Effects of high-altitude hypoxia on embryonic developmental potential in women undergoing IVF/ICSI procedures

Purpose In this study we examined the effects of long-term adaptation to hypoxia on embryonic developmental potential of oocytes collected from women who underwent IVF/ICSI procedures. Methods We selected young infertile women who lived in a low-altitude normoxic environment (n = 80, altitude 2500 m) for a lengthy period of time and who planned to undergo IVF/ICSI procedures. We then determined the baseline reproductive hormone levels, gonadotropin (Gn) dose and Gn treatment duration during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation (COH), number of oocytes retrieved, number of mature oocytes, oocyte maturation rate, fertilization rate, normal fertilization rate, day (D3) embryo-formation rate, blastocyst formation rate, good-quality formation rate, D5 blastocyst formation rate, and D6 blastocyst formation rate between the two groups. Results Compared with the low-altitude normoxic group, the various reproductive hormone markers of women in the high-altitude hypoxia group were lower, with LH and T levels significantly reduced (P