title: Determination of sex ratio of spermatozoa with a deoxyribonucleic acid-probe and quinacrine staining: a comparison.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate sex selection of spermatozoa.
  
  
  METHODS
  A deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) probe (pDP34) detecting distinguishable loci on both X and Y chromosome was used to validate the quinacrine-staining method that is often used for determination of the percentage of Y-bearing sperm. Sperm samples were centrifuged over Percoll to obtain samples with a high X:Y ratio according to the quinacrine-staining method. Controls (sperms before processing over Percoll) and processed sperms were subjected to DNA extraction and analysis with the DNA probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The DNA analysis revealed a 1.0 X:Y ratio of the spermatozoa before and after Percoll separation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the quinacrine method is not suitable for evaluation of methods that claim to separate X and Y-bearing sperm.
authors.affiliation: Department of Reproductive Medicine, University Hospital Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Kooij
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: van Oost
mesh_terms: D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D015342:DNA Probes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011796:Quinacrine; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000737:chemistry*; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D014960:X Chromosome; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D011796:Quinacrine