Novel distance-progesterone-combined selection approach improves human sperm quality

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Biology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Sperm selection is critical for assisted reproductive technology (ART) success and offspring health.
• Current ART sperm preparation methods bypass natural in vivo selection processes.
• There's a need for improved sperm selection techniques to enhance ART outcomes and minimize genetic risks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel distance-progesterone-combined sperm selection approach.
• To develop an original device mimicking the human female reproductive tract for sperm selection.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of this method based on sperm progressive motility and chemotaxis.

Main Methods:

• A novel device with long channels, simulating the female reproductive tract, was designed and fabricated.
• The device utilized a progesterone gradient and human tubal fluid media for sperm selection.
• Sperm were incubated for 150 minutes, followed by assessments of morphology, DNA fragmentation, and apoptosis.

Main Results:

• The distance-progesterone-combined selection method significantly increased the percentage of normally shaped sperm (11.2% to 40.3%).
• A significant decrease in sperm DNA fragmentation was observed after selection (15.4% to 6.8%).
• The percentage of apoptotic sperm remained statistically unchanged post-selection.

Conclusions:

• The developed method successfully selects high-quality sperm.
• This technique holds potential to benefit clinical ART by reducing sperm-related genetic risks.
• The novel approach offers an alternative to current sperm preparation methods, enhancing ART efficacy.