This study evaluates the effects of double cryopreservation and re-biopsy on embryo viability and clinical outcomes. Studies of interest were selected from an initial cohort of 1027 potentially relevant records retrieved. PubMed was systematically searched for peer-reviewed original papers identified by keywords and medical subject heading terms. Moreover, we elaborated the evidence tables for double cryopreservation and re-biopsy separately. Data were systematically extracted, focusing on live birth, survival, clinical pregnancy, and miscarriage rates. For each study, we identified absolute numbers (numerator and denominator) related to clinical outcomes. Finally, for each outcome, we calculated the percentage change between the control and study groups. Among studies on double cryopreservation, 13 out of 22 reported no effect on clinical outcomes, suggesting contradictory results. Similarly, findings on re-biopsy were controversial, with seven out of 12 studies showing negative effects on survival and clinical outcomes, while five reported no impact. In our analysis of the evidence tables, we observed a reduction in live birth rates of 22.2

Despite advancements in technologies such as time-lapse microscopy and artificial intelligence, the gold standard for embryo selection still relies on standard morphological assessment. Several studies have investigated the correlation between blastocyst characteristics (expansion status, inner cell mass, and trophectoderm) and clinical outcomes, reaching contradictory results. In consideration of these ambiguities in the literature, we performed a retrospective study of 1546 untested first-vitrified–warmed single day 5/6 blastocyst transfers. The purpose of our study is to evaluate three scenarios: (i) independent association between each morphological characteristic (expansion status, inner cell mass, and trophectoderm) and live birth; (ii) comparison between blastocysts with inner cell mass grade A and trophectoderm grade B and blastocysts with inner cell mass grade B and trophectoderm grade A; and (iii) comparison between poor-quality day 5 and top-quality day 6 blastocysts. After adjusting for principal confounders, we report that trophectoderm is more predictive of live births than inner cell mass and expansion status. We observed a trend in favor of top-quality day 6 blastocysts over poor-quality day 5 blastocysts. Moreover, on the same day of development and expansion status, blastocyst BA should be preferable to blastocyst AB.

To assess the developmental competence of oocytes matured following rescue in vitro maturation (IVM). PubMed, EmBASE, and SCOPUS were systematically searched for peer-reviewed original papers using relevant keywords and Medical Subject Heading terms. Study quality was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Odds ratios with a 95

To date, Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) increase the probability of conception starting from the collection of more than a single oocyte produced in a regular ovulatory cycle. To achieve this aim many ovarian stimulation protocols have been proposed, some with very good performances but also with some important side effects and, more important, with not many possibilities to personalize the hormonal treatment according to patients characteristics. Although the hormonal and clinical parameters remain the only proven factors to aid in the selection of the best possible hormone stimulation for each patient, none of the commonly used markers has an optimal predictive value if considered individually. Therefore, a complementary strategy that is emerging in recent years is pharmacogenetics. The candidate genes to date are follicle hormone (FSH) and its receptor (FSHR), in which single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are able to modulate the expression and functions of the genes. The FSH-FSHR complex initiates a cascade of molecular events in the gonads, from the increase of cyclic AMP (cAMP) to the transduction of enzyme-encoding mRNA products, which modulate the synthesis of steroid hormones. In this way, FSH stimulates folliculogenesis and steroidogenesis in the ovary and testicular development and spermatogenesis in the testis. The administration of FSH in the treatment of infertility, in both sexes, aims to induce these activities in order to allow infertile couples to carry out the pregnancy. Many studies on the genetic polymorphisms of FSH and its receptor identified which of these variants could be considered as a marker able to predict the individual responses of patients undergoing ovarian stimulation. KEY WORDS: Clinical embryology, FSH, Polymorphism, Ovarian functions.

To explore the effects of chemical and physical parameters on embryo developmental competence, we conducted a systematic search on PubMed for peer-reviewed original papers using specific keywords and medical subject heading terms. Studies of interest were selected from an initial cohort of 4141 potentially relevant records retrieved. The most relevant publications were critically evaluated to identify the effect of these parameters on embryo development. Moreover, we generated a literature score (LS) using the following procedure: (i) the number of studies favoring a reference group was expressed as a fraction of all analyzed papers; (ii) the obtained fraction was multiplied by 10 and converted into a decimal number. We identified and discussed six parameters (oxygen, temperature, humidity, oil overlay, light, pH). Moreover, we generated a LS according to five different comparisons (37 °C vs. <37 °C; 5% vs. 20% oxygen; 5–2% vs. 5% oxygen; humidity conditions vs. dry conditions; light exposure vs. reduced/protected light exposure). Only two comparisons (37 °C vs. <37 °C and 5% vs. 20% oxygen) yielded a medium-high LS (8.3 and 7, respectively), suggesting a prevalence of studies in favor of the reference group (37 °C and 5% oxygen). In summary, this review and LS methodology offer semi-quantitative information on studies investigating the effects of chemical and physical parameters on embryo developmental competence.

The treatment of bipolar disorder (BD) still remains a challenge. Melatonin (MLT), acting through its two receptors MT1 and MT2, plays a key role in regulating circadian rhythms which are dysfunctional in BD. Using a translational approach, we examined the implication and potential of MT1 receptors in the pathophysiology and psychopharmacology of BD. We employed a murine model of the manic phase of BD (Clock mutant (ClockΔ19) mice) to study the activation of MT1 receptors by UCM871, a selective partial agonist, in behavioral pharmacology tests and in-vivo electrophysiology. We then performed a high-resolution Nuclear Magnetic Resonance study on isolated membranes to characterize the molecular mechanism of interaction of UCM871. Finally, in a cohort of BD patients, we investigated the link between clinical measures of BD and genetic variants located in the MT1 receptor and CLOCK genes. We demonstrated that: 1) UCM871 can revert behavioral and electrophysiological abnormalities of ClockΔ19 mice; 2) UCM871 promotes the activation state of MT1 receptors; 3) there is a significant association between the number of severe manic episodes and MLT levels, depending on the genetic configuration of the MT1 rs2165666 variant. Overall, this work lends support to the potentiality of MT1 receptors as target for the treatment of BD.