Clin Exp Reprod Med.  2015 Mar;42(1):22-29. 10.5653/cerm.2015.42.1.22.

Comparison of the effect of different media on the clinical outcomes of the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up and swim-up methods

• Kim EK
• Kim EH
• Kim EA
• Lee KA
• Shin JE
• Kwon H

• KMID: 1800422
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5653/cerm.2015.42.1.22

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
Sperm must be properly prepared in in vitro fertilization (IVF)-embryo transfer (ET) programs in order to control the fertilization rate and ensure that embryos are of high quality and have appropriate developmental abilities. The objective of this study was to determine the most optimal sperm preparation method for IVF.
METHODS
Patients less than 40 years of age who participated in a fresh IVF-ET cycle from November 2012 to March 2013 were included in this study. Poor responders with less than three mature oocytes were excluded. Ham's F-10 medium or sperm-washing medium (SWM) was used in combination with the density-gradient centrifugation/swim-up (DGC-SUP) or SUP methods for sperm preparation. A total of 429 fresh IVF-ET cycles were grouped according to the media and methods used for sperm preparation and retrospectively analyzed (DGC-SUP/Ham's F-10, n=82; DGC-SUP/SWM, n=43; SUP/Ham's F-10, n=181; SUP/SWM, n=123).
RESULTS
There were no significant differences among these four groups with respect to the mean age of the female partners, duration of infertility, number of previous IVF cycles, and retrieved oocytes. We determined that both the DGC-SUP and SUP methods for sperm preparation from whole semen, using either Ham's F-10 or SWM media, result in comparable clinical outcomes, including fertilization and pregnancy rates.
CONCLUSION
We suggest that both media and both methods for sperm preparation can be used for selecting high-quality sperm for assistive reproductive technology programs.

Keyword

Assisted reproductive technology; Density gradient centrifugation; Intra cytoplasmic sperm injection; In vitro fertilization; Swim-up

MeSH Terms

Centrifugation, Density Gradient
Embryonic Structures
Female
Fertilization
Fertilization in Vitro
Humans
Infertility
Oocytes
Pregnancy Rate
Reproductive Techniques
Reproductive Techniques, Assisted
Retrospective Studies
Semen
Spermatozoa