Comparison of measurements of human sperm motility characteristics by the automated CellSoft system and time-exposure photomicrography

Application of Open Source Software Image-J in Microscopic Movement Tracking: Movement Track Reconstruction and Parameter Algorithms

Since movement is an important characteristic of micro-motile cells, the development of microscopic movement tracking techniques is in urgent demand. To meet this need, applications of open source software Image-J in microscopic movement tracking were illustrated with examples. Movement track reconstruction was performed in both circular and linear movement patterns. The algorithms of real time radius, VCL (curvilinear velocity), VAP (average path velocity), VSL (straight line velocity), and other descriptive parameters using original coordinate values were developed and/or explained. Microscopic movement tracking can now be conducted at low cost using Image-J. Moreover, the algorithms can be easily controlled to fit users’ study purpose.

Prognostic value of an automated sperm analysis in IVF or insemination therapy

During the course of sterility treatment semenograms of 271 IVF and 316 insemination patients were carried out by two automated semen analysers. The parameters of these analyses were correlated to pregnancies resulting from the treatment. Semen samples were analysed in the ejaculate and after swim-up preparation. In addition, the swim-up suspension of IVF patients was measured again 18 h after sperm preparation. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) couples who achieved a pregnancy, (2) couples who did not achieve a pregnancy, and (3) IVF patients with no fertilization of the oocytes. Because of large standard deviations in the quality of ejaculates, the results in the IVF group show no significant differences in the semen parameters of husbands of pregnant and non-pregnant women. In contrast husbands of women with no fertilization have a significantly lower sperm motility. After swim-up preparation these differences no longer occur. A further measurement, taken 18 h later, reveals that there are no differences in the sperm parameters between the pregnant and non-pregnant group. However, the semen quality in the group with no fertilization is significantly reduced. The results of the insemination patients are similar to those of the IVF group. Thus, the results from automated sperm analysers cannot replace either the microscopic or biochemical analysis of an ejaculate and, moreover, cannot be used as prognosis for the fertilization capacity of sperms or a following pregnancy.

Comparative study on the use of human follicular fluid or egg yolk medium to enhance the performance of human sperm in the zona-free hamster oocyte penetration assay

A prospective study was conducted on 61 unselected semen samples from infertile patients to compare the efficacy of human follicular fluid (hFF) or TEST-egg yolk medium treatment in enhancing sperm performance in the zona-free hamster oocyte penetration (HOP) test. Both hFF and TEST-egg yolk enhanced penetration scores significantly in the HOP test in comparison with the control swim-up sperm preparation. The TEST-egg yolk medium treatment, however, exhibited the highest penetration scores, and there were higher percentages of preparations passing the 10 or 20% penetration rate cut-off point with sperm exposed to the TEST-egg yolk medium than those exposed to hFF. These results indicate that modification of the original HOP-test protocol by incorporation of TEST-egg yolk medium gives a greatly increased penetration rate when compared to the addition of hFF in such a system.