title: Separation efficiency of a microfluidic sperm sorter to minimize sperm DNA damage.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether microfluidic sperm sorters (MFSSs) allow effective recovery of sorted motile sperm without DNA damage compared with the centrifugation and swim-up procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Experimental laboratory study. All participants completed questionnaires regarding previous and/or current diseases, surgery, reproductive experiences, lifestyle factors, and date of the preceding ejaculation.
  
  
  METHODS
  University research laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male volunteers were recruited without setting conditions. Semen samples from healthy volunteers (n = 37) were collected in sterile containers by masturbation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Flow cytometric measurement and sperm chromatin structure assay analysis of DNA damage after sperm preparation using MFSS and the centrifugation and swim-up procedure.
  
  
  METHODS
  Efficacy and efficiency of sperm preparation, correlation between sperm DNA fragmentation index (DFI) and semen parameters, and relationship between basic characteristics and DFI after the centrifugation and swim-up procedure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Final sperm concentration and motility were significantly different between the centrifugation and swim-up procedure and MFSS sperm preparations. A significantly lower sperm DNA fragmentation rate was detected with MFSS compared with the centrifugation and swim-up procedure use. No correlation was observed between DFI and smoking or drinking, but significant correlations were observed between DFI and medication use and sexual abstinence duration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MFSSs can be used to efficiently and reliably prepare sperm compared with the centrifugation and swim-up procedure. Further research on the clinical use of MFSSs is required to evaluate the safety and usefulness of this device.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shirota
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Fusanori
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yotsumoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Hirotsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Obama
authors.affiliation: IVF Nagata Clinic, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.affiliation: Joint Laboratory for Frontier Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kyoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Faculty of Medicine, Fukuoka University, Fukuoka, Japan. Electronic address: smiya@cis.fukuoka-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shingo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Miyamoto
mesh_terms: D002469:Cell Separation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D002498:Centrifugation; D042002:Chromatin Assembly and Disassembly; D004249:DNA Damage; D004867:Equipment Design; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D044085:Microfluidics / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D013076:Sperm Count; D013081:Sperm Motility; D053625:Sperm Retrieval / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Assisted reproductive technology; intracytoplasmic sperm injection; microfluidic sperm sorter; sperm DNA fragmentation; sperm chromatin structure assay