微流控线性加载低温保护剂减少猪MⅡ期卵母细胞的渗透损伤

在卵母细胞低温保存中,通常需要加载冷冻保护剂来抑制冰晶对细胞的损伤,但高浓度冷冻保护剂的加载会对细胞造成渗透损伤.为了减小细胞的渗透损伤,本文设计并制作了适合卵母细胞冷冻保护剂加载的微流体装置,研究了微流控线性加载30%(v/v)二甲基亚砜(Me2SO)低温保护剂时细胞内保护剂浓度变化、细胞体积变化,以及对细胞存活率与发育率的影响,并与传统的加载方法(一步法、分步法)做了比较.结果表明:微流控法能够实现卵母细胞冷冻保护剂的连续线性加载,避免了卵母细胞体积的骤变,显著减小了细胞的渗透损伤,提高了细胞的存活率.其中细胞的最小渗透体积减小为0.86V0,细胞的存活率达到92.8%,比一步法高33%,比两步法高16.3%,但与四步法之间无显著性差异.经孤雌激活后体外培养,细胞的卵裂率和囊胚率分别达到75.8%和27.4%,都显著高于一步法和分步法(P0.05).因此,微流控线性加载低温保护剂能够显著减小细胞的渗透损伤,为卵母细胞低温保存技术提供新思路.     

微流控法制备载卵母细胞水凝胶微球及其玻璃化保存

目的 通过微流控法制备载卵母细胞海藻酸钠微球,在低浓度保护剂下实现卵母细胞玻璃化保存。方法 采用流动聚焦型微流控芯片,通过调整芯片结构、海藻酸钠溶液浓度和流速比,制备大小均匀、空包率低、低温耐受的载卵母细胞海藻酸钠水凝胶微球。在低浓度低温保护剂下将微球玻璃化保存,复温后检测存活率,采用细胞松弛素B和氯化锶孤雌激活卵母细胞,与Cryotop玻璃化法对比卵母细胞存活率和卵裂率、囊胚率。结果 制备的海藻酸钠微球在冷冻复温前后的体积稳定且结构完整,在将卵母细胞包封在海藻酸钠水凝胶中后,空包率低,存活率、卵裂率和囊胚率与新鲜组相比无显著差异。在低浓度低温保护剂10% DMSO+10%乙二醇（EG）+0.5 mol/L海藻糖中玻璃化冻存后卵母细胞的存活率达到92.48%,卵裂率70.80%,囊胚率20.42%,与高浓度保护剂15% DMSO+15% EG+0.5 mol/L海藻糖中Cryotop玻璃化法相比无显著性差异。结论 本文设计制作了三通道内部交联芯片并用于卵母细胞玻璃化保存的微流控系统,可生成大小均匀、空包率低、低温耐受的载卵母细胞海藻酸钠水凝胶微球,在低浓度保护剂下实现玻璃化保存,为卵母细胞玻璃化保存方法提供新思路。     

微流控芯片加载低温保护剂过程中卵母细胞的损伤评估

卵母细胞的低温保存为辅助生殖技术和胚胎工程技术提供了更大的发展空间,而低温保存需要添加高浓度保护剂,会对细胞造成渗透损伤及毒性损伤.与分步法添加固定浓度的保护剂不同,微流控法能够实现保护剂浓度的连续性变化,关于微流控法连续性添加保护剂时卵母细胞的损伤评估还未见报道.本文首先采用数值模拟的方法,模拟细胞在不同加载时间、不同加载线型(线性、S型、凹型)、不同凹型加载(低凹型、高凹型)中细胞的渗透行为,计算各方案中细胞的传统的损伤评估参数:体积变化极值(ΔV)、积累性渗透损伤值(AOD)及毒性损伤值(J).在此基础上,藉由信息熵理论首次提出了综合损伤评估参数s,并通过猪卵母细胞微流控加载后孤雌激活实验的结果验证评估效果.结果表明,对于不同的加载方案,传统的损伤评估参数结果之间出现分歧,无法得到统一的结论.通过分析囊胚率同综合损伤评估参数s值的关系,发现二者呈负相关关系,且相关系数很高,说明综合损伤评估参数s能够较好地对细胞损伤进行评估,为细胞损伤评估开辟了新思路.     

