Excessive generation of reactive oxygen species and increased peroxidation of the phospholipids in the membrane is proposed as a biochemical basis for the reduced activity of spermatozoa in cryopreserved semen. The possible role of alpha-tocopherol (VE) and ascorbic acid (VC) in improving the quality of frozen semen was investigated. Semen samples were divided into aliquots and frozen in freezing media with and without VC or VE. Sperm parameters, including motility after thawing and also at 2 h, % grade A motility (rapid and linear forward progression), and hypoosmotic swelling (HOS) scores, were measured in all samples. Vitamin C did not result in any improvement in sperm parameters studies. Vitamin E improved the post-thaw motility minimally. This improvement, although statistically significant, was actually very small. There were, however, wide variations between the samples. The motility improvement was considered in 5 of 12 samples, and HOS improved in some of the samples tested with VE. Future studies are needed to determine if these antioxidants can produce a consistent improvement in some individuals rather than help the majority of patients.

No abstract

Anti-sperm antibodies in semen have been associated with a decrease in fertility potential. The question arises as to whether intra-uterine insemination (IUI) can improve pregnancy rates by merely allowing earlier capacitation and close timing to ovulation, or whether certain treatments of the spermatozoa add extra benefit. The study presented herein was designed to compare IUI using Percoll density separation with an albumin treatment versus chymotrypsin/galactose treatment. Sixteen patients were evaluated where IUI was randomized between both sperm treatments. Pregnancy rates/cycle were 25% (eight of 32) with chymotrypsin/galactose-treated spermatozoa compared to only 3% (one of 33) cycles with albumin-treated spermatozoa (P < 0.01). Since it has been reported that the proportions of spermatozoa showing immunobead binding for specific antibodies after chymotrypsin/galactose treatment remain unchanged, the exact mechanism for improvement is unknown; possibly chymotrypsin/galactose interferes with the function of the antibodies.

Prospective and retrospective studies were conducted to evaluate sperm morphology using strict criteria for predicting fertilization capacity in males. Severely impaired male fertility potential was measured by a result of 5 4 % (denotes percentage sperm having normal morphology) and scores of > 14% indicated normal fertilization potential. There were no statistically significant differences found in pregnancy rates in partners of men with normal morphology of 5 4 % vs. those with 14% or greater (x2 analysis): the prospective study showed a 41 % pregnancy rate in 5 4 % group vs. 29% rate in > 14% group @ -0.44 NS); the retrospective analysis showed a 50% pregnancy rate in the group with 54% morphology scores vs. 67% in > 14% group @ -0.45 NS). When only the men with normal motile density (> 10 x 106/ml) were evaluated, a statistical difference was found in the retrospective study between the group with morphology results > 14% (93%) vs. the group 5 4 % (40%). However, the 56% success rate in the men with < 10 x 106/ml sperm and normal morphology 5 4 % reduces the significance of the diagnosis of sperm morphology using the new strict criteria.

Insemination of women with sperm treated by the swim-up technique resulted in 81% male offspring. This was achieved even in women taking ovulation-inducing drugs, in whom the albumin gradient separation technique not only is not effective in male preselection but in which the female sex is favored. Confirmation of these initial data is needed as well as an investigation of the swim-up's efficacy of producing male offspring in women not taking ovulation-inducing drugs.