title: Comparison of Percoll, mini-Percoll and swim-up methods for sperm preparation from abnormal semen samples.
abstract: Two methods of density gradient centrifugation, Percoll (P) and mini-Percoll (MP), were compared with the swim-up technique for preparing spermatozoa from each of 40 abnormal semen samples. P and MP produced similar results with a mean recovery of spermatozoa with progressive motility which was significantly higher (18-19%) than that achieved with swim-up (5%). However, the swim-up method resulted in the recovery of spermatozoa with a higher mean motility (89 versus 58%), velocity (69 versus 56 microns/s), percentage with normal morphology (22 versus 16%) and intact acrosomes (61 versus 36%) than P and MP. The mean amplitude of lateral head displacement was the only characteristic of spermatozoa in semen which correlated with the recoveries of motile spermatozoa. Combining MP and swim-up methods for 10 samples produced a higher recovery (11 versus 6.9%) of spermatozoa with significantly better mean motility (94 versus 87%) than did swim-up alone. Although P and MP resulted in greater yields of motile spermatozoa than the swim-up preparation, the latter procedure selected higher proportions of spermatozoa with improved characteristics (velocity, intact acrosomes and normal morphology) which correlate with fertilization rates in vitro. It is concluded that P and MP are not superior to swim-up. However, sequential MP and swim-up preparation improves yields of high quality spermatozoa from some abnormal semen samples and therefore has potential for improving fertilization rates.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Australia.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.forename: D Y
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: H W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D006801:Humans; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D011205:Povidone; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013081:Sperm Motility
chemical_list: C016039:Percoll; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D011205:Povidone