The effects of sperm quality on embryo development after intracytoplasmic sperm injection

Abstract

Purpose:To explore the possible relationship between sperm quality and embryo development, pregnancy and implantation rates, in patients undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods: Fertilization and cleavage rates, quality of embryos, blastocyst development, pregnancy and implantation rates were analyzed in 1020 embryos from 219 couples undergoing first ICSI treatment cycle. The couples were allocated in five groups, according to semen parameters: Group 1: patients with normal semen parameters, Group 2: patients with mild oligoastheno-teratozoospermia, Group 3: patients with severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia, Group 4: patients with obstructive azoospermia, Group 5: patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. Results: Fertilization and cleavage rates, quality of embryos as well as blastocyst development rates were significantly reduced, as semen quality decreased. However, no significant differences were observed in clinical pregnancy and implantation rates. Conclusion: Overall, a negative relationship was observed between semen quality and embryo development, even before activation of the embryonic genome, suggesting that sperm can affect embryogenesis from a very early stage.

The Effect of the Sperm Source on the Outcome of Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Embryo Transfer Cycles in Normal Responder Women

“…This finding is in contrast to some of prior studies that reported the similar fertilization rate with testicular and ejaculated sperm used in the ICSI procedure (19,20), Possible explanations of the reduced fertilization rate are high rates of DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial dysfunction, and chromosomal aneuploidy found in the sperm of men with azoospermia. Our study, in accordance with Lautradi et al who found a decreased fertilization potential of testicular spermatozoa and concluded that sperm can affect embryogenesis beginning from a very early stage of embryo development (21). Similarly, Demir et al showed that fertilization rate was significantly lower with testicular spermatozoa coming from patients with non-obstructive azoospermia as compare to ejaculated spermatozoa coming from patients with severe oligospermia in ICSI cycles (22).…”

Clinical outcomes and development of children born after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) using extracted testicular sperm or ejaculated extreme severe oligo-astheno-teratozoospermia sperm: a comparative study

“…Many studies have shown conflicting results when ICSI is performed with sperm from different sources (3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10). Also, the relationship between poor-quality semen and the development of embryos as well as clinical outcomes in patients undergoing ICSI is still uncertain (10)(11)(12). It can be reasoned that because spermatozoa were of limited number and good-quality sperm were chosen for ICSI, similar results might have been found after ICSI with different semen qualities (6,(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18).…”

Interacytoplasmic Morphologically Selected Sperm Injection: A Tool for Selecting the Best Sperm in Real Time

“…Several points of negative paternal impact, both genetic and epigenetic, have been identified in embryos following the injection of poor-quality spermatozoa into the oocyte. Using ICSI also clarified some points of the paternal influence on the embryo development, mainly in vitro [10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20]. The specific injected sperm might affect the health of the newborns [21].…”