Register      Login
Reproduction, Fertility and Development Reproduction, Fertility and Development Society
Vertebrate reproductive science and technology
RESEARCH ARTICLE

To QC or not to QC: the key to a consistent laboratory?

Michelle Lane A B C , Megan Mitchell A , Kara S. Cashman A , Deanne Feil A B , Sarah Wakefield A B and Deirdre L. Zander-Fox A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Research Centre for Reproductive Health, Discipline of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia.

B Repromed, Adelaide Fertility Clinic, Dulwich, SA 5065, Australia.

C Corresponding author. Email: michelle.lane@adelaide.edu.au

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 20(1) 23-32 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD07161
Published: 12 December 2007

Abstract

A limiting factor in every embryology laboratory is its capacity to grow ‘normal’ embryos. In human in vitro fertilisation (IVF), there is considerable awareness that the environment of the laboratory itself can alter the quality of the embryos produced and the industry as a whole has moved towards the implementation of auditable quality management systems. Furthermore, in some countries, such as Australia, an established quality management system is mandatory for clinical IVF practice, but such systems are less frequently found in other embryology laboratories. Although the same challenges of supporting consistent and repeatable embryo development are paramount to success in all embryology laboratories, it could be argued that they are more important in a research setting where often the measured outcomes are at an intracellular or molecular level. In the present review, we have outlined the role and importance of quality control and quality assurance systems in any embryo laboratory and have highlighted examples of how simple monitoring can provide consistency and avoid the induction of artefacts, irrespective of the laboratory’s purpose, function or species involved.


References

Avery, B. , Melsted, J. K. , and Greve, T. (2000). A novel approach for in vitro production of bovine embryos: use of the Oxoid atmosphere generating system. Theriogenology 54, 1259–1268.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Gardner D. K., and Lane M. (1999). Embryo culture systems. In ‘Handbook of In Vitro Fertilization’. (Eds A. O. Trounson and D. K. Gardner.) pp. 81–92. (CRC Press: Boca Raton.)

Gardner, D. K. , Lane, M. , and Schoolcraft, W. B. (2000a). Culture and transfer of viable blastocysts: a feasible proposition for human IVF. Hum. Reprod. 15((Suppl. 6)), 9–23.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Mortimer D., and Mortimer S. (2005). ‘Quality and Risk Management in the IVF Laboratory.’ (Cambridge University Press: Cambridge.)

Orsi, N. M. , and Leese, H. J. (2004). Ammonium exposure and pyruvate affect the amino acid metabolism of bovine blastocysts in vitro. Reproduction 127, 131–140.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed | Tucker K. E., and Jansen C. (2002). The mouse embryo bioassay: is it the ‘gold standard’ for quality control testing in the IVF laboratory? In ‘The Art and Science of Assisted Reproductive Techniques’. (Eds G. N. Allahbadia and R. Basuray Das.) pp. 249–253. (Martin Dunitz: London.)

Virant-Klun, I. , Tomazevic, T. , Vrtacnik-Bokal, E. , Vogler, A. , Krsnik, M. , and Meden-Vrtovec, H. (2006). Increased ammonium in culture medium reduces the development of human embryos to the blastocyst stage. Fertil. Steril. 85, 526–528.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Wakayama, S. , Thuan, N. V. , Kishigami, S. , Ohta, H. , Mizutani, E. , Hikichi, T. , Miyake, M. , and Wakayama, T. (2004). Production of offspring from one-day-old oocytes stored at room temperature. J. Reprod. Dev. 50, 627–637.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Watkins, A. J. , Platt, D. , Papenbrock, T. , Wilkins, A. , Eckert, J. J. , Kwong, W. Y. , Osmond, C. , Hanson, M. , and Fleming, T. P. (2007). Mouse embryo culture induces changes in postnatal phenotype including raised systolic blood pressure. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 104, 5449–5454.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Wrenzycki, C. , Herrmann, D. , Keskintepe, L. , Martins, A. , Sirisathien, S. , Brackett, B. , and Niemann, H. (2001). Effects of culture system and protein supplementation on mRNA expression in pre-implantation bovine embryos. Hum. Reprod. 16, 893–901.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |

Zander, D. L. , Thompson, J. G. , and Lane, M. (2006). Perturbations in mouse embryo development and viability caused by ammonium are more severe after exposure at the cleavage stages. Biol. Reprod. 74, 288–294.
Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | PubMed |