Administration of Vaginal Progesterone Effect on Implantation Rates in Embryo Recipient
Relationship Between Sperm Survival Assay Results Performed forQC of Plastic Cultureware and IVF
Paternal Factors Predict Increased Rates of Aneuploidy in Egg Donor Cycles
Use of GnRH Antagonists in Egg Donation Cycles
Aneuploidy Rates In Young Egg Donors Related To Presence of Male Factor
NoEffect of IVF on Singleton Birth Weight and Pre-term Delivery Rate in Oocyte Donation Cycles
Sperm DNA Damage as Measured by SCSA Does Not Predict Sperm Survival Rate
Response to COH Does not Correlate with Singleton Birth Weight in Oocyte Donation Cycles
High Sperm DNA Fragmentation are Predictive of Poor Outcome in Egg Donation
Effect of Medications on Semen Analysis and SCSA
Cryopreservation No Effect on Implantation and Pregnancy Rates in Egg Donation
Surrogacy Enhances Implanatation Rates in Egg Donation
ICSI of Testicular Sperm Results in Higher Fertilization Rates than Ejaculated Sperm
Activation of Human Oocytes using Calcium Ionophore After ICSI Increases Fertilization
Insemination of Oocytes by IVF or ICSI does not Reduce Fertilization Rates
Surrogacy Enhances Pregnancy and Implantation Rates in Fresh and Frozen Embryo Transfers
Award-winning research presented at the Pacific Coast Fertility Society, 2007.
Background: The human sperm survival test has become a simple, reliable QC procedure in the IVF laboratory for monitoring the culture environment and testing contact materials not previously tested by the manufacturer or supplier. Proficiency testing results suggest that the human sperm survival assay is comparable to the mouse embryo bioassay for detection of embryotoxicity. However, more studies are needed to determine the appropriateness of the sperm motility assay as a standard bioassay for human embryo viability and IVF outcome.
Objective: To evaluate whether there was any relationship between 48h human sperm survival rates obtained for different lots of plastic culture dishes and tubes and subsequent IVF outcome.
Materials and Methods: Sperm survival data was evaluated for 8 lots of center-well organ culture dishes (Falcon, #3037) and 3 lots of petri dishes (Falcon, #1007) used for insemination and culture, and 11 lots of 14 ml round bottom tubes used for oocyte collection and sperm incubation (Falcon, #2057).The sperm survival assay was performed on processed sperm resuspended in HTF + 5% HSA at 10-20 M/ml. Motility of sperm was assessed at 0h and after incubation at 37 º C in 5% CO2 for 24 and 48h. Sperm survival percentage rates were expressed as the (48h motility/0h motility) x 100. A total of 150 fresh IVF/ICSI cases performed over a two-year period in the different lots of plasticware were evaluated for fertilization rate, embryo quality at the time of transfer, pregnancy rates and implantation rates. Data was analyzed using the Spearman’s Rank Correlation Coefficient.
Results: There was a significant positive correlation between the sperm survival rate obtained for lots of culture dishes with pregnancy rate (r=0.686, p<0.05) but not between the sperm survival rate obtained for lots of round-bottom tubes and pregnancy rate. Neither the fertilization rate (mean: 76%) nor the embryo quality (determined by the percentage of top quality embryos transferred) correlated with sperm survival testing results from dishes or tubes. There was no significant correlation between implantation rates and sperm survival rates for dishes and tubes although a positive trend was evident (r=0.372 and r=0.365 respectively).
Conclusions: The sperm motility assay predicted pregnancy rates for different lots of culture dishes. This supports the use of the sperm survival test as an appropriate bioassay, since oocytes and embryos are exposed for several days to these vessels. Not surprisingly, sperm survival rates from tubes failed to predict pregnancy rates, probably due to the short time-span during which oocytes and sperm were exposed. The lack of a significant association between sperm survival and embryo quality or implantation rates may indicate that further studies are needed to enhance the sensitivity of this bioassay.