Improved sperm concentration, motility, and fertilization rates following Ficoll treatment of sperm in a human in vitro fertilization program.
Duplicate sperm samples from the spouses of 54 patients admitted to an in vitro fertilization program were prepared by the swim-up and a simplified procedure using Ficoll. Cellsoft (CRYO Resources, New York, NY) sperm curvilinear velocities (microns/sec) and mean amplitude of lateral head displacement values (microns) equivalent to grade 1 and 2 visual sperm motility were significantly higher for Ficoll as compared with swim-up samples (P less than 0.01). Fertilization rates were significantly higher in the Ficoll as compared with the swim-up group for poor semen samples (grade less than 2: 58% versus 24%; P less than 0.01) and normal semen samples (grade greater than or equal to 2: 85% versus 78%; P less than 0.05). Ficoll sperm separation appears to be an excellent method of yielding increased fertilization rates in in vitro fertilization programs.
Bongso
A
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University Hospital, Singapore.
Ng
S C
SC
Mok
H
H
Lim
M N
MN
Teo
H L
HL
Wong
P C
PC
Ratnam
S
S
D005260:Female; D005307:Fertilization in Vitro / Q000379:methods*; D005362:Ficoll / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013076:Sperm Count / Q000187:drug effects*; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000187:drug effects*
D011134:Polysaccharides; D005362:Ficoll