Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities

Leary, Christine; Leese, Henry J.; Sturmey, Roger G.

Abstract

STUDY QUESTION Is the developmental timing and metabolic regulation disrupted in embryos from overweight or obese women? SUMMARY ANSWER Oocytes from overweight or obese women are smaller than those from women of healthy weight, yet post-fertilization they reach the morula stage faster and, as blastocysts, show reduced glucose consumption and elevated endogenous triglyceride levels. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY Female overweight and obesity is associated with infertility. Moreover, being overweight or obese around conception may have significant consequences for the unborn child, since there are widely acknowledged links between events occurring during early development and the incidence of a number of adult disorders. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We have performed a retrospective, observational analysis of oocyte size and the subsequent developmental kinetics of 218 oocytes from 29 consecutive women attending for ICSI treatment and have related time to reach key developmental stages to maternal bodyweight. In addition, we have measured non-invasively the metabolic activity of 150 IVF/ICSI embryos from a further 29 consecutive women who donated their surplus embryos to research, and have related the data retrospectively to their body mass index (BMI). PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS In a clinical IVF setting, we compared oocyte morphology and developmental kinetics of supernumerary embryos collected from overweight and obese women, with a BMI in excess of 25 kg/m2 to those from women of healthy weight. A Primovision Time-Lapse system was used to measure developmental kinetics and the non-invasive COnsumption/RElese of glucose, pyruvate, amino acids and lactate were measured on spent droplets of culture medium. Total triglyceride levels within individual embryos were also determined. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE Human oocytes from women presenting for fertility treatment with a BMI exceeding 25 kg/m2 are smaller (R2 = −0.45; P = 0.001) and therefore less likely to complete development post-fertilization (P < 0.001). Those embryos that do develop reach the morula stage faster than embryos from women of a BMI < 25 kg/m2 (

Citation

Leary, C., Leese, H. J., & Sturmey, R. G. (2015). Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities. Human Reproduction, 30(1), 122-132. https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu276

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 25, 2014
• Online Publication Date: Nov 12, 2014
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Apr 8, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Apr 8, 2016
• Journal: Human reproduction
• Print ISSN: 0268-1161
• Electronic ISSN: 1460-2350
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 30
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 122-132
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/humrep/deu276
• Keywords: Obesity, Human embryo metabolism, Endogenous triglyceride, Precocious development
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/435369
• Publisher URL: http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/1/122
• Additional Information: This is a pre-copy-editing, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Human reproduction following peer review. The definitive publisher-authenticated version Human embryos from overweight and obese women display phenotypic and metabolic abnormalities in Hum. Reproduction (2015) 30 (1): 122-132 first published online November 12, 2014 doi:10.1093/humrep/deu276 is available online at: http://humrep.oxfordjournals.org/content/30/1/122