一种安全有效的卵母细胞封闭式玻璃化冷冻载体

目的探讨封闭式玻璃化冷冻载体冻存小鼠卵母细胞的可行性。方法以小鼠MII期卵母细胞为模型,以开放式玻璃微细管法（GMP）为对照组,比较两种玻璃化冷冻载体对小鼠卵母细胞冷冻后的存活率、受精率、卵裂率及囊胚率的影响。结果卵母细胞经冻融后,封闭式冷冻载体组和GMP组的存活率、受精率、卵裂率和囊胚率均没有明显差异（92.80%vs93.11%,49.80%vs51.67%,36.73%vs35.83%,12.65%vs14.17%%;P〉0.05）。结论封闭式冷冻载体能安全、有效的冷冻保存小鼠卵母细胞。     

微流控芯片对乳腺癌细胞MDA-MB-231的捕获及再培养研究

目的:利用实验室构建的微流控芯片对乳腺癌细胞(MDA-MB-231)进行捕获,提高捕获率并保证细胞活性,实现再培养。抗肿瘤药物阿霉素处理正常培养和再培养的细胞,分析细胞内的基因表达变化。方法:对微流控芯片进行基底修饰,利用MUC1抗原与抗体特异性结合捕获肿瘤细胞,优化捕获条件提高捕获率。对微流控芯片捕获的细胞进行分离、收集和再培养。用1μmol/L阿霉素对正常培养和再培养的细胞分别孵育24h,然后提取RNA并逆转录合成c DNA。选择乳腺癌细胞中高表达及与肿瘤转移相关的基因FN1、ITGA6和LAMB3设计引物,以c DNA为模板分别进行RT-PCR扩增,对琼脂糖凝胶电泳结果进行灰度分析。结果:经MUC1抗体修饰的微流控芯片能有效地捕获肿瘤细胞,捕获率达80%±3%,释放率约98%,细胞释放后存活率高实现再培养。阿霉素对正常培养和再培养的乳腺癌细胞中FN1、ITGA6和LAMB3的基因表达均有抑制作用。结论:MUC1抗体修饰的微流控芯片能有效捕获乳腺癌细胞并实现再培养,捕获前后细胞内基因表达无显著差异,均能产生药物敏感性。     

阵列光镊与微流控芯片技术的结合与应用

在生物医学研究领域中,阵列光镊与微流控芯片的结合已经成为进行细胞操纵、转移以及少量细胞样品分选等方面最有希望的方法之一。光镊技术对样品具有非接触弹性控制、无机械损伤、可无菌操作等优势,以及微流控芯片分析的高效、多功能、微型化、低成本等优势,成为芯片实验室(Lab-on-a-Chip)的重要研究方面。该文概述了阵列光镊技术的形成与研究现状以及微流控芯片技术的发展与应用现状,分析了在不同阵列光镊形成方法下结合微流控芯片可实现的功能与应用,并对其发展趋势进行了展望。     

微流控芯片分析技术在生化研究中的应用进展

综述了微流控芯片分析技术在生物和化学领域中进展,主要从药物筛选、PCR、细胞研究和微流控芯片电泳4个方面总结目前的进展。     

深低温冷冻技术的研究进展

细胞及组织的深低温保存有较高的临床应用和研究价值,在冷冻保存技术中两个关键领域首先发展的是冷冻控制率。冷冻保护剂能增加溶液粘性,提高冷冻速率从而保护细胞及组织免受冷冻损伤。对最佳冷冻保护剂的研究为保存临床应用的组织工程产品提供了理论依据。而玻璃化冷冻近年来越来越受到人们的关注,玻璃化冷冻技术具有冷冻速度快、冻融损伤小,操作简单等优点,能够提高复苏后的存活率。本文对深低温保护剂的组成、分类、应用及冷冻保存的重大进展和障碍进行了综述。     

