Critical evaluation of methylcellulose as an alternative medium in sperm migration tests

TY - JOUR

T1 - Critical evaluation of methylcellulose as an alternative medium in sperm migration tests

AU - Ivic, Ana

AU - Onyeaka, Helen

AU - Girling, Alan

AU - Brewis, Ian A.

AU - Ola, Bolarinde

AU - Hammadieh, Nahed

AU - Papaioannou, Spyros

AU - Barratt, Christopher L.R.

PY - 2002/1/1

Y1 - 2002/1/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate methylcellulose (MC) and to compare this with penetration in hyaluronic acid.METHODS: Spermatozoa from normal (>or=20 x 10(6) sperm/ml, >or=50% progressive motility, >or=5% normal forms) and oligozoospermic (<20 x 10(6) sperm/ml) semen samples were allowed to swim into glass capillary tubes containing methylcellulose with a viscosity of 15 centipoise (cp) (MC15) and 4000 cp (MC4000), hyaluronic acid (rooster comb) or Sperm Select. Penetration of the spermatozoa at 1, 2, 3 and 4 cm were correlated with basic semen parameters (concentration, motility and morphology). The effects of temperature on penetration into MC4000 were explored at 17-37 degrees C.RESULTS: Higher numbers of spermatozoa penetrated MC4000 (10 mg/ml) compared with MC15 and the hyaluronic acid preparations. There was a highly significant correlation between the number of spermatozoa at all migration distances in MC4000 (10 mg/ml) and semen parameters. Increases in temperature from 17-37 degrees C were accompanied by significantly higher numbers of spermatozoa at each penetration distance. MC4000 at 10 mg/ml was at least as favourable to sperm penetration as human cervical mucus. Effective discrimination between normal and abnormal samples was achieved using MC4000 (10 mg/ml).CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the potential use of methylcellulose (MC4000, 10 mg/ml) as a reproducible and effective alternative to hyaluronic acid in sperm migration tests.

AB - BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of human spermatozoa to penetrate methylcellulose (MC) and to compare this with penetration in hyaluronic acid.METHODS: Spermatozoa from normal (>or=20 x 10(6) sperm/ml, >or=50% progressive motility, >or=5% normal forms) and oligozoospermic (<20 x 10(6) sperm/ml) semen samples were allowed to swim into glass capillary tubes containing methylcellulose with a viscosity of 15 centipoise (cp) (MC15) and 4000 cp (MC4000), hyaluronic acid (rooster comb) or Sperm Select. Penetration of the spermatozoa at 1, 2, 3 and 4 cm were correlated with basic semen parameters (concentration, motility and morphology). The effects of temperature on penetration into MC4000 were explored at 17-37 degrees C.RESULTS: Higher numbers of spermatozoa penetrated MC4000 (10 mg/ml) compared with MC15 and the hyaluronic acid preparations. There was a highly significant correlation between the number of spermatozoa at all migration distances in MC4000 (10 mg/ml) and semen parameters. Increases in temperature from 17-37 degrees C were accompanied by significantly higher numbers of spermatozoa at each penetration distance. MC4000 at 10 mg/ml was at least as favourable to sperm penetration as human cervical mucus. Effective discrimination between normal and abnormal samples was achieved using MC4000 (10 mg/ml).CONCLUSION: Our results suggest the potential use of methylcellulose (MC4000, 10 mg/ml) as a reproducible and effective alternative to hyaluronic acid in sperm migration tests.

KW - Cervix Mucus

KW - False Positive Reactions

KW - Female

KW - Humans

KW - Hyaluronic Acid

KW - Infertility, Male/diagnosis

KW - Male

KW - Methylcellulose

KW - Oligospermia/pathology

KW - ROC Curve

KW - Reproducibility of Results

KW - Sensitivity and Specificity

KW - Sperm Motility

KW - Sperm-Ovum Interactions

KW - Temperature

KW - Viscosity

U2 - 10.1093/humrep/17.1.143

DO - 10.1093/humrep/17.1.143

M3 - Article

C2 - 11756379

SN - 0268-1161

VL - 17

SP - 143

EP - 149

JO - Human Reproduction

JF - Human Reproduction

IS - 1

ER -