title: Comparison of techniques for the selection of bacteria-free sperm preparations.
abstract: The authors compared the three most commonly used sperm preparation techniques--swim-up, fall-down, and Percoll gradient--for their ability to recover highly motile sperm and minimize bacterial contamination. Eleven human semen samples collected by masturbation were used and run in parallel with the three methods. A semiquantitative bacterial analysis was performed in all samples and results expressed in colony-forming units per milliliter (CFU/ml). The Percoll gradient technique resulted in an average sperm concentration of 5.81 +/- 4.4 X 10(6) ml, and the average bacterial concentration dropped from 8.66 +/- 12.96 X 10(3) CFU/ml in semen to 0.01 +/- 0.03 X 10(3) CFU/ml. The bacterial count was not significantly different when the raw semen was compared with the swim-up or the fall-down preparations. The authors conclude that the Percoll gradient method yields an adequate sperm concentration, with high motility and improved morphology, while eliminating bacterial contamination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange 92668.
authors.forename: L S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gastaldi
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: de la Maza
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Stone
mesh_terms: D001419:Bacteria / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D002499:Centrifugation, Density Gradient; D003352:Corynebacterium / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009343:Neisseria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000302:isolation & purification