微流控芯片在昆虫研究中的应用

与昆虫学相关的研究是生命科学最早的研究领域之一,在害虫防治、资源昆虫利用和模式生物（例如黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster）等研究领域有重要意义。微流控芯片（Microfluidic chip）也称作“芯片实验室”（Lab-on-a-chip）,是21世纪一项重要的技术发明,目前被广泛应用于细胞生物学、发育生物学、体外诊断等领域。随着微流控芯片技术发展的不断深入,与昆虫研究相关的微流控芯片不断出现,促进了昆虫细胞、胚胎发育、昆虫行为和害虫防治等研究领域的发展。本文针对应用于昆虫学领域的微流控芯片研究进行综述。     

基于微流控芯片的秀丽隐杆线虫的研究进展

微流控芯片技术作为近年来最前沿的分析技术之一,已经在化学、生物学、医药学等研究领域取得了突破性的进展.微流控芯片具有高通量、微型化和多功能集成化等独特优势,已经成为生物医学研究的新平台之一,被越来越多地应用于秀丽隐杆线虫的研究.综述了基于微流控芯片上的秀丽隐杆线虫在生物医学领域中的研究进展,侧重介绍了微流控芯片在线虫的自动化固定、行为学、衰老与发育学、神经学、药物筛选及基因筛选等六大方面所取得的最新进展,并展望了微流控芯片的应用前景.     

Microfluidic method reduces osmotic stress injury to oocytes during cryoprotectant addition and removal processes in porcine oocytes

Oocyte cryopreservation is an important technology in assisted reproduction and fertility preservation. However, the developmental potential of cryopreserved oocyte remains poor. Osmotic stress injury (OSI) during cryoprotectants (CPAs) loading and unloading steps has critical impact on successful cryopreservation. In order to minimize OSI to oocytes, a microfluidic device was designed and fabricated to achieve continuous CPA concentration change. MII porcine oocytes were loaded and unloaded CPAs with step-wise and microfluidic methods, oocyte volume changes were recorded and compared, loading and unloading duration of microfluidic methods were optimized. The survival and developmental rate of treated oocytes in step-wise and microfluidic linear methods were also evaluated. The results showed that oocyte volume changes with microfluidic method were obviously less than step-wise method, and the survival, cleavage and blastocyst rate of oocytes were 95.3%, 64.4%, and 19.4%, respectively, which were significantly higher than the traditional step-wise method (79.4%, 43.6%, and 9.7%) (p < 0.05). In conclusion, microfluidic device can effectively reduce the osmotic damage to oocytes and improve the survival rate and developmental rate of oocytes, which may provide a new path for oocyte cryopreservation.     

Vitrification of calf oocytes: effects of maturation stage and prematuration treatment on the nuclear and cytoskeletal components of oocytes and their subsequent development

This study was designed to establish the effects of the meiotic stage of bovine oocytes and of a prematuration treatment with roscovitine (ROS) on their resistance to cryopreservation. Oocytes from prepubertal calves at the stages of germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD) or at metaphase II (MII) were vitrified by the open pulled straw (OPS) method. In another experiment, oocytes were kept under meiotic arrest with 50 microM ROS for 24 hr and vitrified at the GVBD stage. After warming, some oocyte samples were fixed, stained using specific fluorescent probes and examined under a confocal microscope. The remaining oocytes were fertilized, and cleavage and blastocyst rates recorded. Significantly lower cleavage rates were obtained for the vitrified GVBD and MII oocytes (9.9% and 12.6%, respectively) compared to control oocytes (73.9%). Significantly worse results in terms of cleavage rates were obtained when GVBD calf oocytes were exposed to cryoprotectants (CPAs: ethylene glycol plus dimethyl sulfoxide, DMSO) (13.1%) or vitrified (1.6%) after a prematuration treatment with ROS, when compared to untreated control oocytes (68.7%) or ROS-control oocytes (56.6%). None of the vitrification procedures yielded blastocysts, irrespective of the initial meiotic stage or previous prematuration treatment. Compared to the control oocytes, significantly fewer oocytes exhibited normal spindle configuration after being exposed to CPAs or after vitrification of either GVBD or MII calf oocytes. These results indicate that the vitrification protocol has a deleterious effect on the meiotic spindle organization of calf oocytes cryopreserved at both the GVBD and MII stage, which impairs the capacity for further development of the embryos derived from these vitrified oocytes. Prematuration treatment with ROS has no beneficial effect on the outcome of vitrification by the OPS method.     

