title: Artificial oocyte activation in intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles using testicular sperm in human in vitro fertilization.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Artificial oocyte activation (AOA) is an effective method to avoid total fertilization failure in human in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) cycles. AOA performed using a calcium ionophore can induce calcium oscillation in oocytes and initiate the fertilization process. We evaluated the usefulness of AOA with a calcium ionophore in cases of total fertilization failure in previous cycles and in cases of severe male factor infertility patients with non-motile spermatozoa after pentoxifylline (PF) treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  The present study describes 29 intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-AOA cycles involving male factor infertility at Cheil General Hospital from January 2006 to June 2013. Patients were divided into two groups (control, n=480; AOA, n=29) depending on whether or not AOA using a calcium ionophore (A23187) was performed after testicular sperm extraction-ICSI (TESE-ICSI). The AOA group was further split into subgroups according to sperm motility after PF treatment: i.e., motile sperm-injected (n=12) and non-motile sperm-injected (n=17) groups (total n=29 cycles).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The good embryo rate (52.3% vs. 66.9%), pregnancy rate (20.7% vs. 52.1%), and delivery rate (10.3% vs. 40.8%) were lower in the PF/AOA group than in the control group. When evaluating the effects of restoration of sperm motility after PF treatment on clinical outcomes there was no difference in fertilization rate (66.6% vs. 64.7% in non-motile and motile sperm, respectively), pregnancy rate (17.6% vs. 33.3%), or delivery rate (5.9% vs. 16.7%) between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We suggest that oocyte activation is a useful method to ensure fertilization in TESE-ICSI cycles regardless of restoration of sperm motility after PF treatment. AOA may be useful in selected patients who have a low fertilization rate or total fertilization failure.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun-Hee
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Seog
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chun Kyu
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Duck Sung
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Moon
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Reproductive Biology and Infertility, Cheil General Hospital and Women's Healthcare Center, Dankook University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong-Wook
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: Artificial oocyte activation; Calcium ionophore; Intracytoplasmic sperm injection; Pentoxifylline; Testicular sperm extraction