Optimizing sensitivity of the human sperm motility assay for embryo toxicity testing

Area of Science:

• Reproductive biology
• In vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratory quality control

Background:

• The human sperm motility assay is crucial for quality control in IVF laboratories.
• Assessing the impact of albumin and incubation time on assay sensitivity is vital for accurate results.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effects of albumin supplementation and incubation time on the human sperm motility assay's sensitivity.
• To compare the human sperm motility assay with mouse embryo development assays for quality control in IVF.

Main Methods:

• Conducted human sperm motility assays and mouse embryo development assays on 25 common IVF laboratory items.
• Incubated sperm samples for 2, 4, 6, 8, 24, and 48 hours under standard conditions.
• Defined sperm toxicity using a sperm motility index value <0.75.

Main Results:

• Optimal sensitivity (P < 0.01) of the human sperm motility assay was observed without albumin at 4, 8, and 48 hours.
• Items identified as sperm toxic within 8 hours showed high concordance with mouse embryo development results.
• The human sperm motility assay demonstrated clinical significance in detecting toxic substances.

Conclusions:

• The human sperm motility assay is a sensitive tool for detecting toxicity in IVF laboratory materials.
• Absence of albumin and specific incubation times (4, 8, 48 hours) enhance assay sensitivity.
• The assay's results closely align with mouse embryo development, validating its clinical relevance for IVF quality control.