NCT04456478

Impact of PH Values of the Embryo Culture Medium on Success of in Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

Randomized Trial in Assisted Reproductive Technology : Impact of PH Values of the Embryo Culture Medium on Live Birth Rate After in Vitro Fertilization (IVF)

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 429 (actual)
• Sponsor: University Hospital, Toulouse · Academic / Other
• Sex: Female
• Age: 18 Years – 40 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The objective of this study is to compare, through a multicentric randomized trial, the impact of two pH values in the embryo culture medium on the clinical results of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) process and especially the impact on live birth delivery rate.

Detailed description

Despite progress in Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), the livebirth rate per oocyte retrieval during In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) remain relatively low (15 à 25%). This is in part due to the sensitivity of the preimplantation embryo to its environment. Indeed, there is growing evidence that culture conditions during IVF are critical not only for the development of pre- and post-implantation embryo, but also for long-term health effects; and numerous animal data suggest the importance of pH control in the IVF culture medium. Maintaining the intercellular pH (pHi) is one of the vital roles of embryo homeostasis since pHi regulates many cellular processes. Indeed, variations in pHi can affect embryonic development. Although the embryo has biochemical systems to regulate its pHi, these systems can be overtaken. Under the conditions of IVF embryo culture, the extracellular pH (pHe) in a culture medium is the result of a balance between CO2 concentration in the incubator and bicarbonate concentration in the culture medium (determined by the medium manufacturer). The recommendations of the manufacturers of embryo culture media are to maintain a pHe slightly higher (generally between 7.2 and 7.4) than the pHi (estimated between 7.1 to 7.2) to compensate for the acidification due to cell metabolism. However, as the pH scale is logarithmic, a pHe variation of 7.2 to 7.4 corresponds to a decrease in the concentration of H+ ions by a factor of 1.6 in the medium. Actually, there is no clinical data to know what is the ideal pH to apply to a culture medium during IVF. This is a clinical study comparing two pH values in the culture medium of embryos obtained by IVF, randomized, multicentric (3 centers), patient-blinded, in groups parallel to the ratio 1: 1. IVF-ICSI will be performed according to the usual procedure and the day of the oocyte puncture, the embryologist will proceed to the 1: 1 randomization: culture of the oocytes and embryos in the culture medium with a pH at 7.38 ± 0.02 or a pH at 7.22 ± 0.02. In case of pregnancy after embryo transfer, patients will be followed until delivery.

Conditions

• Embryo Growth Disorder
• Humans
• Pregnancy

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
PROCEDURE	pH at 7.38 ± 0.02	In the 3 centers of the study, IVF-ICSI will be performed according to the usual procedure: ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, sperm microinjection by ICSI, embryo culture in Global® Total HSA medium, embryo selection and transfer at day 3. The day of the oocyte puncture, the embryologist will proceed to the 1: 1 randomization: culture of the embryos in a medium with a pH at 7.38 ± 0.02. We have chosen to study specifically the early stages of fertilization and embryo development (until day 3), stages for which extracellular pH control is more critical because the intracellular pH regulatory mechanisms are somewhat limited and could be exceeded.
PROCEDURE	pH at 7.22 ± 0.02	In the 3 centers of the study, IVF-ICSI will be performed according to the usual procedure: ovarian stimulation, oocyte retrieval, sperm microinjection by ICSI, embryo culture in Global® Total HSA medium, embryo selection and transfer at day 3. The day of the oocyte puncture, the embryologist will proceed to the 1: 1 randomization: culture of the embryos in a medium with a pH at 7.22 ± 0.02. We have chosen to study specifically the early stages of fertilization and embryo development (until day 3), stages for which extracellular pH control is more critical because the intracellular pH regulatory mechanisms are somewhat limited and could be exceeded.

Timeline

• Start date: 2020-10-14
• Primary completion: 2024-06-19
• Completion: 2024-06-19
• First posted: 2020-07-02
• Last updated: 2025-01-13

Locations

3 sites across 1 country: France