Selection of the best oocytes for intracytoplasmicsperm injection (ICSI) using apoptotic analysis of cumulus cells

Abstract

We studied the apoptosis rate of the cumulus cells of individual cumulus-oocyte complex (COC), to verify a relationship with clinical outcomes, in terms of pregnancy and implantation rates. Usually oocytes are selected using morphological criteria. We tried to verify if cumulus cell apoptotic rate could be used as molecular criteria in selecting oocytes with higher implantation potentiality.