero conditions, which were employed in deriving an optimized freezing protocol. To attain the primary aim of the research, questions such as “what is the median temperature at which intracellular ice formation occurs in human oocytes?” “How readily does intracellular ice formation (IIF) occur in human oocytes?” and “what is the effect of extracellular seeding on human oocytes?” (Trad et al., 1572-73).

These questions were answered through an experimental design that used failed-to-fertilize and fresh oocytes with a germinal vesicle and polyspermic eggs. This design included visualization of how IFF first occurred at a cooling rate of 120OC/min using a programmable thermal microscope stage attached to a video microscope (Trad et al., 1574). It also involved the execution of extracellular seeding at a cooling rate of 0.2 OC/min to decrease the occurrence of IIF and in turn, increase survival rates of the freeze-thawed human oocytes. The design also used distinct cryoprotectants and decreased the median temperature in both mouse and human oocytes (Trad et al., 1575).

The study portrayed that IIF occurs enthusiastically in human oocytes, and detrimental IIF can be avoided, and survival rates maximized. The results portrayed a 78%, 33%, and 0% occurrence of IIF, and the 24 h post-thaw survival rate was 32%, 56%, and 93% respectively (Trad et al., 1576).