Effect of maturation stage at cryopreservation on post-thaw cytoskeleton quality and fertilizability of equine oocytes

Oocyte cryopreservation is a potentially valuable technique for salvaging the germ-line when a valuable mare dies, but facilities for in vitro embryo production or oocyte transfer are not immediately available. This study examined the influence of maturation stage and freezing technique on the cryopreservability of equine oocytes. Cumulus oocyte complexes were frozen at the immature stage (GV) or after maturation in vitro for 30 hr (MII), using either conventional slow freezing (CF) or open pulled straw vitrification (OPS); cryoprotectant-exposed and untreated nonfrozen oocytes served as controls. After thawing, GV oocytes were matured in vitro, and MII oocytes were incubated for 0 or 6 hr, before staining to examine meiotic spindle quality by confocal microscopy. To assess fertilizability, CF MII oocytes were subjected to intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and cultured in vitro. At 12, 24, and 48 hr after ICSI, injected oocytes were fixed to examine their progression through fertilization. Both maturation stage and freezing technique affected oocyte survival. The meiosis resumption rate was higher for OPS than CF for GV oocytes (28% vs. 1.2%; P < 0.05), but still much lower than for controls (66%). Cryopreserving oocytes at either stage induced meiotic spindle disruption (37%-67% normal spindles vs. 99% in controls; P < 0.05). Among frozen oocytes, however, spindle quality was best for oocytes frozen by CF at the MII stage and incubated for 6 hr post-thaw (67% normal); since this combination of cryopreservation/IVM yielded the highest proportion of oocytes reaching MII with a normal spindle (35% compared to <20% for other groups), it was used when examining the effects of cryopreservation on fertilizability. In this respect, the rate of normal fertilization for CF MII oocytes after ICSI was much lower than for controls (total oocyte activation rate, 26% vs. 56%; cleavage rate at 48 hr, 8% vs. 42%: P < 0.05). Thus, although IVM followed by CF yields a respectable percentage of normal-looking MII oocytes (35%), their ability to support fertilization is severely compromised.     

微流控芯片技术在食品领域中的应用

微流控芯片技术是一种全新的微量分析技术。介绍了微流控芯片技术的基本原理、特点及分类,并深入讨论了该技术在食品安全、营养、加工和风味等食品领域中的应用,包括有害化学物质、食品添加剂、转基因食品和食源性致病微生物等的检测,营养物质和功能成分的分析鉴定,食品工艺参数的调控以及食品风味成分的检测,展望了微流控芯片技术在食品领域的广阔应用前景。     

Treatment with cholesterol-loaded methyl-β-cyclodextrin increased the cholesterol in rabbit oocytes,but did not improve developmental competence of cryopreserved oocytes

Membrane cholesterol:phospholipids ratio is an important determinant of cell chilling sensitivity. At low temperatures, major membrane destabilisation occurs when the membrane undergoes a phase transition. To increase membrane fluidity and stability during cooling and thus increase oocyte cryoresistance, cholesterol has been added to the plasma membrane. This study was conducted to determine if cholesterol could be incorporated into rabbit oocytes by incubation with cholesterol-loaded methyl-β-cyclodextrin (CLC) and if added cholesterol could improve the developmental ability of cryopreserved oocytes after parthenogenetic activation or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Fresh, frozen and vitrified oocytes incubated with CLC containing 20% NBD-labelled cholesterol (NBD-CLC) were evaluated using confocal microscopy. Fluorescence intensity was higher in fresh oocytes than in cryopreserved ones. Pre-treating rabbit oocytes with 1 mg of NBD-CLC/mL did not improve cleavage and developmental rates after cryopreservation. Results showed that treatment with CLC increased the cytoplasmic cholesterol content, but did not improve cleavage rate and developmental competence of cryopreserved oocytes.     

