A rapid sperm motility bioassay procedure for quality-control testing of water and culture media

A rapid bioassay procedure is described for quality-control testing water and apparatus used in the preparation of media for gamete and embryo culture. This bioassay is based on the sensitivity of hamster epididymal spermatozoa to contaminants present in water and/or in the culture apparatus. The bioassay is usually performed using a modified Tyrode's solution as the sperm culture medium, although complex media can be used. The sensitivity of this test is greatly enhanced by the absence of protein in the medium. The bioassay has been used to detect impurities in water prepared by a standard cartridge filtration system and to verify that reverse-osmosis pretreatment of water could eliminate the problem. It has also detected toxic contaminants leached from syringe filters during medium sterilization. The bioassay is simple to perform and can be completed in 1 working day. It may be a useful alternative to the conventional mouse embryo tests that are in widespread use in human in vitro fertilization (IVF) laboratories.