title: Real-time Raman microspectroscopy scanning of the single live sperm bound to human zona pellucida.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if Raman microspectroscopy (RMS) can distinguish sperm bound to the human zona pellucida (ZP) from those unbound sperm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired experiments to compare Raman scanning features of ZP-bound and unbound sperm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Public hospital-based clinical assisted reproduction center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm samples from ten fertile donors were used in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  None.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sperm-ZP binding, ZP-induced acrosome reaction, and scanning intensity of various regions of sperm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RMS found two slightly low-intensity regions (800-900 and 3,200-4,000 cm(-1)) shifted to high-intensity grade at the acrosome region of the ZP-bound sperm compared with unbound sperm. Moreover, principal component analysis and statistical analysis showed that the RMS can distinguish the ZP-bound sperm from the unbound sperm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  RMS scanning of single live sperm could be used to distinguish ZP-bound sperm from unbound sperm. Thus, RMS may be a useful tool to detect normal functional sperm and to select sperm for intracytoplasmic sperm injection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Human Sperm Bank, Sperm Development and Genetics Laboratory, Shanghai Institute of Andrology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Yufei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiaobo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Xinyuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Hongliang
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D020101:Acrosome Reaction / Q000502:physiology; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005306:Fertilization / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009865:Oocytes / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D027724:Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman / Q000379:methods*; D013077:Sperm Head / Q000502:physiology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D020554:Sperm Injections, Intracytoplasmic; D013084:Sperm-Ovum Interactions / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D015044:Zona Pellucida / Q000502:physiology*