S Nottola

Publications (2)4.47 Total impact

• Article: Sucrose concentration influences the rate of human oocytes with normal spindle and chromosome configurations after slow-cooling cryopreservation.

  G Coticchio, L De Santis, G Rossi, A Borini, D Albertini, G Scaravelli, C Alecci, V Bianchi, S Nottola, S Cecconi
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  ABSTRACT: Recently described slow-cooling cryopreservation protocols involving elevated sucrose concentration have improved survival frequencies of human oocytes, potentially overcoming a major hurdle that has limited the adoption of oocyte storage. Because implantation rates of embryos from frozen oocytes remain generally low, it is still debated whether, irrespective of survival rates, this form of cryopreservation leads inevitably to the disruption or complete loss of the metaphase II (MII) spindle. Human oocytes with an extruded polar body I (PBI) were cryopreserved using a slow-cooling method including 1.5 mol/l propane-1,2-diol (PrOH) and alternative sucrose concentrations (either 0.1 or 0.3 mol/l) in the freezing solution. Fresh control and frozen-thawed survived oocytes were analysed by confocal microscopy to evaluate MII spindle and chromosome organizations. Of the 104 oocytes included in the unfrozen group, 76 (73.1%) displayed normal bipolar spindles with equatorially aligned chromosomes. Spindle and chromatin organizations were significantly affected (50.8%) after cryopreservation involving lower sucrose concentration (61 oocytes), whereas these parameters were unchanged (69.7%) using the 0.3 mol/l sucrose protocol (152 oocytes). Partial disruption of the MII spindle and associated chromosomes accompanies inadequate cryopreservation during slow cooling. However, protocols adopting higher sucrose concentration in the freezing solution promote the retention of an intact chromosome segregation apparatus comparable in incidence to freshly collected oocytes.
  Human Reproduction 08/2006; 21(7):1771-6. · 4.47 Impact Factor
• Article: In vitro culture of mammalian early ovarian follicles. Morphofunctional correlates and future perspectives.

  S Cecconi, G Rossi, S Bianchi, T Stallone, G Macchiarelli, S Nottola
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  ABSTRACT: In vitro growth culture systems of mammalian oocytes have been developed with the aims of studying regulative processes occurring during oogenesis and folliculogenesis, and of preserving fertility. Although in large mammals IVG technology does not still assure the co-ordinate development of both somatic and germinal cells and the production of high number of viable offspring, their improvement may represent an important therapeutic tool for restoring fertility in women undergoing premature menopause or cancer treatments. Morphological studies of in vitro grown follicles were not performed extensively, especially by means of scanning electron microscopy. In the present paper preliminary ultrastructural observations of in vitro cultured follicles are presented.
  Italian journal of anatomy and embryology = Archivio italiano di anatomia ed embriologia 02/2005; 110(2 Suppl 1):189-94.