Cryopreservation of starfish oocytes

Research from many laboratories over the past several decades indicates that invertebrate oocytes and eggs are extraordinarily difficult to freeze. Since starfish oocytes, eggs, and embryos are an important cell and developmental biology model system, there is great interest to cryopreserve these cells. Previous starfish oocyte cryopreservation studies using slow cooling protocols revealed that these cells are highly sensitive to osmotic stress and form intracellular ice at very high sub-zero temperatures, suggesting that common freezing methodologies may not prove useful. We report here that a short exposure to 1.5 M Me2SO/1 M trehalose in hypotonic salt solution followed by ultra-rapid cooling to cryogenic temperatures allows starfish oocytes to be cryopreserved with the average survival rate of 34% when normalized to control oocytes that were exposed to CPA, but not frozen. On average, 51% of the oocytes in 77% of the batches of frozen oocytes underwent meiotic maturation in response to the starfish maturation hormone, 1-methyladenine. In one experiment, eggs developing from thawed oocytes were capable of being fertilized and two developed into embryos. These data suggests that successful cryopreservation of starfish oocytes is possible, but will need further refinement to increase the numbers of fully competent embryos.     

Effects of reproductive aging and postovulatory aging on the maintenance of biological competence after oocyte vitrification: insights from the mouse model

Cryopreservation of female reproductive cells allows preservation of fertility and provides materials for research. Although freezing protocols have been optimized, and there is a high survival rate after thawing, the in vitro fertilization (IVF) pregnancy rate is still lower in cycles with cryopreserved oocytes, thus highlighting the importance of identifying intrinsic limiting factors characterizing the cells at time of freezing. The aim of the present study is to investigate in the mouse model the impact of reproductive aging and postovulatory aging on oocyte biological competence after vitrification. Metaphase II oocytes were vitrified soon after retrieval from young and reproductively old mice. Part of the oocytes from young animals was vitrified after 6 h incubation (in vitro aged oocytes). All classes of oocytes showed similar survival rate after vitrification. Moreover, vitrification did not alter chromosomal organization in young cells, whereas in vitro aged and old oocytes presented an increase of slightly aberrant metaphase configurations. Compared to fresh young oocytes, in vitro aged and old oocytes showed increased ROS levels which remained unchanged after vitrification. By contrast, cryopreservation significantly increased ROS production in young oocytes. Both the aging processes negatively impacted oocyte ability to undergo pronucleus formation and first cleavage after vitrification by stimulating cellular fragmentation. These results could be helpful for establishing the correct time table for cryopreservation in the laboratory routine and improving its application in reproductively old females. Moreover, our observations highlight the importance of oxidative stress protection during vitrification procedures.     

Cryopreservation of Human Oocytes and Ovarian Tissue

Oocyte cryopreservation has the potential to be an important adjunct to assisted reproductive technologies and bypasses some ethical, moral, and religious dilemmas posed by human embryo cryopreservation. The success of human oocyte cryopreservation depends on morphological and biophysical factors that could influence oocyte survival after thawing. Among the morphological factors, the maturity, quality, size of the oocyte, the presence or the absence of the cumulus oophorus seems to play an important role in oocyte survival after thawing. The main biophysical factor of cellular disruption during cryopreservation process in the intracellular ice formation that can be avoided by an adequate cell dehydration; thus reducing the intracellular water by increasing the dehydration process we can limit the damages of the cryopreservation procedure. The dehydration process can be affected by the presence and concentration of the cryoprotectants in the freezing solutions (equilibration and loading solutions), and by the freezing and thawing rate. Two additional properties of cryoprotectants help to protect cells during slow cooling, when the cells are very dehydrated and are surrounded by concentrated salts. The cryoprotectants appear to reduce damage caused by high levels of salt, a property known as salt buffering. Some events occurring to the oocyte during cryopreservation procedure has been found to be a premature exocitosis of cortical granules, leading to an intempestive zona hardening and consequently to a reduction of fertilization rate, and the cryoinjury to the zona pellucida leading to a polispermic fertilization. ICSI is an efficient method to by pass these two events and to achieve a satisfactory outcome in terms of normal fertilization of cryopreserved oocytes. The application of the ICSI to cryopreserved oocytes did not seem to increase the degeneration rate after insemination with respect to fresh oocytes. The increased oocyte survival rate and the use of ICSI have facilitated the recent increase in the number of pregnancies and live birth.     

