Comparison of techniques for the selection of bacteria-free sperm preparations.
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.
Sun
L S
LS
Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, University of California Irvine Medical Center, Orange 92668.
Gastaldi
C
C
Peterson
E M
EM
de la Maza
L M
LM
Stone
S C
SC
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