Publication details
Comparison of microfluidic and swim-up sperm separation methods for IVF.
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2020 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Medical Journal of Cell Biology |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://content.sciendo.com/view/journals/acb/8/4/article-p170.xml |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.2478/acb-2020-0022 |
| Keywords | spermatozoa; DNA integrity; sperm preparation; microfluidic separation |
| Attached files | |
| Description | During fertilization in vivo, the ejaculated spermatozoa is being selected very intensely. From the initial number of hundreds of millions, only a few tens or hundreds sperm cells reach the ovulated oocyte. During fertilization in vitro, sperm cells suitable for utilization must be selected carefully. Choice of a suitable sperm separation method for ICSI is an important step and there are several methods available currently. Some of these methods are commonly used (swim-up, density gradient centrifugation - DGC), some are already obsolete (IMSI) and some are applied in specific cases (MACS). In present time, the methods of microfluidic chips are more and more popular. Nevertheless, before implementation of a new method to operation of a laboratory, it is appropriate to verify its efficiency. Standard parameters, such as concentration, motility or morphology of spermatozoa, are not sufficient for an objective evaluation of separation efficiency. In about 30% of male infertility cases, the cause cannot be detected by these parameters. DNA fragmentation represents such morphologically undetectable damage of spermatozoa most often. Correct selection of a sperm cell with non-damaged DNA is one of the prerequisites for achieving successful fertilization and embryo development in assisted reproductive technologies. Data from the literature suggest that the frequency of spermatozoa with massive DNA fragmentation is a marker of sperm quality and also possible predictor of fertility. The tested microfluidic separation method was presented as a very effective and gentle sperm separation system. Many reports indicate that microfluidic separation is a beneficial technique to remove spermatozoa with fragmented DNA and provides higher IVF outcomes compared to standard sperm selection techniques. The possible beneficial effects of this technique in clinical application are still debatable. Recent analyses reported that microfluidic chip had a positive effect on total number of grade 1 embryos after ICSI, but in other IVF parameters, this method did not improve the reproductive outcomes. The aim of our study was to compare the conventional swim-up sperm separation method with the new microfluidic chip method with emphasis on reducing the concentration of sperm cells with fragmented DNA. |