Microtubulin configuration and mitochondrial distribution after ultra-rapid cooling of bovine oocytes

Considerable attention has been focused on the cryopreservation of mammalian oocytes, as a consequence of poor development of cryopreserved bovine oocytes in vitro, in order to enhance the application of genetic engineering. Experiments were carried out to evaluate the viability and ultra-structural changes of bovine oocytes cryopreserved by ultra rapid cooling methods. Oocytes that had been allowed to mature for 22 hr were exposed to a mixture of cryoprotectants (3.2 M ethylene glycol, 2.36 M dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), 0.6 M sucrose), and were cryopreserved by very rapid cooling either within glass capillaries or as droplets on copper electron microscope grids. After being warmed, the oocytes were cultured in in vitro maturation (IVM) medium for an additional 2 hr. Viability was assessed by determining the development rate after fertilization with frozen-thawed semen from which motile sperm had been recovered using a Percoll density gradient, and by immunochemical evaluation of microtubule and mitochondrial morphology. Cleavage and development rates were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in oocytes cryopreserved by vitrification than in in vitro fertilization (IVF) control group, but did not differ in the open-pulled glass (OPG) or copper grid (CG) groups. In most oocytes cryopreserved by vitrification, the microtubules were partially or completely broken. Similarly mitochondria appeared to be abnormal compared to that of unfrozen oocytes. Oocytes cultured in IVM medium supplemented with both cytochalasin B (a protein synthesis inhibitor) and 2-mercaptoethanol (an antioxidant) showed less damage to microtubules, but not to mitochondria after cryopreservation. In conclusion, this study showed that bovine oocytes can be cryopreserved by vitrification within small droplets using CGs. While damage to microtubules and mitochondria may be involved in reduced viability, supplementation of IVM medium with cytochalasin B appears to enhance stabilization of microtubules during oocyte cryopreservation.     

Cryopreservation of immature equine oocytes, comparing a solid surface vitrification process with open pulled straws and the use of a synthetic ice blocker

The objective was to evaluate the effect of three cryopreservation methods on the in vitro maturation (IVM) and membrane integrity (MIn) of immature equine oocytes. An open pulled straw (OPS) method, a novel solid surface vitrification (SSV) process, and the addition of a synthetic ice blocker were evaluated. Compared with the control group (N = 269), the OPS (N = 159) and the SSV (N = 202) cryopreservation methods decreased both IVM (50.9 vs. 13.3 and 9.4%, respectively; P < 0.001) and MIn (76.6 vs. 31.1 and 33.7%; P < 0.001) of immature equine oocytes. However, inclusion of 0.1% ice blocker in the OPS vitrification process increased the rates of both IVM (30.5%; P < 0.01) and MIn (45.8%; P < 0.05) of the oocytes (N = 59). Including 0.1% ice blocker in the SSV process improved the IVM rate (20.9%; P < 0.05), whereas MIn remained compromised in this group (N = 67). However, increasing the concentration of the ice blocker (to 1.0%) in the cryopreservation methods did not significantly improve rates of IVM. In conclusion, the addition of a synthetic ice blocker (0.1%) to both cryopreservation processes significantly increased rates of both IVM and MIn of immature equine oocytes cryopreserved by OPS.