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The secret of pH in embryonic culture: Why is pH control so important?
Advances in infertility treatment, including in vitro fertilization (IVF), have made the dream of becoming parents possible for many families. Embryo culture, as an integral part of this technique, involves culturing the resulting embryos in an artificial culture medium under specific conditions to promote their development. However, one of the key factors of the culture environment, pH, is often overlooked, but actually plays a vital role in the healthy development of the embryo.
During embryo culture, the pH should generally be maintained between 7.2 and 7.5. When the pH value does not reach this range, it may have an adverse effect on the division and development of the embryo. To ensure a pH value within this range, embryo culture media typically use a carbon dioxide/bicarbonate buffer system and are cultured at a carbon dioxide concentration of 5-7%.Control and regulation of pH is essential for in vitro embryo culture.
It is worth noting that various parameters of the embryo culture environment are strictly controlled, including temperature, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations, all in order to simulate the maternal physiological environment. Ideally, these conditions should be similar to those inside the mother's uterus to promote optimal development of the embryo.
During embryonic development, appropriate pH and culture conditions can significantly increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.
Meanwhile, embryo cultures can be transferred at different stages, with the main stages currently including the cleavage stage of the embryo (i.e., day 2 to 4 after fertilization) and the blastocyst stage (i.e., day 5 or 6 after fertilization). Studies have shown that culturing embryos to the blastocyst stage results in significantly higher pregnancy success rates than transferring them only at the cleavage stage, especially after further selection using genetic diagnostic techniques to rule out the presence of chromosomal or genetic defects.
However, embryo culture technology is not without risks. Experimental animal studies have found that the process of conducting embryo culture may lead to epigenetic changes, which have potential effects on future health and development.
Currently, scientists are testing new methods that allow for dynamic embryo culture, which uses the body's natural internal fluids as a culture medium and may further reduce the risk of unpredictable embryo development. However, in order to realize these innovative technologies, a deep understanding of the buffer systems in culture media is still crucial.
Using low concentrations of oxygen, rather than the 20% oxygen found in the atmosphere, has been shown to increase successful pregnancy rates without increasing the risk of multiple births, miscarriage or congenital abnormalities.
In the culture of animal embryos, we seek to understand the mechanisms of embryonic development. We also see that in experimental research, mouse embryos are often used as cultural research subjects. The culture media used in such studies include potassium simplified optimized medium (KSOM) and human tubal fluid (HTF), which also require precise pH control to ensure a good development environment.
Ultimately, the control and optimization of pH is an urgent issue to be addressed in embryonic culture, both in humans and in non-human species. As technology develops, there will be more research in the future on how to better control the embryo culture environment. While we strive to improve the success rate of embryo transplantation, we must also consider how to reduce potential risks.
In this case, have we fully recognized and valued the profound impact of these factors on embryonic health?
