Polarization properties of mouse oocyte captured by Mueller matrix imaging

Abstract

Non-invasive assessment of oocyte quality is of important basis in embryo transfer and other related fields. Until now, the oocyte quality assessment is mainly focus on the morphology observation. Oocyte quality is often reflected in varieties of its microstructure which can be provided by polarization imaging technology. The Mueller matrix is a label-free technique to characterize all polarization properties of samples. This paper used a Mueller matrix microscope for the first time for non-invasive imaging the mouse oocyte. By Mueller matrix analysis, we successfully examined the dichroism, phase delay and scattering depolarization of oocytes, furthermore used the above to compare the polarization properties of mouse oocytes at GV stage and MII stage and the polarization properties of matured fresh oocytes and postovulatory aged oocytes. In this paper changed phase delay were observed before and after oocyte maturation (and oocyte aging). It suggested that the Mueller matrix imaging may provide a potential breakthrough for oocyte quality assessment.