The effects of vitrification on the expression of αν & β3 integrins in mouse blastocysts at the implantation stage

Vitrification is one of the most important topics in the field of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). Integrins are important factors in implantation. Considering the importance of embryo virtification, the present study was performed with aim to evaluate the effects of vitrification on the expression of integrins of αν & β3 in the implantation process of mice.

In this study, in order to obtain 50 blastocysts from the uterine horn of 6 to 8 week old female mice, after stimulation of their eggs, the mice were placed one night next to 8 to 12 week old male mice of the same race. The next morning, mice with a vaginal plaque were separated. 98 hours after HCG injection, by flushing method, the obtained embryos were divided into two groups of freeze (n=30) and control (n=20). Afterward, the blastocyst embryos were subjected to a freezing process consisting of two stages: dehydration and freezing, using a freezing solution. Following the thawing and dilution stages, the expression level of the obtained embryos was determined using the RT-PCR method. Data were analyzed by SPSS software (version 24) and Paired-t test. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

The results showed the amount of αν and β3 integrins after freezing and melting had a significant difference compared to the ACTB reference gene with the control group (p<0.01).

This study showed that the vitrification by cryotype causes damage to the blastocysts by reducing the rate of integrin expression.